The UCSF MSK Community Convenes for "From Bench to Business: Bridging Musculoskeletal Medicine and Entrepreneurship"

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Group of people seated around a long table eating a meal at an indoor event. Several attendees, wearing name badges, look toward the camera while others converse and eat. The table is covered with a dark tablecloth and filled with takeout containers, plates, and cups. A banner reading “Innovation Ventures” stands in the background near a window.
Junior investigators enjoy lunch with Dr. Silvia Blemker (center)
Panel discussion at an indoor event with several speakers seated at a table with microphones, while two people stand at the front—one holding a microphone and another holding papers. A table to the side displays multiple bottles of hot sauce labeled with numbers. A projected slide in the background includes the words “Hot Ones,” suggesting a themed discussion or activity.
(L) Jess Wagner, CCMBM JIC Co-Chair, participates in the HIVE Hot Ones Challenge


This year, the NIH P30 Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine (CCMBM) hosted attendees in person and online for their annual retreat. Co-sponsored with the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, From Bench to Business: Bridging Musculoskeletal Medicine and Entrepreneurship drew 150 attendees to join the 33 invited speakers and moderators during April 14-15, 2026.

The first day of the retreat opened with a keynote presentation from Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE, Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering at Villanova University. This was followed by the inaugural UCSF HIVE Hot Ones Challenge, a Q&A session with Dr. Marcolongo and other speakers inspired by the popular TV show.
 
The second day began with introductory remarks from Ed Hsiao, MD, PhD, followed by keynote presentation from Robert Guldberg, PhD, Vice President of the University of Oregon. The rest of the morning consisted of sessions focused on developing innovations and testing them in the clinic. Before lunch, this year’s Bradford Distinguished Lectureship Speaker Silvia Blemker, PhD gave a talk titled “Planting Ideas, Growing Impact: Developing and Translating Novel Quantitative MRI Analysis into Musculoskeletal Health Solutions.”
 
The afternoon session featured multiple presentations from representatives from research groups at UCSF and UC Berkeley including UCSF Innovation Ventures, Bakar Bio Labs, and UCSF Ceiling Breakers.
 
Throughout both days, attendees also heard short slam and lightning talks from UCSF trainees, CCMBM grantees, and CCMBM STRETCH scholars. With a total of 5 slam talks and 10 lightning talks, this year’s retreat featured a variety of exciting research from emerging scholars.
 

A woman presents at a podium in a UCSF lecture room, speaking into a microphone while gesturing toward a projected slide titled “Proof-of-Concept.” The slide includes a quote attributed to Michael Jordan and bullet points about clinical risk and product viability. An audience member is visible in the foreground, and a table with microphones and a small flower arrangement sits near the stage.
(R) Dr. Michele Marcolongo gives her keynote presentation on Day 1
Five adults wearing name badges stand together indoors, smiling at the camera during a networking event. Some hold drinks, including a coffee cup and a canned beverage. They are dressed in business or business-casual attire and stand against a light-colored wall.
(L-R): Zsofia Torok, PhD; Aaron Fields, PhD; Kelsey Collins, PhD; Rich Schneider, PhD; Chelsea Bahney, PhD
Photo of a presentation slide at a UCSF event titled “From Bench to Business: Bridging Musculoskeletal Medicine and Entrepreneurship,” part of the UCSF CCMBM and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat. The slide shows dates April 14–15, 2026 at UCSF Mission Bay Campus, with a stylized image of a bridge over a city skyline and multiple UCSF department and sponsor logos. At the right, a man stands at a podium speaking into a microphone while looking at the screen.
(R): Dr. Ed Hsiao, CCMBM Director, delivers the Day 2 opening remarks
Two people stand indoors smiling and holding an open certificate folder toward the camera. The certificate reads “Outstanding CCMBM Slam Talk” with UCSF and CCMBM logos. Both are dressed in dark business attire, and the setting appears to be a conference or event space.
(L-R): Victor Cheuy, PhD and Outstanding CCMBM Slam Talk winner Sheryne Zeitoun 


Congratulations to the Poster and Slam Talk Winners!


Outstanding CCMBM Slam Talk – Sheryne Zeitoun, C-Reactive Protein as a Longitudinal Biomarker for Diagnosing Fracture-Related Infection after Open Tibia Fractures  

Outstanding CCMBM Postdoctoral Poster – Hope Welhaven, PhD, TurboID Proximity Labeling Confirms the Role of Fat-Joint Crosstalk in Osteoarthritis and Aging

Outstanding CCMBM Predoctoral Poster – Alex Youn, Neurobiological Markers of Pain Following Rotator Cuff Injury: Implications for Neuropathic Mechanisms

Outstanding CCMBM Professional Researcher Poster – Yihua Zhu, PhD, Spatial Correlations in Patellofemoral Joint Osteoarthritis: Analysis of Bone Remodeling and Cartilage Reveals Markers of Early Disease  

CCMBM Postdoctoral Poster, Second Place – Shaela Pervin, PhD, Adenine base editing as a potential strategy to correct the ACVR1 R206H mutation in patients with FOP

CCMBM Predoctoral Poster, Second Place – Jacob Matityahu, Nexocura: Translating an Wnt activating nanotherapeutic for fracture repair through the MTM and Catalyst programs

CCMBM Professional Researcher Poster, Second Place – Chellandra Samuels, PhD, Risk Factors for Femoral Intramedullary Nail Breakage: Analysis of 245 Broken Nails

The CCMBM would like to thank our Event Sponsors:

* UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
* Biomarin
UCSF Musculoskeletal Center
* UCSF Health Innovations via Engineering
* Dr. David Bradford Lectureship Fund
* UCSF Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
* UCSF Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism Division
* UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
* UCSF Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Division

Kudos to the Scientific Retreat Committee: Galateia Kazakia, PhD, Event Chair; Victor Cheuy, PhD, Event Co-Chair; Chelsea Bahney, PhD; Naomi Cinque; Pui Yee Law, MHA; Tiffany Pham; Seongmi Song, PhD; Samuel Stephen, PhD; Tom Sullivan; Priscilla Tjandra, PhD; Jessica Wagner, PT, DPT; Hope Welhaven, PhD; Minhao Zhou, PhD