Evan Buettmann, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow from the Bone Engineering Science Technology (BEST) Lab run by Henry Donahue, Ph.D., the Alice T. and William H. Goodwin, Jr. chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), will be able to further his musculoskeletal research and start his own independent research lab with the help of the K99 Pathway to Independence Award. Buettmann was presented this $112,126 career development award by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) for his project, “Mechanobiology of fracture healing during skeletal disuse.”
Extended periods of musculoskeletal disuse – such as during paralysis, bedrest and spaceflight – increase the risk of bone and muscle weakness and fragility fracture. Treatment options for patients with fractures during musculoskeletal disuse are limited because very little is known about how mechanical loads – or the lack of – are sensed by different bone cell populations to regulate healing.
Buettmann’s research project seeks to use a controllable muscle and bone loading platform to identify what mechanical interventions and molecular mechanisms are necessary to improve fracture healing and muscle strength during extended disuse.
“These insights will help bridge a significant gap in our understanding of how disuse alters callus mechanobiology and how mechanically-regulated tissues and accompanying molecules can be leveraged to improve fracture healing and rehabilitation in osteosarcopenic high-risk patients,” Buettmann explained.
The results might not only benefit those with fractures due to inactivity but also people with other conditions that affect fracture healing and movement such as aging, obesity, diabetes and hormonal deprivation.
“This grant will give me the opportunity to jump-start my independent career and build a research program investigating how we can improve quality of life and mobility after debilitating musculoskeletal injuries,” Buettmann said.
As someone who has been sidelined with bone fractures and seen loved ones lose independence after a fracture, this research hits close to home for Buettmann. He is excited to do his part to make a translational impact on patients suffering from musculoskeletal injuries.
Buettmann has also assembled a mentoring team and collaborators with expertise in bone regeneration and osteoimmunology (René Olivares-Navarrete, Ph.D.), optogenetics and muscle-bone mechanoregulation (Megan Killian, Ph.D.), musculoskeletal bioinformatics (Charles Farber, Ph.D.), biomechanics (Hannah Dailey, Ph.D.), and mechanobiology (Henry Donahue, Ph.D.) to collaborate on the project.
“This grant allows me to receive continual mentoring from wonderful faculty and participate in professional development activities that will benefit students in my own lab one day,” Buettmann said.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to perform real-world research as soon as they enroll. From delving into the intricacies of cell migration in cancer research to exploring tissue engineering in menisci, tendons and ligaments, our students pursue a diverse range of cutting-edge research topics. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Biomedical Engineering to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.