Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC) Summer Student Research Program: Inaugural Class 2024

The Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC) launched its first-ever Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) in 2024, a competitive program designed to foster the next generation of musculoskeletal researchers.

The program was created to provide undergraduate and medical students with immersive research experiences while developing the basic skill sets necessary for a successful career in biomedical research.

“One of the main missions of BMRC is to safeguard the next generation of researchers, giving them the same opportunities that more established researchers have,” says Katie Morris, research communications specialist at the Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center.

Leading many of the efforts of the program’s development and coordination, including program curriculum are Allison Bean, MD, PhD, assistant professor physical medicine and rehabilitation, and Laurie Dearolf, PhD, operations manager of the BMRC.

Structure and Goals of the Program

The SSRP is a nine-week intensive program held on-site in Pittsburgh. It is open to students from any university in the U.S., with the only requirement being their ability to be present in the lab throughout the duration of the program. This inaugural year featured five students, primarily from the University of Pittsburgh, with one participant from the University of Miami. 

The focus of the program is not solely on conducting original research, but also on cultivating essential skills for a successful research career. The program features weekly seminars that teach students how to critically evaluate journal articles, present research findings, and communicate their work effectively to both academic and lay audiences. They also learn how to keep a lab notebook, read a scientific paper, and how to give a research presentation. 

“The program is about conducting hands-on research, but also about teaching them how to be a researcher and function successfully in that challenging world — how to talk about their research, network, and prepare for future opportunities in graduate school or medical school,” says Ms. Morris.

SSRP students are paired with a faculty mentor before the program begins, ensuring that their research interests align with the lab’s ongoing work. While the preference is for students to identify a mentor and lab ahead of time, the BMRC also helps match accepted students based on their academic backgrounds and research interests. This hands-on experience allows students to participate in meaningful research projects while also learning the behind-the-scenes fundamentals of collaboration and presenting one’s work.  

Participants and Their Research

At the conclusion of the program, each participant presented a research poster summarizing their summer project. Below is a brief overview of the students and their respective research projects:

Marissa Mansour
Mentor: Nam Vo, PhD
Project: Technical Development of Microinjection in a Rat Tail Disc

Marissa’s research focused on developing a reproducible technique for injecting small volumes of fluid into the rat tail disc nucleus pulposus without leakage. Her work has important implications for pre-clinical models studying intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and its treatment.

Joseph Garzia
Mentor: Hang Lin, PhD
Project: Use of Human Serum as a Method for Inducing Age-related Changes in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Cells

Joseph explored how human serum from elderly donors affects the behavior of synovial-like fibroblasts and chondrocytes. His project aimed to better understand the relationship between aging and osteoarthritis progression.

Lorin Planinsic
Mentor: Kurt Weiss, MD
Project: Differences in AR and ALDH1A1 Expression and Drug Response in Primary and Metastatic Osteosarcoma

Lorin’s research investigated the phenotypic differences between primary and metastatic osteosarcoma cells and their respective responses to drug treatments, focusing on androgen receptors and aldehyde.

Anneka Gernert
Mentor: Allison Bean, MD, PhD
Project: Optimizing Biologics for Tendon Regeneration: Effect of Extracellular Vesicle Origin

Anneka’s work compared extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from serum, plasma, and adipose stem cells to evaluate their potential for promoting tendon healing.

Matthew Bardos
Mentor: Peter Alexander, PhD
Project: Modulation of Ligamentum Flavum Hypertrophy by microRNA-29a In Vitro

Matthew focused on the role of miRNA-29a in modulating collagen and elastin production in ligamentum flavum cells. His findings may contribute to the development of non-surgical treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Looking Ahead

The success of the inaugural SSRP has created the framework for future iterations of the program, with plans to expand in scope and possibly include outreach to high school students. The BMRC aims to continue supporting young researchers by providing them with opportunities to work directly with faculty mentors on cutting-edge orthopaedic and musculoskeletal research. The 2025 program is expected to open for applications in early spring, with interested students encouraged to visit the BMRC website or contact the program administrators for more information or to discuss the application process.

To learn more, visit bethel.pitt.edu/education.