The first research showcase of the Centre for Musculoskeletal Health Research was held on Thursday 2nd February. The 25 presentations were attended by over 50 Keele researchers who are all members of the Centre. 

A diverse range of research projects were presented, from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on referrals to musculoskeletal services, to the identification of plasma biomarker proteins to predict outcome after repair of cartilage defects, and lifestyle interventions for people living with gout. 

Presentations from PhD students included a consensus study focused on musculoskeletal outpatient physiotherapy services, genomic sequencing to diagnose orthopaedic infections, a focus group study of media representations of osteoporosis and its treatment, a study of pooling of patient-derived umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells and investigation of biomarkers to predict TNF inhibitor outcome in psoriatic arthritis. 

There were also presentations from the leads of the new Research Groups established within the Centre. These Research Groups cover the areas of Chronic Pain, Osteoarthritis, Spinal Pain, Multiple Long-Term Conditions, Electronic Health Records / Big data, and Musculoskeletal eHealth. 

Further information about the Centre for Musculoskeletal Health Research, with contact details for those wishing to join, can be found on the musculoskeletal health pages.