Some startling numbers were shared this week with staff members of Senator Mike Brown’s office in Indiana at a conference in Indianapolis, including scholars from Purdue Veterinary Medicine, for the needs of the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health (ICMH). and achievements were spotlighted. During his one-day program held at the Center on Wednesday, August 24, several of his ICMH members discussed the Center’s goal of applying discovery to the application, prevention and treatment of diseases and disorders of the musculoskeletal system through collaborative research. We talked about significant progress being made towards

The ICMH was founded in 2017 and is led by Dr. Linda Bornwald, faculty member of the IU School of Medicine and founder of the Center. Based at the IU School of Medicine, the center has her over 100 members from 36 departments and her four campuses, including Purdue, IUPUI, Notre Dame and Marian Colleges. Collaboration involving ICMH members has resulted in numerous federally funded grants supporting research in all areas related to musculoskeletal health. Overall, ICMH members have received a total of $65 million in external funding across all colleges and universities to date.

This level of support is essential given that musculoskeletal diseases and disorders pose a significant financial burden to the U.S. health care system and are the leading cause of disability. According to information from the Center, musculoskeletal diseases cost him $796.3 billion in 2011, or his 5.7% of the gross domestic product of the United States.

To advance scientific discovery in this area, ICMH has five research teams, each focused on one of the following areas: trauma regeneration and rehabilitation; lifestyle modification; cancer research; and musculoskeletal medicine. At Wednesday’s meeting, his group of ICMH members, led by Dr. Bonewald, shared with Senator Brown’s aide, Audrey Arbogast, the ICMH’s goals, achievements, and needs with Rep. Jake Chebowski. Her ICMH member was invited by two of her faculty members at Purdue University, Dr. Sarah Malek, assistant professor of small animal orthopedics at the School of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Wayne Campbell, professor of nutritional sciences at the College of Health and Human Sciences. was one ofparticipate

Dr. Marek’s areas of interest are in clinical practice, including animal and human models, with the goal of developing bedside clinical trials that can be used in humans and animals with musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis and fracture-related infections. Biomarker studies used for pattern recognition. Dr. Malek, a member of the Center’s Trauma, Regeneration and Rehabilitation Team, said: both animals and humans. Another Purdue Veterinary School member involved with ICMH is her Dr. Marxa Figueiredo, Associate Professor of Basic Medicine. Dr. Diane Little, Associate Professor of Basic Medicine. Dr. Russell Maine, Associate Professor of Basic Medicine.

Writer:
Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu