Overview

Professors Rocky S. Tuan and Catherine K. Kuo co-chaired the first Fusion Conference on Musculoskeletal Development and Regeneration (MDR) in Cancun, Mexico. The conference began the afternoon of February 6, and concluded mid-day on February 9, 2015. Special events for the conference included a group tour to Tulum one afternoon (not included in registration), and also a gala dinner (and live band) for all registered attendees. A particularly unique aspect of the conference was a merged session the morning of February 7, 2015, with the Fusion Conference on Fibroblast Growth Factor (chaired by Professors David Ornitz and Saverio Bellusci) in the same venue.

Conference Theme

The theme of the conference was Musculoskeletal Development and Regeneration (MDR), indicated by the conference title. Seven sessions included (by order of first to last): Injury and Healing; Repair and Reconstruction Strategies; Skeletal Development (joint session with FGF conference); Developmental and Degenerative Diseases; Experimental Models; Stem Cells: Biology and Engineering 1 and 2. One or two plenary speakers were invited for each session, followed by invited and submitted shorter abstract talks. (Please see attached for the conference program and abstracts.)

Plenary Speakers

Stuart Goodman, Stanford University
Robert Guldberg, Georgia Institute of Technology
Suzanne Maher, Hospital for Special Surgery
Maria Siemionow, University of Illinois
Vicki Rosen, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Maurizio Pacifici, University of Pennsylvania
Veronique Lefebvre, Cleveland Clinic
Linda Sandell, Washington University
Jennifer Westendorf, May Clinic
Catherine K. Kuo, Tufts University
Johnny Huard, University of Pittsburgh
Farshid Guilak, Duke University
Rocky S. Tuan, University of Pittsburgh

Conference Format

The conference was held at the Fiesta Americana Condesa in Cancun, Mexico. Lodging and all meals were included with the registration fee at the all-inclusive resort. The format of the conference was morning and afternoon sessions, with lunch and leisure time between the two sessions. Out of 45 registered attendees, 36 talks including plenary (45 min) and invited (30 min) and submitted (15 min) abstract talks were delivered. Additionally, more than 30 posters were presented on abstracts accepted for podium or poster presentations. Poster sessions were ongoing during refreshment breaks and two different hour-long scheduled sessions. Poster awards with cash prizes funded by the Fusion Conference were given for the top three posters, judged by the conference co-chairs. Invited plenary speakers were asked to chair various sessions throughout the conference. The organizers and attendees found the Fusion Conference staff to be highly professional, organized and attentive. Jack Peters was excellent throughout the entire process.

Attendee Feedback

Feedback regarding the conference was outstanding, regarding the speakers, selected topics, quality of talks and venue. Attendees have explicitly stated that continued interactions in the form of collaborations and university exchanges have resulted from attending this conference. Numerous attendees and non-attendees that have heard by word-of-mouth have expressed interest in attending a future MDR conference. Notably, this conference was held a little more than a month before the Annual Conference of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) and also the Cartilage Gordon Research Conference (GRC), each of which many of the MDR attendees also attended this year or previously. Multiple attendees stated that, even after attending all three (MDR, ORS and Cartilage GRC), they will definitely attend a future MDR conference.

The feedback from attendees has been compiled at the end of this document. Some notable feedback has been included here. 

Professor Veronique Lefebvre, who chaired the Cartilage Gordon Conference shortly after attending the MDR conference: “…I came back home knowing that I would definitely attend the next conference and recommend it to many people…I most importantly appreciated the breadth of cutting-edge topics in the musculoskeletal field and the gathering of scientists working on basic processes and translational questions from development to late adulthood and on various tissues in the musculoskeletal system. This integration of scientific and translational topics, broad range of tissues and broad range of disease questions was made very successfully and was very instructive. I learned a lot! The shared session with the FGF conference was a brilliant idea too and it worked out extremely well, adding another dimension to the conference. As important as the scientific content of the conference, I truly enjoyed the very friendly and collegial atmosphere that was spearheaded by both of you and that was happily embraced and amplified by all participants. This helped generate lots of interesting discussions. I made new friends and started new scientific collaborations with them.”

Professor Farshid Guilak, ORS 1^st Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Biomechanics: “Overall, one of the best meetings of its kind, and I would certainly come back to it again.”

Professor Vicki Rosen: “…After attending both the Cartilage GRC and the ORS, I think the greatest benefit of the Fusion Meeting was the combination of small size and diversity of topics within musculoskeletal biology… I would definitely attend a future meeting.”

In addition to extremely positive feedback from well established and senior investigators, it is important to highlight how valuable this conference was for junior investigators.

Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Thomas Lozito:“…It was definitely one of the most rewarding meetings I’ve ever been to, both personally and professionally. Not only did I get the chance to meet and interact with leaders in the field, but I was also invited to give several talks by faculty who found my research interesting, which is huge for someone at my stage in career development. All these opportunities were made possible by this Fusion Conference, and I would definitely like to attend similar conferences in the future.”

Assistant Professor Rhima Coleman: “This was an excellently organized conference... I learned so much in so little time. It was also community building, especially for junior investigators; a good mix of fun and science. The opportunity to interact with experts in the field at that level is very rare, but quite fulfilling. I would go every year to get critical feedback on my own research.”

Sponsors

The generous donation provided by the Arthritis Foundation enabled the registration of 12 attendees (students, postdoctoral fellows and PIs) that delivered either abstract talks or posters. Travel grants were disbursed in dollar amounts of $500, id="mce_marker"000, or full registration, based on need.

The 2015 Fusion Conference on "Musculoskeletal Development and Regeneration", a premier scientific forum for the scientific investigation of the musculoskeletal system, will cover a wide range of topics to encompass basic to translational aspects of the biology and pathology of musculoskeletal tissues, including cartilage, bone, tendon, ligament, and muscle. These topics will include morphogenesis, development, evolutionary specification of tissue types, cellular organization, production and assembly of extracellular matrix, biological and biomechanical functions, functional modeling, genetic basis of musculoskeletal diseases, cellular and molecular mechanisms of degeneration, and therapeutic strategies to regenerate, repair and functionally restore damaged or diseased tissues and organs. Special emphasis will be on the application of contemporary approaches to address epigenetic, molecular, cellular, and tissue biology of musculoskeletal tissues, including a session featuring new directions and technologies, and challenges and opportunities in musculoskeletal research. The conference will be interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, merging concepts and approaches from the sciences, engineering, medicine and more.

We expect the 2015 Musculoskeletal Development and Regeneration Fusion Conference to be an exciting and stimulating meeting for both established and new investigators in the field, and provide ample opportunities for interaction and networking.

2015 Musculoskeletal Poster Prize

The conference chairs will be awarding 3 poster prizes for the best poster display and presentation. To be in with a chance of winning, submit your poster by 21 November 2014. The winners will be selected shortly after the Poster Session and each winner will receive a $250 cheque! 

Confirmed Plenary Speakers

Dr. Stuart Goodman      
Stanford School of Medicine
Prof. Farshid Guilak                
Duke University School of Medicine
Dr. Robert Guldberg 
Georgia Institute of Technology 
Dr. Johnny Huard            
University of Pittsburgh
Prof. Catherine K. Kuo
Tufts University
Dr. Suzanne Maher        
Hospital for Special Surgery
Prof. Maurizio Pacifici 
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Vicki Rosen 
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Dr. Linda Sandell              
Washington University Orthopedics
Dr. Maria Siemionow
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago
Prof. Rocky Tuan
University of Pittsburgh