Arnold and Madaleine Penner

14th Annual Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Symposium

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

  • Please download the Syllabus here.
  • Please download the poster and abstract booklet here.

Symposium Mission

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center's Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Symposium is an annual forum dedicated to advancing knowledge, driving innovation, and fostering collaboration among researchers in the field. This year's program will showcase the latest breakthroughs in translational research, with a spotlight on:

  • Emerging Technologies and Therapies in Musculoskeletal Care
  • Regenerative Strategies for Spinal and Musculoskeletal Disorders
  • Next-Generation Musculoskeletal Biology: Leveraging Spatial and Single-Cell Technologies for Regenerative and Degenerative Musculoskeletal Conditions

Goals and Features

This year’s symposium dives deep into the frontiers of musculoskeletal repair, regeneration, and disease treatment, bringing together science, innovation, and clinical vision. Dynamic presentations and thought-provoking discussions will showcase the latest breakthroughs—and explore how they can transform patient care.

Highlights include:

  • Six distinguished speakers representing top institutions from across the region and the nation
  • Engaging poster sessions spotlighting innovative research

The Young Investigator Award Session, celebrating emerging leaders in the field

Registration

Deadline: October 20, 2025 

Please register online here.

Registration is free. Early registration is highly recommended.

Call for Abstracts for Poster Session and Young Investigator and Clinical Young Investigator Awards

We invite investigators to submit abstracts for the poster session, which is an important component of this conference.

Abstracts from graduate and medical students, residents and postdoctoral fellows will be considered for basic science and clinical Young Investigator Awards. Four winners, three from Young Investigator and one from Clinical Young Investigator categories will be announced and each will be presented with a prize and a plaque. To qualify, you must register and submit an abstract to Dr. Zeynep Seref-Ferlengez, the chair of the Poster Session and Young Investigator Award committee, by September 26 2025, via this form or email to: msk.einstein.symposium@gmail.com.

The abstract is limited to 1 page. Include in your abstract the study's objective, a brief statement of methods, a summary of the results obtained, conclusions, and significance. Please see abstract template on here. If you have multiple posters, please assign one of your co-authors for presentation. As the Symposium aims to promote communication within our region, we encourage you to submit your recent work (within 2025) to this Symposium, including work that may have been submitted to other meetings.

Agenda

7:15 – 8:00 am Check-in and Continental Breakfast
8:00 – 8:10 am

Introduction and acknowledgements
Mia M. Thi, PhD

Opening remarks
Neil J. Cobelli, MD

Session 1 - Emerging Technologies and Therapies in Musculoskeletal Caree
Steering chairs: Frances Cuomo, MD and Benjamin Levy, MD
8:10 - 8:15 am

Introduction
Frances Cuomo, MD and Benjamin Levy, MD
Montefiore Einstein

8:15 - 8:45 am

The Science and Voodoo of Orthobiologics in relation to Rotator Cuff Repairs
Augustus D Mazzocca, MS, MD FAAOS, FAOA
Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School

8:45 - 9:15 am

Basic Science Rationale for Rotator Cuff Augmentation
Scott A. Rodeo, MD
Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Medical College, Cornell University

9:15 - 9:30 am Discussion / Conclusions

9:30 - 9:40 am BREAK

Session 2 - Regenerative Strategies for Spinal and Musculoskeletal Disorders
Steering chairs: Eva Gonzalez Diaz, PhD and Nilsson Holguin, PhD
9:40 - 9:45 am

Introduction
Eva Gonzalez Diaz, PhD and Nilsson Holguin, PhD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

9:45 - 10:15 am

Intervertebral disc regeneration strategies across the degenerative spectrum
Sarah E. Gullbrand, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

10:15 - 10:45 am

Regulating DNA Damage and Senescence to Regenerate Musculoskeletal Tissue
Robert D. Bowles, PhD
University of Utah

10:45 - 11:00 am Discussion / Conclusions

11:00 - 11:10 am BREAK

Session 3 - Next-Generation Musculoskeletal Biology: Leveraging Spatial and Single-Cell Technologies for Regenerative and Degenerative Musculoskeletal Conditions
Steering chair: Karl Lewis, PhD
11:10 - 11:15 am

Introduction
Karl Lewis, PhD
Cornell University

11:15 - 11:45 am

Unveiling the senescent cell phenotypes that regulate musculoskeletal fibrosis
Alexandra N. Rindone, PhD
Johns Hopkins University

11:45 - 12:15 pm

TrkA+ sensory nerve signaling promotes digit regeneration
Robert Tower, PhD
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

12:15 - 12:30 pm Discussion / Conclusions

12:30 - 1:30 pm LUNCH BREAK
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Poster session
2:30 – 3:00 pm

Young Investigator Awards
Hosted by: Young Investigator Award Committee

Closing Remarks
3:30 pm

Closing remarks
Neil J. Cobelli, MD

Program Director

Mia M. Thi, PhD

Steering Committee Chairs

  • Frances Cuomo, MD

  • Eva Gonzalez Diaz, PhD

  • Nilsson Holguin, PhD

  • Benjamin Levy, MD

  • Karl Lewis, PhD

Program Overseers

  • Michael Detamore, Ph
  • Susannah Fritton, PhD
  • Mary Goldring, PhD
  • Steven Goldring, MD
  • Ed Guo, PhD
  • John Hardin, MD
  • David Hirsh, MD
  • James Iatridis, PhD
  • Lionel Ivashkiv, MD
  • Thorsten Kirsch, PhD
  • Catherine Kuo, PhD
  • Chuanju Liu, PhD
  • Helen Lu, PhD
  • Jeremy Mao, DDS, PhD
  • Steven Nicoll, PhD
  • Maurizio Pacifici, PhD
  • Nicola Patridge, PhD
  • Clinton Rubin, PhD
  • Yi-Xian Qin, PhD
  • Mitchell Schaffler, PhD
  • David Spray, PhD
  • Stavros Thomopoulos, PhD

Poster Session and Young Investigator Award Committee

Chair

Zeynep Seref-Ferlengez, PhD

Co-chairs

  • Leila Alvandi, PhD
  • Ugur Ayturk, PhD
  • Alessandra Carriero, PhD
  • David Corr, PhD
  • Woojin Han, PhD
  • Robert Majeska, PhD
  • David Hirsh,MD
  • Sylvia Suadicani, PhD

Symposium Location

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Michael F. Price Center and Harold and Muriel Block Research Pavilion
1301 Morris Park Avenue 
Bronx, NY 10461

Parking Information

The Quik Park Parking Lot
1975 Eastchester Road
Bronx, NY 10461

Campus Map