Category Archives: Research

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PSRS 2016 meeting – November 4, 2016

PSRS 2016 - Iatridis Lab
Spine Research Lab at Philadelphia Spine Research Symposium (PSRS) in Philadelphia, PA held November 4, 2016.

PSRS 2016 - Olivia and Rose
Olivia Torre (left) and Rose Long (right) after winning first and third prize in podium presentations at the Philadelphia Spine Research Symposium (PSRS) in Philadelphia, PA held November 4, 2016.

On November 4, 2016, the Iatridis Lab attended the 2016 Philadelphia Spine Research Symposium (PSRS) held at Drexel University in Philadelphia.  The meeting aimed to “cover all areas of spine research spanning from basic to clinical, and encompass the broad areas of development, pathophysiology, aging, pain, therapeutics and diagnostics.”

Dr. James Iatridis served as one of the organizers of the upcoming symposium while 4 podium presentations and 1 poster was presented from Mount Sinai.  Rose Long present her podium presentation entitled,  “TGF-β1 Induces a Contractile CD146+ Phenotype of Human Annulus Fibrosus Cells with Affinity to Collagen Scaffold for Annulus Fibrosus Repair and won 3rd prize in podium presentations while Olivia Torre presented her podium presentation entitled, “Development of an In Vivo Model of Neonatal Intervertebral Disc Injury and Regeneration” and won first prize in podium presentations.  In addition, Tom Evashwick-Rogler presented his podium presentation entitled,  “Disc Height Loss, But Not Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine or Substance P Expression, Predicts Intervertebral Disc Degeneration-Related Pain in a Rat Model” and Huizi Anna Lin presented her podium presentation entitiled,  “Injectable Cellulosic Hydrogels as Nucleus Pulposus Replacements: Assessment of Herniation Risk, Fatigue Behavior, and In Vivo Biocompatibility”.   Finally, Warren Hom presented his poster entitled, Cell-Seeded Adhesive Biomaterial for Repair of Annulus Fibrosus Defects in Intervertebral Discs”.

More information about the symposium can be found here:  http://www.philaspinemeeting.org/index.html

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5th Annual Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Symposium – October 13, 2016

Einstein Symposium 2016_resized
Organizers and speakers of the 5th Annual Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Symposium

The Mount Sinai ORL attended the 5th Annual Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Symposium at Albert Einstein College of Medicine on October 13, 2016. The symposium mission is “to expand the knowledge base within the field, and to foster creativity, collaboration and networking between researchers throughout the region.”

During the symposium, Dr. Alice Huang gave a presentation entitled “Regulation of tendon regeneration” and Dr. James Iatridis presented his talk entitled “Injury, inflammation, and altered mechanotransduction in the intervertebral disc” while also serving as the Steering Chair for the “Novel views into musculoskeletal degenerative diseases” session. In addition, Rose Long presented her poster, “CD146+ phenotype of human annulus fibrosus cells induced by TGFβ1 has affinity to collagen scaffold aimed for annulus fibrosus repair” and together Matthew Gluck and Christina Beck presented their posters “In Situ Imaging of Rat Median Nerve Damage Using SHG Microscopy: Advancing Towards an In Vivo Application” and “Biomechanical Analysis of the Reduction and Association of the Scaphoid and Lunate (RASL) Technique: Screw Trajectory Matters”.

More information about the symposium can be found here:https://www.einstein.yu.edu/departments/orthopaedic-surgery/symposium/

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5th Annual Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Symposium – October 13, 2016

Einstein Symposium 2016_resized
Organizers and speakers of the 5th Annual Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Symposium

The Mount Sinai ORL attended the 5th Annual Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Symposium at Albert Einstein College of Medicine on October 13, 2016. The symposium mission is “to expand the knowledge base within the field, and to foster creativity, collaboration and networking between researchers throughout the region.”

During the symposium, Dr. Alice Huang gave a presentation entitled “Regulation of tendon regeneration” and Dr. James Iatridis presented his talk entitled “Injury, inflammation, and altered mechanotransduction in the intervertebral disc” while also serving as the Steering Chair for the “Novel views into musculoskeletal degenerative diseases” session. In addition, Rose Long presented her poster, “CD146+ phenotype of human annulus fibrosus cells induced by TGFβ1 has affinity to collagen scaffold aimed for annulus fibrosus repair” and together Matthew Gluck and Christina Beck presented their posters “In Situ Imaging of Rat Median Nerve Damage Using SHG Microscopy: Advancing Towards an In Vivo Application” and “Biomechanical Analysis of the Reduction and Association of the Scaphoid and Lunate (RASL) Technique: Screw Trajectory Matters”.

More information about the symposium can be found here: https://www.einstein.yu.edu/departments/orthopaedic-surgery/symposium/

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JOR: New Horizons in Spine Research

JOR - New Horizons in Spine ResearchSpecial Issue: New Horizons in Spine Research – Part 1: Disc Biology, Spine Biomechanics, and Pathomechanisms of Back Pain

August 2016

Volume 34, Issue 8

Pages 1283–1491

Issue edited by: James C. Iatridis, James Kang, Rita Kandel, Makarand V. Risbud

To advance novel spine science and collaborations, the 3rd International Spine Research Symposium, co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Spine Research Society (PSRS), NIAMS/NIH and the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), was held to enhance understanding of the clinical problems associated with degenerative disc disease, and to highlight cutting-edge scientific research in areas of basic biology, epidemiology, disease mechanisms, biomechanics, tissue engineering and imaging of the intervertebral disc (IVD).[4] This special issue on ‘New Horizons in Spine Research’ and a second issue to follow at a later date are outcomes from that meeting, with articles selected from the strong response to the ‘call for papers’. This issue focuses on the fundamental topics of disc ageing and cell biology, spine biomechanics, anatomy and imaging, and pathomechanisms of spine pain. A second special issue will focus on repair and regeneration. This growing passion for advancing spine research and improving spinal health has ignited the spine research community to coalesce within the Orthopaedic Research Society as the newly formed Spine Section (http://www.ors.org/spinesection/) in order to enhance communication and collaboration. Read the issue.

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Gordon Research Conference and Seminar – August 7-12, 2016

Paolo Palacio-Mancheno, Rose Long and Olivia Torre of the Iatridis lab attended the Musculoskeletal Biology & Bioengineering Gordon Research Conference and Seminar at the Proctor Academy in Andover, NH August 7-12, 2016. The theme of the 2016 GRC was “Stepping Across Disciplines to Spur Innovation in Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering” as the goal of the conference was to bring together leaders in the field of musculoskeletal biology and bioengineering to foster new scientific interactions across the field.

During the week long conference, Dr. James Iatridis presented a keynote lecture entitled “Injury, Inflammation, and Altered Mechanotransduction in the Intervertebral Disc” and Rose Long presented a seminar entitled “Induction of Cd146+ Phenotype by Tgfb1 from Human Annulus Fibrosis Cells for Annulus Repair”.  In addition, both Paolo Palacio-Mencheno and Olivia Torre presented their posters “Hyperosmolar Conditions Induce Notochordal Cell Maturation and Matrix Production with Aquaporin3 Upregulation in Nucleus Pulposus” and “Hyperosmolar Conditions Induce Notochordal Cell Maturation and Matrix Production with Aquaporin3 Upregulation in Nucleus Pulposus”, respectively.

Read more about the conference here: https://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=10990

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ORL hosts Girls Inc Eureka! Summer Program

018Alice Huang presents background on tendon research in the Huang Lab to Girls Inc students (Photo credit: Nomi Ellenson)

On August 2, the Orthopaedic Research Labs hosted 20 students from the Girls Inc Eureka! Summer Program.  Girls Inc. Eureka! Is a STEM-based approach to engaging and empowering 8th-12th grade girls for future success.  The ORL visit kicked off with scientific presentations by Dr. Alice Huang on tendon research and Dr. James Iatridis on spine research.  Didactic presentations were followed by hands-on rotations through six modules led by our trainees and staff: mouse gait analysis, fluorescence microscopy, tendon tissue engineering, cryosectioning, orthopaedic biomechanics, and spine organ culture.  The event capped with an inspiring Q&A discussion with Dr. Leesa Galatz on what it means to be a clinician-scientist.  Special thanks to Kristen Howell, Jerry Chien, Varun Arvind, Anton Doe, Phil Nasser, Christina Beck, Olivia Torre, and Rose Long for leading the lab modules, LifeSci Advisors for providing lab coats to the students, and all of the Girls Inc students for allowing us to share our love of science with you!

Read more about Girls, Inc. Eureka!’s visit to the ORL:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/aug/13/science-tech-engineering-math-stem-jobs-gender-gap-new-york

Lab tour with Girls, Inc. Eureka!

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Orthopaedic Research Society Spine Section 2016 Annual Meeting

Spine-Section-Awards-1024x684ORS Spine Section 2016 Poster and Podium award winners with ORS Spine Section leadership.

The ORS Spine Section held its first section meeting on Friday, March 4 as part of the ORS 2016 Annual Meeting programming at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.

The theme for the 2016 meeting was Spine Research for Functional Translation with scientific symposia on animal models and imaging. Invited speakers included spine researchers and clinicians representing academics, government, and industry.

The ORS Spine Section meeting aimed to disseminate cutting edge information on focus topics of interest, to develop & strengthen collaborative research networks, to support young investigators, and to engage clinicians & industry experts.  Dr. James Iatridis (shown sixth from left) served as the Chair of the newly created ORS Spine section for 2015 and 2016.  Svenja Illien-Junger, PhD (shown third from left) received a Podium Award at for her presentation at this year’s meeting.  In all, Dr. Iatridis’ Spine Bioengineer Lab had nine podium presentations at the ORS.

In addition, Mount Sinai alums Dr. Devina Purmessur and Dr. Nelly Andarawis-Puri organized two popular New Investigator mentoring sessions: I) Successfully competing for a faculty position and II) How to lead and motivate a successful team.  As one of the leaders of Orthopaedic Research, Dr. James Iatridis was invited to give a lecture on “Choosing the right people” for the second session.

The tendon research program was well represented at the ORS this year with three podium presentations given by Dr. Alice Huang, Kristen Howell, and David Shiovitz.  Dr. Huang also served as a moderator for the New Investigator mentoring sessions I and II, as well as Tendon and Ligament: Cell Biology and Development.

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James Iatridis to be Inducted into Medical and Biological Engineering Elite

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the pending induction of James Iatridis, Ph.D., Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and of Neurosurgery; Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Orthopedics; Director of Spine Research, Mount Sinai Health System, Leni & Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, to its College of Fellows. Dr. Iatridis was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for outstanding contributions to understanding the pathophysiology of injury to and new strategies for the repair of the intervertebral disc.

The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country. The most accomplished and distinguished engineering and medical school chairs, research directors, professors, innovators, and successful entrepreneurs, comprise the College of Fellows.

AIMBE Fellows are regularly recognized for their contributions in teaching, research, and innovation. AIMBE Fellows have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Science and the Presidential Medal of Technology and Innovation and many also are members of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Sciences.

A formal induction ceremony will be held during AIMBE’s 25th Annual Meeting at the National Academy of Sciences Great Hall in Washington, DC on April 4, 2016. Dr. Iatridis will be inducted along with 160 colleagues who make up the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2016. For more information about the AIMBE Annual Meet, please visit www.aimbe.org.

AIMBE’s mission is to recognize excellence in, and advocate for, the fields of medical and biological engineering in order to advance society. Since 1991, AIMBE‘s College of Fellows has lead the way for technological growth and advancement in the fields of medical and biological engineering. Fellows have helped revolutionize medicine and related fields in order to enhance and extend the lives of people all over the world. They have also successfully advocated for public policies that have enabled researchers and business-makers to further the interests of engineers, teachers, scientists, clinical practitioners, and ultimately, patients.