Nathaniel Dyment, PhD

Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Member, Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Member, Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders
Member, Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism (IDOM)
Member, Pennsylvania Muscle Institute
Department: Orthopaedic Surgery
Contact information
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory
330A Stemmler Hall
3450 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
330A Stemmler Hall
3450 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Office: 215-746-8138
Fax: 215-573-2133
Lab: 215-746-8167
Fax: 215-573-2133
Lab: 215-746-8167
Education:
B.S. (Materials Science and Engineering)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 2005.
Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering)
University of Cincinnati, 2011.
Permanent linkB.S. (Materials Science and Engineering)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 2005.
Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering)
University of Cincinnati, 2011.
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 (biochemical and biophysical) 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.Selected Publications
Mary Kate Evans, Ngoc Hoang, Tonia Tsinnman, Xi Jiang, Ellie Fergurson, Joel Boerckel, Lin Han, Eiki Koyama, Robert Mauck, Nathaniel Dyment: Non-Muscle Myosin Isoforms Differentially Regulate Deltoid Tuberosity Initiation and Maturation. ASME SB3C Summer Bioengineering Conference June 2025.Fujino K, Keith S, Kamalitdinov TB, Madi R, Jiang X, Zgonis MH, Miller LM, Kuntz AF, Dyment NA.: Compressive Graft Fit Promotes Tendon-to-Bone Integration After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Am J Sports Med Jun 2025.
Meghan Kupratis, Jiaqi Xiang, Kevin Burt, Yuqi Zhang, Bryan Kwok, Sara Tufa, Douglas Keene, Nathaniel Dyment, Lin Han, Eiki Koyama, Robert Mauck: Emergent Cell Subpopulations and Time-Evolving Biophysical Cues in the Developing Porcine Meniscus. ASME SB3C Summer Bioengineering Conference June 2025.
Li Y, Tress A, Maye P, Edwards K, Findletar A, Dyment NA, Yamaguchi Y, Rowe DW, Le-Chan G, Chan SSK, Lo KW.: Genetic Deficiency of Hyaluronan Synthase 2 in the Developing Limb Mesenchyme Impairs Postnatal Synovial Joint Formation. Biomedicines 13: 1324, May 2025.
Usami Y, Jiang X, Dyment NA, Kokubun T.: Limb motility and ambulation as mechanical cues in postnatal murine tendon development. Dev Biol 525: 130-138, May 2025.
He Q, Lu J, Liang Q, Yao L, Sun T, Wang H, Duffy M, Jiang X, Lin Y, Lee JH, Ahn J, Dyment NA, Mourkioti F, Boerckel J, Qin L.: Prg4+ fibro-adipogenic progenitors in muscle are crucial for bone fracture repair. bioRxiv May 2025.
Yuqi Zhang, Meghan E. Kupratis, Giorgos Kotsaris, Nathaniel Dyment, Lin Han, Eiki Koyama, Robert L. Mauck: Altered Transcriptional Landscape And Emergent Region-dependent Mechano-response In The Developing Porcine Meniscus. Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting February 2025.
Jacob C. Nixon, Stephanie A. Weiss, Nathaniel A. Dyment, Lou J. Soslowsky: The Temporal Role Of Collagen XII In Mouse Tendon Healing. Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting February 2025.
Harrison Cottingham, Camila Reyes, Nathan Campbell, Eric Gutierrez, Gordon Smilanich, Talayah Johnson, Nathaniel Dyment, Chad Carroll: Impact Of Serum Advanced Glycation End-products And RAGE Inhibition On Gene Expression In A Murine Model Of Patellar Tendon Healing. Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting February 2025.
Talayah Johnson, Natalie L. Fogarty, Alisia Lin, Bryan Kwok, Tonia K. Tsinman, Xi Jiang, Eiki Koyama, Lin Han, Josh R. Baxter, Robert L. Mauck, Nathaniel A. Dyment: Differential Response Of Neonatal And Adult Limbs To Reduced Loading From Sciatic Nerve Resection. Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting February 2025.