My line of research applies a highly collaborative, inter-disciplinary and innovative approach to address critical gaps in current musculoskeletal rehabilitation research. I lead/co-lead (and have led) teams of investigators who bring a variety of skills and interests. I have extensive ongoing collaborations with Principal Investigators at the Center for Biomedical Imaging at the Department of Radiology and Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and MERIIT Lab at NYU Tandon, reflected in our funded grants, manuscripts and scientific presentations. Ongoing projects are listed below:
Targeting Hyaluronan Through Exercise: This pilot longitudinal study examines hyaluronan (HA) accumulation in muscles of individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and the effects of exercise on HA accumulation, muscle stiffness, strength, ankle joint mobility, and physical function. Key personnel include Smita Rao (Contact-PI), Preeti Raghavan and Ravinder Regatte (MPIs). We are the Inaugural awardees of the Georgeny High Priority Research award through the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research.
Multinuclear MRI to Assess Joint Homeostasis after Knee Injury: The goal of this study is to develop a predictive model of progression to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) using a combination of imaging, biological, and biomechanical markers acquired just after ACL injury, and over time after joint repair. In this study – for the first time – we will acquire a complete panel of soluble synovial fluid (SF) biological markers of inflammation and proteolysis, biomechanical markers (weight-bearing activities, extensor strength), and of quantitative imaging markers such as 1H/23Na MRF, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI, and T1rho MRI, longitudinally on patients with ACL injury and reconstruction. This prognostic combination of biomarkers will help identify therapeutic targets and monitor the efficacy of intervention in the development of preventive treatments of PTOA. This study is funded by the NIH. Key personnel include Jose Raya and Guillaume Madeline (Contact PI), Thorsten Kirsch (c0-I), Smita Rao (co-I) and others.
Evaluating Physical Mobility in People with Age-related Macular Degeneration (The ARMD–MOVE study): In this pilot application, we propose first, to establish novel protocols that simultaneously offer improved ecologically validity and the potential to unmask abnormal biomechanics while reducing the burden of physical mobility testing, and second, to comprehensively evaluate physical mobility in ARMD and elucidate pathways to musculoskeletal pain. This study is funded through a pilot grant from the NYU HHC CTSI. Key personnel include Smita Rao (Contact PI) and JR Rizzo (MPI).
Reversing Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Through Exercise: This project proposes an innovative multinuclear MRI approach to gain mechanistic insight into the exercise- associated adaptations in lower leg muscle function and peripheral nerve integrity of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Advanced multinuclear- MRI can provide novel mechanistic insight into exercise-related adaptations in patients with DPN. This study was funded by the NIH. Key personnel include Ryan Brown (Contact PI), Smita Rao (MPI), Patty Kluding and Jill Slade.