# MUSCLE: MUsculoSkeletal Clinical Learning Experience Transdisciplinary Musculoskeletal Research Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2024 · $152,267

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Within the United States, musculoskeletal disease affects more than half of people aged 18 and over and nearly
three out of four aged 65 and over. The impact of musculoskeletal disease will become even more pronounced
with the increase in the aging population. Mechanistic research that is integrated with clinical need is imperative
to develop new treatment approaches, yet there is a stark mismatch between funding levels in musculoskeletal
research and its financial and personal toll on our healthcare system. Our institution and the orthopaedic
community, due to a lack of integrated programs, have struggled to overcome the disconnect between
mechanistic research in musculoskeletal health and effective translation into the clinic. We developed the
MUsculoSkeletal Clinical Learning Experience (MUSCLE) T32 Transdisciplinary Training Program at UC Davis
to meet this need. The overall objective of this training program is to increase the number of biomedical scientists
trained in musculoskeletal-related research with an emphasis on understanding clinical needs and obstacles. A
novel aspect of our program is the frequent interaction and integration of premier musculoskeletal research
faculty with leading clinicians at UC Davis, coupled with co-mentorship by mechanistic and clinical scientists,
providing an elite training experience for future researchers in musculoskeletal health. The objective of the
MUSCLE T32 is to provide two years of funded, transdisciplinary, integrated research training to develop
predoctoral students into researchers capable of solving issues relevant to the understanding, prevention, and
treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. This unique and integrated format benefits from co-directorship by
mechanistic and clinical researchers alike, coordinating a select group of exemplary engineers, biologists,
materials scientists, veterinarians, and human clinicians to co-mentor our students, in combination with a
carefully designed, flexible curriculum that provides in-depth training for predoctoral students in musculoskeletal
health research. With the recruitment of 3 new participants each year, trainees will partake in several clinical
immersive experiences, where they will discuss the needs of the clinician and how research advancements can
address these challenges. Our program emphasizes fundamentals in research techniques that broaden research
training at the bench with quantitative skills, provides opportunities for public speaking and outreach, builds
proposal writing skills, provides a range of enriching extracurricular opportunities, and integrates medicine and
science/engineering throughout all years of training. Defined oversight mechanisms are in place to track the
progress of the 15 trainees throughout the program. By training in an environment and culture that gives strong
interdisciplinary support for mechanistic research and frequent clinical engagement, there is a significant
probability that the trainees ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10839354
- **Project number:** 5T32AR079099-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** J. Kent Leach
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $152,267
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-05-01 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10839354

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10839354, MUSCLE: MUsculoSkeletal Clinical Learning Experience Transdisciplinary Musculoskeletal Research Training Program (5T32AR079099-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10839354. Licensed CC0.

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