Welcome to McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory
The McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory is looking to hire an Assistant Professor on the Tenure Track! For more information please visit click the link.
https://www.med.upenn.edu/orl/join-us-position.html
A program in orthopaedic research at the University of Pennsylvania was established in 1960, and in 1979 the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory officially opened, establishing all of the orthopaedic research laboratories in the same physical location. Currently, the McKay Lab is a thriving, multidisciplinary facility that occupies more than 22,000 square feet of space in Stemmler Hall in the Perelman School of Medicine. Our multi-faceted research programs involve the participation of more than 120 research personnel from 17 distinct laboratories. Research expenditures in McKay total more than $15,000,000 per annum, supported largely through extramural funding including grants from the National Institutes of Health, Veteran's Administration, other governmental agencies, private foundations, and industry. We are consistently ranked in the top 5 among Orthopaedic Departments nationally in terms of NIH funding. Our overall mission is to conduct high quality fundamental and translational research and to train the next generation of leaders in our field. Moreover, the McKay Lab serves as the focal point for the NIH-supported Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, a university-wide Center that provides resources and a forum for scientific exchange through annual symposia, a year-long seminar series, a pilot grant program and other activities.
McKay Laboratory News
Dr. Layne Freeman Finishes Her Research Year in the Gullbrand Lab
June 30, 2026
Today Dr. Layne Freeman finished her research year in the Gullbrand Lab as part of the University of Pennsylvania's Laboratory Animal Veterinary Medicine Residency Program. Layne has been the driving force leading our active Merit Grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs "Predicting the Efficacy of Therapeutic Spinal Loading for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration" as we continue to understand how prescribed exercise may prevent degeneration of the spine. We are sad that Layne must leave us to return to the clinic and finish her last year of residency, but we are grateful that she has set this project up for continued success and will continue to prepare the results for publication to share with our orthopaedic community.
Gullbrand Laboratory
Dr. Pushpak Pondugula Speaks at Penn Medicine Orthopaedic Research Day
June 18, 2026
Orthopaedic Surgery resident Dr. Pushpak Pondugula completed his research year in the Gullbrand Lab with a presentation of his work at Penn Medicine's Ortho Research Day! His presentation highlighted the work he did this year in collaboration with Dr. Jay Patel and his team at the Atlanta VA developing an injectable tissue penetrating hyaluronic acid hydrogel for the treatment of facet osteoarthritis. This work is funded by a joint site Pilot Grant through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CReATE Motion Center.
Gullbrand Laboratory
Congratulations to Brianna Orozco on Graduating with a Master's in Bioengineering
May 22, 2026
Congratulations to Brianna Orozco on her graduation! Brianna earned a Masters of Science in Bioengineering with her thesis "Comparison of Transport Properties Between Human and Tissue-Engineered Vertebral Endplates." We are so happy Brianna is sticking around to continue her work as a vital member of our research staff.
Gullbrand Laboratory