Musculoskeletal Health Committees and Working Groups

With the goal to become an international leader in basic and translational musculoskeletal research, clinical treatment and education, the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health has developed a long-term plan to guide research support, direction and research programs for the next decade. Coupled with thematic research teams, six committees/working groups help to develop processes and procedures to advance the center’s goals, including scheduling external speakers, managing industry relations and securing pilot funding.

Education Committee

The Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health education committee is focused on identifying means such as courses, programs and research projects that would provide opportunities to train future researchers and leaders in musculoskeletal research. The opportunities that are focused on or developed include graduate students, medical students, undergraduates, orthopedic fellows, and others.

Committee chairs: Rafael Bahamonde, PhD and Fred Pavalko, PhD
Pilot Project Committee

The responsibilities of the pilot project committee is to review and recommend applications for funding collaborative musculoskeletal pilot projects. These include applications from internal applicants to Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health sponsored projects. In 2017, the committee supported two such pilot funding initiatives: the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health Pilot Funding Project and the Multi-Center Pilot Project.

Committee Chairs: Uma Sankar, PhD and Stuart Warden, PhD
Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics Working Group

This working group is identifying means to support access to and promote use of big data by musculoskeletal researchers.

Working group chairs: Erik Imel, PhD and Yunlong Liu, PhD
External Speaker Seminar Series Committee

This committee is responsible for identifying, scheduling, and hosting renowned scientists in musculoskeletal research to speak, educate and connect with the faculty and members of the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health.

Committee chairs: Teresita Bellido, PhD and Alex Robling, PhD
Industry Relations Working Group

This working group establishes relationships and interfaces with industry representatives to transform discoveries into clinical applications and therapeutics.

Working group chairs: Jie Chen, PhD and Michael Sturek, PhD
Core and Shared Instruments Operations Committee

This committee is responsible for evaluating the ICMH cores and shared equipment, and to make recommendations regarding their operations and support.

Committee chairs: Mike Econs, MD and Alex Robling, PhD