Michael Convente, Ph.D.
(Former) PhD Student, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group DSRB Program
University of Pennsylvania
Hometown
Midland Park, NJ
Education
B.A. (magna cum laude), Molecular Biology & Biochemistry (major), Psychology (minor); 2009, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Ph.D., Cell and Molecular Biology; 2017, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
Research Interest
Early inflammatory events in FOP lesion development; Injury response and repair in FOP
Areas of Special Interest
Michael joined the Shore lab in the spring of 2010. He worked in a bone biology lab during his undergraduate years at Rutgers University, which sparked his interest in the Shore lab while at Penn. Michael is currently working on two projects focusing on inflammatory contributions to early lesion development in FOP. In addition to his research, Michael enjoys reading and writing about science policy and enterprise, technology, and progressive politics, as well as rooting for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team.
Publications
Chakkalakal, S.A., K. Uchibe, M. Convente, D. Zhang, A. Economides, F.S. Kaplan, M. Pacifici, M. Iwamoto, E.M. Shore (2016). Palovarotene inhibits heterotopic ossification and maintains limb mobility and growth in mice with the human ACVR1R206H FOP mutation. J. Bone Min. Res. 31, 1666-1675.
Convente, M.R., S.A. Chakkalakal, E. Yang, R.J. Caron, D. Zhang, T. Kambayashi, F.S. Kaplan, and E.M. Shore (2018). Depletion of mast cells and macrophages impairs heterotopic ossification in an Acvr1R206H mouse model of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. J. Bone Min. Res., 33, 269-282. Issue cover image.
Convente, M.R., Wang, H., Pignolo, R.J., Kaplan, F.S., and Shore, E.M. (2015). The immunological contribution to heterotopic ossification disorders. Curr. Osteoporos. Rep. 13, 116-124.
Culbert, A.L., S.A. Chakkalakal, M.R. Convente, V.Y. Lounev, F.S. Kaplan, and E.M. Shore (2013). Fibrodysplasia (Myositis) Ossificans Progressiva, Chapter 24; pp. 375-393. Genetics of Bone Biology and Skeletal Disease. R.V. Thakker, M.P. Whyte, J.A. Eisman, and T. Igarashi, Editors. Elsevier, New York.
Convente MR, Towler OW, Stanley A, Brewer N, Allen R, Kaplan FS, Shore EM. Fibrodysplasia (Myositis) Ossificans Progressiva. Genetics of Bone Biology and Skeletal Disease. 2017 (in press).
Chakkalakal SA, Uchibe K, Convente MR, Zhang D, Economides AN, Kaplan FS, Pacifici M, Iwamoto M, Shore EM. Palovarotene Inhibits Heterotopic Ossification and Maintains Limb Mobility and Growth in Mice with the Human ACVR1 Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) Mutation. J Bone Miner Res. 2016;31(9):1666-75.
Convente MR, Wang H, Pignolo RJ, Kaplan FS, Shore EM. The immunological contribution to heterotopic ossification disorders. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2015 Apr;13(2):116-24.
Chakkalakal SA, Zhang D, Culbert AL, Convente MR, Caron RJ, Wright AC, Maidment AD, Kaplan FS, Shore EM. An Acvr1 R206H knock-in mouse has fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. J Bone Miner Res. 27(8):1746-56, 2012.
Conference Presentations
Convente MR, Yang E, Chakkalakal SA, Zhang D, Caron RJ, Portan DS, Kambayashi T, Kaplan FS, Shore EM. Targeted Ablation of Macrophages and Mast Cells Impairs Heterotopic Ossification in a Mouse Model of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. Presented at the American Society for Bone and Muscle Research; Seattle, WA, 2015.
Convente, M.R., S.A. Chakkalakal, and E.M. Shore. The R206H Mutation in ACVR1/ALK2 Enhances Inflammatory Gene Expression. Presented at the 16th Annual Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group Symposium; Philadelphia, PA; October, 2012.
Awards
Ashley Martucci FOP Research Fund 2016.