The MuSCLE (MusculoSkeletal Clinical Learning Experience) T32 program is a transdisciplinary, cohesive effort designed to develop predoctoral students into graduates having skills and knowledge vital to uniquely support MSK health. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)), this NIH-funded predoctoral training program is directed by Kent Leach, Ph.D. (Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering) and R. Lor Randall, M.D. (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery). The program directors possess a combination of mechanistic research, surgical, and educational experience that is invaluable for training new researchers in this arena.
The primary aim of the T32 will be to select and support exceptional trainees and to advance education and research in MSK health. The integrated, team-based training program is characterized by the following:
- Team mentoring of students with both mechanistic and clinical focus from a select group of biomedical engineering, materials science, immunology, and basic and clinical faculty entrenched in clinical approaches for MSK health. Formal and informal communication between mechanistic and clinical investigators will be emphasized throughout the training program to address a critical bottleneck.
- Exposure to clinical opportunities that enrich and expand the understanding of technical training associated with fundamental MSK research. This will be emphasized by a summer immersive program at the start of the training program to establish a foundation for training.
- Coursework that broadens research training at the bench by providing quantitative skills, expanded familiarity with clinical challenges, integration of medicine and engineering, exposure to ethical, regulatory, and industry concerns, opportunities for public speaking and written communication including proposal preparation, and numerous enriching extracurricular opportunities.
- Flexible training program that provides an in-depth experience for students to develop skills to conduct impactful research on MSK health.