Bone and Joint Institute to focus on musculoskeletal health

London, ON – Western University says it has formed a Bone and Joint Institute that will be devoted to musculoskeletal health research.

“Bone and joint disorders are the leading cause of disability in Canada; hundreds of millions of people around the world suffering from these conditions,” said David Holdsworth, a researcher at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “By bringing together Western researchers from many disciplines at the Bone and Joint Institute, we have the opportunity to make great strides forward in helping these people maintain lifelong mobility.”

The institute will focus on four academic priorities, including:

– Developing new preventive, rehabilitative, medical and surgical therapies, diagnostic techniques and medical/assistive devices;

– Bringing together integrated transdisciplinary teams;

– Producing the next generation of musculoskeletal researchers; and

– Translating new knowledge from the laboratory to the community, marketplace and clinic.

The institute builds on a $5-million investment the university made into the Western Cluster of Research Excellence in Musculoskeletal Heath in November 2014. That program will fund more than 70 researchers from several faculties, including Schulich, Health Sciences, Engineering, Science and Social Science to study conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, trauma and work-, sport- and exercise-related injuries.

In addition to the institute announcement, Dr. Shabana Amanda Ali has been named the first recipient of the Kirkley Postdoctoral Fellowship in Musculoskeletal Health Research and Innovation. Arriving from the Institute of Medical Science at The University of Toronto, Ali’s research focuses on improving pain management for those with osteoarthritis.