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The Mechanobiology & Muscle-Bone Crosstalk Team

Bone and muscle couple mechanical and biochemical stimulation to effect cellular responses through signal transduction. They also act as endocrine/secretory organs by releasing soluble factors, such as osteokines and myokines. The mechanobiology and muscle-bone crosstalk research team utilizes molecular, cellular, systemic and organismal level functional outcomes to investigate mutual interactions between bone and muscle. Given many physiological processes are regulated by bone and muscle in a paracrine manner, our group also investigates distant tissues in development, normal physiology and disease.

Team Leaders

23070-Sankar, Uma

Uma Sankar, PhD, MS

Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

portrait of william thompson

William R. Thompson, DPT, PhD

Associate Professor - School of Health & Human Sciences

Faculty Investigators

Keith G. Avin, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Health & Human Sciences

Tarah J. Ballinger, MD

Vera Bradley Foundation Scholar in Breast Cancer Research

Joseph P. Bidwell, PhD

Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Lynda F. Bonewald, PhD

Director, Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health

Jeff Brault, PhD

Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Angela Bruzzaniti, PhD

Director of Student Research, School of Dentistry

David B. Burr, PhD

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Neal X. Chen, MD, PhD

Associate Research Professor of Medicine

Tien-Min G. Chu, PhD

Associate Dean for Research, School of Dentistry

Robyn K. Fuchs, MS, PhD

Adjunct Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Joshua R. Huot, MS, PhD

Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Yukiko Kitase, DDS, PhD

Assistant Research Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Jiliang Li, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Biology, School of Science

Margaret A. McNulty, PhD

Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Sharon M. Moe, MD

Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research

Thomas M. O'Connell, PhD

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery

Jason Organ, PhD

Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Fredrick M. Pavalko, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Fabrizio Pin, PhD, MS

Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Lilian I. Plotkin, PhD

Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Alexander G. Robling, MA, PhD

Chair, Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Diane Wagner, PhD

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, School of Science

Chandler L. Walker, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Dentistry

Joseph Wallace, PhD

Chair, Biomedical Engineering

Stuart J. Warden, PhD

Professor of Physical Therapy, School of Health & Human Sciences

Steven S. Welc, PhD

Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology

Carol A. Witczak, PhD

Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology

Hiroki Yokota, PhD

Professor of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering & Technology

Indiana University Members - Other Schools

Rafael Bahamonde, PhD

Founding Dean; School of Health & Human Sciences

Purdue University Members

Chad Carroll, PhD

Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology

Shihuan Kuang, PhD

Professor of Animal Sciences

Tim Gavin, PhD

Chair and Professor of Exercise Physiology

Russell Main, PhD

Associate Professor, Basic Medical Sciences