Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation Announces 2011 Research Grant Recipients

EDISON, N.J., March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF) announces the recipients of its 2011 Research Grants.  Since 1987 the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation has been at the forefront of tissue research, with over $25 million awarded through 2010.  MTF anticipates awarding close to $2 million in grants and awards in this calendar year.  The 2011 grant recipients are as follows:

PEER REVIEW – ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATOR

Robert Ballock, M.D., Cleveland Clinic, Transplantation of Growth Plate Chondrocytes for Biologic Reconstruction of the Physis.

Henry Donahue, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Biomemitic Materials to Enhance Bone Graft Healing.

Xudong Zhang, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, Meniscus Allograft Transplantation: Efficacy and Meniscofemoral Contact Conformity.

J.R. NEFF AWARD

Ozan Akkus, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University, Effect of Gamma Radiation on the Functional Fatigue Life of Cortical Bone Grafts.

PEER REVIEW – JUNIOR INVESTIGATOR

Patrick Birmingham, M.D., Medical College of Wisconsin, Acetabular Labrum Transplant in a Cadaver Model.

Vivianne Chappuis, DMD, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, The Role of BMP-2 in Bone Graft Healing.

Frank Petrigliano, M.D., The Regents of the University of California, A Bioengineered Biphasic Scaffold for Ligament Replacement.

Vincent Wang, Ph.D., Rush University Medical Center, Biologic Repair of Focal Chondral Defects of the Glenoid: Autologous Matrix Induced Chondrogenesis with the Use of a Collagen I/III Matrix in a Rabbit Shoulder Model.

Xinlin Yang, Ph.D., University of Virginia, Fullerene-Functionalized Implant for Nucleus Pulposus Regeneration.

PEER REVIEW – DERMAL

Corey Deeken, Ph.D., Washington University, Enzymatic Degradation of Biological Tissue-Based Scaffold Materials and the Effect on Tensile Strength Over Time.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Alfred Kuo, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, Mechanisms of Articular-Cartilage Simulated Chondrogenesis.

The Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation is a national consortium comprised of academic medical institutions, organ procurement organizations and tissue recovery organizations. Since our inception in 1987, MTF has received tissue from more than 80,000 donors and distributed more than 4 million grafts for transplantation.

For more information on MTF's Grant Program, contact Hans Burchardt, Ph.D., Vice-President, Scientific Affairs (570-496-3434 or [email protected] ), or go to the MTF website (www.mtf.org ).

SOURCE The Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation