Event
BIOE Seminar: Osteocyte mechanometabolic coupling in age-related disease
Friday, April 24, 2026
9:00 a.m.
A. James Clark Hall, Room #2121
Catherine Kuo
ckk@umd.edu
Tamara Alliston
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Osteocyte mechanometabolic coupling in age-related disease
Abstract:
This seminar will examine crosstalk between biochemical and physical cues in the skeleton. We identified mechanisms by which growth factors and transcription factors cooperate to direct skeletal cell differentiation, and then showed that these pathways also specify key physical properties of the extracellular matrix and bone quality. We apply our expertise in the study of TGFβ signaling to investigate the interaction between physical and biochemical signals in the control of skeletal cell function and the role of these pathways in skeletal disease using in vitro, in vivo, and computational models. Currently, we focus on the role of osteocytes in mechanometabolic coupling, whereby this head-to-toe network of mechanosensory cells balances energy intake and utilization to maintain metabolic and mechanical homeostasis. With a background that spans endocrinology, skeletal mechanobiology, and materials science, our research spans from the molecular to the organismal length scale. We embrace the creative use and development of new methods, with the goal of understanding the role of musculoskeletal tissues in health, aging, and disease.
Bio:
Dr. Tamara Alliston is the Scientific Director at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) at the National Institutes of Health. In addition to directing NIAMS’ intramural scientific program, Dr. Alliston’s laboratory investigates multi-scale mechanisms of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Building on her expertise in skeletal mechanobiology, her team currently focuses on physical and biological mechanisms by which osteocytes control skeletal and systemic homeostasis. She earned her Ph.D. in Cell Biology at Baylor College of Medicine and pursued post-doctoral research at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). As a member of the UCSF faculty for 25 years, her laboratory was supported by the NIH, NSF, and DOD. Dr. Alliston established and led the UCSF Musculoskeletal Center and mentored over 25 graduate and postdoctoral scholars, many now in faculty and leadership roles. A champion of early-career investigators and collaborative research, her many honors recognize her scientific contributions, leadership, and mentorship.
