Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center

10/23/2025

Breaking News! A new, international fellowship opportunity was announced today at this year’s 2025 EUROSPINE Annual Meeting: the BMRC / EUROSPINE Visiting Research Scholarship.

EUROSPINE, the Spine Society of Europe, is a leading professional, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing spinal care through education, research, quality assurance, and global collaboration. Its annual meeting is one of Europe’s premier gatherings for spine science, bringing together cutting-edge research, clinical innovation, and cross-disciplinary networking.

We are proud to announce the inaugural BMRC / EUROSPINE Visiting Research Scholarship, a 12-month fellowship beginning July 2026. During this fellowship, one EUROSPINE fellow will be hosted at our BMRC core labs in Pittsburgh, PA. We believe this scholarship will strengthen global collaboration and advance innovations in spine and musculoskeletal health.

Want more information? Know a EUROSPINE member who might be interested? Check out EUROSPINE’s website here: https://www.eurospine.org/research/bmrc/eurospine-visiting-research-scholarship/ and share!

10/23/2025

A naming ceremony was recently held to celebrate our newly renovated lab space at the Biomedical Science Tower (BST), honoring Mr. Orland Bethel for his remarkable generosity and commitment to advancing musculoskeletal research.

The event was attended by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC leadership, including Dean Anantha Shekhar, Chancellor Joan Gabel, Dr. Joon Y. Lee, Dr. MaCalus V. Hogan, and Dr. Gwendolyn Sowa, along with Mr. Bethel’s family - children and grandchildren included - who toured the new space and shared in the celebration.

We’re grateful for the Bethel family’s continued support and the bright future it helps create for musculoskeletal research!

10/10/2025

Bethel BioBank collaborator and BMRC member Dr. Malcolm Dombrowski knows a thing or two about hip and knee replacements. A Department of Orthopaedics - University of Pitt alum, Dr. Dombrowski uses his expertise and good scientific data to ensure good outcomes for his patients.

“The goal is that if we do a surgery on you, we’re one and done. We want one surgery, and for you to do well from that."

Check it out here: https://www.post-gazette.com/sponsored?prx_t=chQKA1J50AQ2QZA&ntv_acpl=1664067&ntv_acsc=0&ntv_avcsc=0&ntv_ot=0&ntv_plt=1664067_69465&ntv_ui=1c19b27e-1160-4164-b1e3-4b3763662563&ntv_ht=EWXlaAA

09/24/2025

A splash of color and some glass design elements are being installed this week and we could not be more excited! We'll be home before we know it!

09/12/2025

https://www.bethel.pitt.edu/2025/09/10/first-annual-bmrc-symposium-features-discovery-collaboration-and-celebration/

Our first annual BMRC Research Symposium went off without a hitch last Friday, September 5 at the Greensburg Country Club.

The day brought together nearly 160 faculty, staff, students, and researchers for a full day of research, collaboration and celebration.

This year’s Symposium featured talks from core BMRC labs in both clinical and basic science, as well as presentations from the five BMRC/Orthopaedic Research Society Fellows, who shared research supported by BMRC over the past year.

We are so thankful to all who assisted in planning, executing and running the day.

09/09/2025

Dr. Kurt Weiss, director of the BMRC Core Lab Musculoskeletal Oncology Laboratory (MOL), was diagnosed with bone cancer in high school. His prognosis was so dire his father started to plan a funeral.

However, due to an experimental osteosarcoma clinical trial halfway across the country from his hometown here in Pittsburgh, Dr. Weiss survived and dedicated himself to studying and treating the disease that nearly took his life.

Read more about Dr. Weiss' back story on UPMC HealthBeat today:

After surviving an osteosarcoma diagnosis as a teen, Kurt Weiss, MD, has dedicated his career to studying and treating sarcoma.

09/03/2025

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming class of Bethel/ORS Fellows. After a highly competitive application process, these five outstanding early-career researchers are your 2025 class of Bethel/ORS Fellows.

We look forward to seeing what they discover in their careers and are proud to have had a hand in supporting them.

Read more on our website: https://www.bethel.pitt.edu/2025/09/03/announcing-the-2025-class-of-bethel-ors-fellows/

Thank you to our partners at the Orthopaedic Research Society for their invaluable assistance with this fellowship.

Department of Orthopaedics - University of Pitt

08/29/2025

Feeling good heading into this holiday weekend! Fresh drywall, smooth flooring and an amazing view of Oakland. We wish everyone a safe and restful Labor Day. See you next week for our inaugural BMRC Symposium, Friday, September 5!

08/05/2025

Last week marked the culmination of our 9-week Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) with our annual Poster Presentation Day!

Throughout the summer, these undergraduate students were immersed in hands-on lab work, mentorship, and weekly seminars led by BMRC Core Scientists, all designed to build skills in research methods and scientific communication.

On presentation day, students showcased their hard work to a full audience of mentors, BMRC lab members, and special guests including the Bethel Family.

We’re incredibly proud of all the students and wish them continued success in the upcoming school year. And we’re excited to share that a few of them will be continuing their work right here in the BMRC labs!

07/23/2025

Great information here on shoulder replacements from BMRC Core Lab member Dr. Albert Lin of the Pittsburgh Shoulder Institute.

All shoulder replacements are not created equal and not everyone who needs one is older - check out this feature with our own Dr. Albert Lin talking about the different types of replacements and how they've become the fastest-growing replacement surgery in the country: https://www.post-gazette.com/sponsored?prx_t=afQJAShRyAQtcVA&ntv_acpl=1431362&ntv_acsc=0&ntv_avcsc=0&ntv_ot=6&ntv_plt=1431362_63814&ntv_ui=1e186302-b746-458a-8a5a-9f6ff15936b8&ntv_ht=laB3aAA

07/17/2025

We are incredibly pleased to have hosted Dr. Laurencin, the recipient of the 2025 Dickson Prize in Medicine, for a tour of our labs while he in Pittsburgh to receive his award. Congratulations, Sir Cato!

07/11/2025

We're celebrating another publication from BMRC core lab members this week, this time in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Our team studied GLP-1 drugs and their use as a promising tool for preoperative weight loss in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery.

Check out the full paper here: https://journals.lww.com/jbjsjournal/fulltext/9900/glp_1_receptor_agonists_in_orthopaedic_surgery_.1505.aspx where our team explored potential impacts of GLP-1 RAs on orthopaedic practice.

opaedic surgeon, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) recommends withholding daily-dose GLP-1 therapy on the day of the elective surgical procedure and withholding weekly-dose therapy for the week prior to the procedure.➢ The ASA recommends postponing surgery or proceeding with “full ...