School of Medicine news
Musculoskeletal Disease Center personnel provide variety of skills
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| Personnel of the Musculoskeletal Disease Center are (from left) Subburaman Mohan, PhD; David J. Baylink, MD; Donna D. Strong, PhD; and K-H. William Lau, PhD. Not pictured are Cesar Libanati, MD, and Apurva Srivastava, PhD. |
Editor's note: The following article is part one of a multi-part
feature on the Musculoskeletal Disease Center (MDC) headed by David J.
Baylink, MD, distinguished professor of medicine, School of Medicine,
and administrator and scientific chief, Musculoskeletal Diseases Center,
Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center. Part one introduces the personnel
who support the primary areas of the MDC. Succeeding parts will feature
the five independent laboratories that make up the MDC.
* * *
The Musculoskeletal Disease Center, founded in 1981 and reorganized in 1998,
is based at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center. Headed by David J.
Baylink, MD, distinguished professor of medicine, Loma Linda University School
of Medicine, the center supports five independent divisions in areas of basic
research, translational research, and clinical trials.
" The center focuses on areas to discover novel genes and evaluate functions
of genes relevant to the musculoskeletal system and to promote rapid healing
and eventually regeneration of soft and hard tissues using appropriate research
models," Dr.
Baylink says.
" Today, the center is composed of nearly 100 individuals including professors,
associate professors, assistant professors, support scientists, postdoctoral
fellows, graduate students, research associates, laboratory aides, and administrative
support," Dr. Baylink continues.
Among the personnel that support the center, 18 have faculty appointments at
Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Many of these individuals have teaching
or clinical responsibilities at Loma Linda University.
"The Musculoskeletal Disease Center is funded by various sponsoring agencies," Dr.
Baylink states, "including such federal agencies at the United States Army
medical Research, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Veterans
Affairs."
In addition, other funding sources include various pharmaceutical companies,
National Medical Test Beds, and Loma Linda University research seed awards.
At the present time, the MDC occupies a little more than 14,000 square feet of
research space in the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center.
Serving as administrator and scientific chief is Dr. Baylink. As scientific chief,
Dr. Baylink coordinates all scientific aspects for the research studies including
molecular genetics, gene therapy division, mineral metabolism, clinical and experimental
assay laboratory, and the clinical research center.
Heading up the molecular genetics division as assistant scientific chief is Subburaman
Mohan, PhD. Dr. Mohan holds the position of research professor in the departments
of medicine, biochemistry, and physiology in the School of Medicine. These studies
are both basic and clinical. Heavy emphasis is placed on the mouse model to study
genes related to the mechanical performance of bone and also on the regulation
of soft tissue and hard tissue regeneration. clinical studies apply both linkage
analysis in family pedigrees and case control association studies for different
musculoskeletal phenotypes.
K-H. William Lau, PhD, serves as assistant scientific chief with responsibilities
for the gene therapy program. Dr. Lau also holds a research professor appointment
in the departments of medicine, biochemistry, and physiology in the School of
Medicine. Currently only animal studies are being done. Rodent models are used
to evaluate gene therapy applications to the repair of local soft and hard tissue
lesions with an emphasis on gene therapy for accelerated fracture healing.
Heading the mineral metabolism section is Donna D. Strong, PhD. Dr. Strong is
also an associate research professor of medicine in the School of Medicine. This
division focuses on biochemical and molecular biological studies of musculoskeletal
derived cells with a heavy emphasis on growth factors.
Apurva Srivastava, PhD, an assistant research professor of medicine in the School
of Medicine, is technical supervisor for the clinical and experimental assay
laboratory. The focus of this area is on the development and application of serum
and urine assays for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring in patients with
musculoskeletal disease with a particular emphasis on osteoporosis. This division
works closely with the molecular genetics division and the clinical research
center.
Associate professor of medicine in the School of Medicine Cesar Libanati, MD,
is the chief investigator for the mineral metabolism unit and the director of
the osteoporosis research center. The focus in this clinical center is federally
funded clinical studies of both therapeutic and diagnostic nature and pharmaceutical
sponsored drug trials.
Part two of the series will present an overall view of the Musculoskeletal Disease
Center and will appear in the next issue of TODAY.
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