McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory

Description of Research Expertise

My lab’s primary research goals are directed towards understanding the genetic, cellular, and mechanical mechanisms that regulate normal development, disease, and repair of dense connective tissues. I am particularly interested in identifying markers that define resident progenitors vs. mature cell types and the environmental cues (molecular and mechanical) that regulate their differentiation. I was awarded a K99/R00 grant in 2015 to define the tendon cell lineage and pathways that regulate tenogenesis, which led to our current work investigating the role of hedgehog signaling in tendon-to-bone repair and developing novel drug delivery systems targeting this pathway to improve repair outcomes. My lab also examines how mechanical forces impact the formation and maintenance of dense connective tissues. Ultimately, the long-term goals of my lab are directed towards translating these mechanistic studies to novel therapeutic strategies.