Faculty Research Interests

Kyriacos Athanasiou, Ph.D., Ph.M.

  Hyaline articular cartilage in knee, hip and shoulder;  menisci, in the knee and temporomandibular joint (TMJ); fibrocartilage in the TMJ

Robert Allen, M.D.

  Nerve regeneration after trauma

Daniel Benson, M.D.

  Embryonic development of the spine and wound infection studies

Jennette Boakes, M.D.

  Muscle physiology and adaptation, muscle structure/function relationships; spastic muscle, leg lengthening; in vivo sarcomere length measurement; biomechanical modeling’ gait analysis

Paul Di Cesare, M.D.

  Arthritis biomarkers, mechanisms for chondrocyte and bone differentiation from stem cells, infection biomarkers, and mechanisms of cartilage breakdown in arthritis

Blaine Christiansen, Ph.D.

  Bone biomechanics; bone adaptation; aging; post-traumatic osteoarthritis; bone-nerve interaction; bone imaging; mechanotransduction; fracture healing

Tania Ferguson, M.D.

  Pelvic and acetabular fracture injury patterns, imaging, and biomechanics of injury and fixation; clinical outcomes of and surgical indication for pelvic and acetabular fracture surgery

David Fyhrie, Ph.D.

  Bone biomechanics; bone remodeling; cartilage mechanical properties; bone cell mechanobiology; fracture mechanics; and finite element remodeling

Eric Giza, M.D.

  Cartilage transplantation; advances in Achilles reconstruction

Munish Gupta, M.D.

  Investigation of the interplay of BMP and BMP antogonists during spinal fusion in animal model of posterolateral lumbar fusion. Study the use of BMP in adults and pediatric spine surgery.

Dominik Haudenschild, Ph.D.

  Interactions between the chondrocyte cytoskeleton and signal transduction events which lead to the regulation of gene expression and extracellular matrix synthesis required for the maintenance of healthy cartilage.

Michelle James, M.D.

  Analysis of upper extremity function in children; funded studies of prosthesis use in children with below elbow deficiency and treatment of upper extremity cerebral palsy; motion analysis of the upper extremity in children and teenagers with brachial plexus birth palsy and spinal cord injury; motion analysis of thumb abduction and opposition; outcomes of nerve reconstruction for infants with brachial plexus birth palsy; outcomes of pinch reconstruction in people with tetraplegia; stereognosis assessment in children with upper extremity cerebral palsy; molecular biology of limb deficiency.

Eric Klineberg, M.D.

  Molecular biology and stem cell research on spinal fusion and disc regeneration: BMP and BMP antagonists interaction in spinal fusion, stem cell augmentation of spinal fusion, stem cell utilization for cartilage regeneration in degenerative disc disease.  Biomechanical models of spinal stability.  Clinical outcomes after spinal fusion surgery: scoliosis, sagittal alignment and use of BMP to achieve spinal fusion.

Cassandra Lee, M.D.

  Cartilage biology, healing, and regeneration, meniscal transplantation, ligament biology

Mark Lee, M.D.

  Fracture healing, including animal models of fracture nonunion, mesenchymal stem cell applications for fracture repair, and biomechanical evaluations of mechanical implants

Joel Lerman, M.D.

  Function and clinical outcomes in patients with congenital lower extremity deficiencies, as well as orthopaedic issues in spinal cord injured youths, spinal deformities and clubfeet.

Kirk Lewis, M.D.

  Knee biomechanics and function in relation to athletic performance, injury pattern and short and long term athletic disability.

Richard Marder, M.D.

  Kinematics of MCL reconstruction and impingement or primary tendonitis of the rotator cuff

Debra Popejoy, M.D.

  Scoliosis, gait analysis

George Rab, M.D.

  Gait analysis (kinematics), joint biomechanics and computer modeling

 A. Hari Reddi, Ph.D.

  Cellular and molecular basis of cartilage repair and osteoarthritis; the cellular and developmental biology of bone and osteoporosis; the tissue engineering of bone and cartilage based on biomaterials and biotechnology; the role of  extracellular matrix and growth factors in cell differentiation and morphogenesis of bone and cartilage; and hormonal regulation of cartilage, bone and bone marrow development.

Rolando Roberto, M.D.

  Dr. Roberto’s research interests revolve several broad categories in spinal surgery.  These areas include spinal trauma, spinal deformity,  and the study of normal motion   (kinematics)  and motion preservation in spinal surgery.

  As a resident and medical student advocate, Dr. Roberto has successfully mentored several UC Davis medical students including….  Scott Porter, UCD SOM,  Braden Boice , UCD  SOM,  Babk Dezfuli, UCD SOM,  Srihari  Namperumal, MS  UCD SOM.  These individuals have applied for and received medical scientist training program grants which have lead to fruitful research projects in areas from spinal trauma through biomechanics.  These research efforts have been presented at the Western Medical Student Research Forum,  nationally at the North American Spine Society,  the Cervical Spine Research Society, the Scoliosis Research Society and at the International Meeting on Advanced Spinal Rechniques in Hong Kong. 

Dr. Roberto’s current biomechanical projects are performed in combination with key faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.  These faculty members include Dr. Nesryn Sarigul Klijn and Dr. David Fyrhie.  There is a doctoral candidate  ( Enoch Leung ,  PhD candidate) working in the Orthopedic Research Laboratory examining Upper craniocervical motion patterns in health and disease ( Klippel Feil Syndrome)

  Dr. Roberto’s ongoing research projects include Biomechanics of the upper cervical spine,  cervical laminoplasty for the treatment of central cord syndrome and cervical spondylotic myelopathy,   operative treatment of scoliosis in Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy and the rate of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing spinal surgery.

Peter Salamon, M.D.

  Treatment of orthopaedic problems with the hips, lower and upper extremities, use of Ponseti method in treating club feet

Robert Szabo, M.D.

  Nerve compression lesions, nerve repair and regeneration biology, tendon healing and adhesion formation, and epidemiology of repetitive trauma and injury prevention

James Van den Bogaerde, M.D.

  Anatomic, biomechanical and clinical outcome studies in knee, shoulder and elbow surgery.

Philip Wolinsky, M.D.

  Biomechanics of internal and external fixation devices and fat embolization

Jasper Yik, Ph.D.

  Regulation of gene expression during chondrocyte differentiation from stem cells; identification of novel transcription factors important for chondrogenesis and cartilage homeostasis

Brad Yoo, M.D.

  Outcomes following complex foot and ankle trauma, biomechanics of orthopaedic devices