Symposium 2026 | Regenerating Musculoskeletal Tissues
Regenerating Musculoskeletal Tissues
How can we help bone, muscle, and cartilage repair and rebuild? Researchers will share advances in tissue regeneration, from the effect of resistance training on bone healing to scar-free implants and new approaches for regenerating muscle and cartilage.
CO-MODERATOR
Robert Guldburg, PhD
Robert Guldberg is the DeArmond Executive Director of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, Vice President of the University of Oregon, and a member of the Executive Leadership Council of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance. His research is focused on musculoskeletal mechanobiology, regenerative medicine, and orthopaedic medical devices. He is an elected fellow of TERMIS, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
CO-MODERATOR
Deborah Kado, MD, MS
Deborah Kado, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, specializes in geriatrics. She serves as the Director of the Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) for the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, co-director of the Stanford Longevity Center, and Research Chief of the Geriatric Section of the Department of Medicine. Her research expertise is in musculoskeletal aging, and in her clinical role, she integrates biological, pharmacological, lifestyle, and psychological perspectives to optimize health and empower her patients.
SPEAKER
Lia Strait
Lia Strait is a PhD candidate with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at the University of Oregon. Her research explores how rehabilitation exercise modulates the immune mechanisms that orchestrate bone regeneration.
SPEAKER
Michael Longaker, MD, MBA
Michael Longaker is the Deane P. and Louise Mitchell Professor of Surgery at Stanford University and an internationally recognized leader in regenerative medicine, wound healing, fibrosis, and skeletal stem cell biology. A graduate of Michigan State University and Harvard Medical School, he completed surgical and plastic surgery training at UCSF, NYU, and UCLA. He has published more than 1,400 papers, holds over 100 patents, and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences.
SPEAKER
Helen Blau, PhD
Helen Blau is the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation Professor and Director of the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at Stanford. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, Royal Society, and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and received the U.S. National Medal of Science. World renowned in regenerative medicine, she recently discovered a molecular driver of aging, 15-PGDH, which she termed a ‘gerozyme,’ that can be targeted therapeutically to promote muscle and cartilage regeneration for the treatment of sarcopenia and osteoarthritis.
SPEAKER
Nick Willett, PhD
Nick Willett is an associate professor at the University of Oregon’s Knight Campus in the Department of Orthopaedics. His research focuses on developing novel technologies and therapies to create new tissues and repair different musculoskeletal tissues after loss, either due to disease, trauma or age. His team works primarily with bone, muscle and cartilage in the hopes of treating ailments ranging from degenerative diseases to sports injuries, like meniscal and tendon tears, to traumatic injuries, such as blast wounds or injuries due to car accidents. His research sits at the interface between engineering and clinical disciplines.
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