Musculoskeletal Biology
Musculoskeletal Biology research at the RVC explores the way in which an organism's structure is adapted to the way in which it functions; taking account environment and lifestyle.
This area of research is key to understanding how animals function, and the pathophysiological basis of degenerative diseases of ageing and inherited or acquired diseases. The most marked differences between animals relate to their MSK systems.
Our interdisciplinary group of researchers brings together life scientists, clinical experts and biological scientists who focus on learning how to learn and measure more from animals and how to apply more sophisticated mathematical techniques to analyse data. We build models to predict how systems function at all levels, (including the gene and molecular level) in health and disease and in response to well defined perturbations.
The group's aims are:
- To define and analyse the mechanical environment of the musculoskeletal system and better understand the mechanisms regulating development, mechanical responsiveness, maintenance and repair of bones, joints and tendons
- To define the key principles and physical laws governing and constraining locomotor economy and performance through comparative analysis of the locomotor system
- To define the pathophysiology of neuromuscular, bone, joint and tendon dysfunction, developing new therapies for humans and animals
The MSK group includes a number of subgroups:
- The Structure and Motion Laboratory
- The Skeletal Biology Group
- The Tendon Biology Laboratory
- The Neuromuscular Laboratory
- The Neuropathic Pain Laboratory
People in this Research Group
Dr Siobhan Abeyesinghe
Senior Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science & Head of Group, RC Animal Welfare Science & EthicsRVC Animal Welfare Science and Ethics, Hawkshead
Mr Rafique Alam
Departmental TechnicianCSS - Research, Hawkshead
Dr Steven Allen
Assistant Lecturer in Comparative Biomedical SciencesMr David Bolt
Senior Lecturer in Equine SurgeryEquine, Hawkshead
Miss Lucie Bourne
Departmental TechnicianProfessor Michelangelo Campanella
Chair in Pharmacology; Head of the Mitochondrial Cell Biology and Pharmacology Research UnitComparative Physiology and Medicine, Camden
Professor Chantal Chenu
Professor of Skeletal BiologyDr Abbe Crawford
Clinician in Neurology and Neurosurgery (Research Track)Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Hawkshead
Dr Jay Dudhia
Senior LecturerEquine, Hawkshead
Dr Alessandro Felder
Research Assistant (Bomphrey)Skeletal Biology Group, Camden
Dr Nicholas Gladman
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Comparative Muscle Physiology (Usherwood)Structure & Motion, Hawkshead
Dr Debbie Guest
Senior Research FellowMr Richard Harvey
PhD Student (Wilson)Structure & Motion Laboratory, Hawkshead
Mr Mark Hopkinson
Departmental TechnicianProfessor John Hutchinson
Professor of Evolutionary BiomechanicsStructure & Motion Laboratory, Hawkshead
Victoria Lindsay
PhD StudentDr Raymond Macharia
Associate Professor of Neuromuscular ScienceMr Neil Marr
PhD Student (Thorpe)Prof Stephen May
Senior Vice PrincipalLifelong Independent Veterinary Education (LIVE), Hawkshead
Dr Imelda McGonnell
Acting Vice-Principal (Students)Dr Richard Meeson
Head of Orthopaedic Surgery & Senior LecturerQueen Mother Hospital for Animals, Hawkshead
Dr Abir Mukherjee
LecturerDr Isabel Orriss
Senior LecturerDr Matthew Pead
Senior Lecturer and Academic Director of Professional Assessment and Development and Director of Clinical Skills CentreQueen Mother Hospital for Animals, Hawkshead
Professor Richard Piercy
Professor of Comparative Neuromuscular DiseaseEquine, Hawkshead
Mr Romain Pintore
Research Assistant in Biomechanics (Hutchinson)Professor Andrew Pitsillides
Professor of Skeletal DynamicsDr Christopher Richards
Lecturer in Basic SciencesDr Scott Roberts
Senior Lecturer in Translational Skeletal ResearchDr Claire Russell
Senior LecturerGenes and Development, Camden
Professor Roger Smith
Professor of Equine OrthopaedicsEquine, Hawkshead
Dr Chavaunne Thorpe
Lecturer in Basic SciencesSkeletal Biology Group, Camden
Professor Jim Usherwood
Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow; ProfessorStructure & Motion Laboratory, Hawkshead
Prof Kristien Verheyen
Professor of Veterinary Clinical Epidemiology/Head of the Graduate SchoolVeterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health, Hawkshead
Professor Dominic Wells
Professor in Translational MedicineNeuromuscular Group, Camden
Professor Caroline Wheeler-Jones
Professor of Vascular Cell BiologyVascular Cell Biology group, Camden
Professor Alan Wilson
Professor of Locomotor BiomechanicsStructure & Motion Laboratory, Hawkshead