Bone and joint diseases are leading contributors to the chronic disease burden worldwide. My research program, centred on regenerative medicine, develops new approaches for treating these diseases. There is a huge clinical problem with repairing large areas of bone loss arising from traumatic injury or surgical procedures. My earlier research developed new bioceramic implants for bone repair and evaluated them in large animal models, in challenging injury scenarios replicating clinical cases. This work contributed to Australian-born implants that help regrow natural bone, and formed the preclinical foundation for bringing them to the global orthopaedic market.

My recent research focuses on regenerative therapies for musculoskeletal diseases, particularly those involving interface tissues such as osteochondral and tendon-bone junctions, where clinical treatments only relieve pain rather than stop disease progression. Our team is investigating several approaches for developing new regenerative therapies: (1) improving the viability and paracrine activity of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), through microcarrier culture and preconditioning methods; (2) leveraging the extracellular vesicles (EVs) of stem cells as new bio-therapeutics; (3) designing multiphasic hydrogels for promoting tissue regeneration and modulating stem cell activity; (4) developing nanotechnological tools that improve drug delivery and tissue repair. Examples of applying these approaches in various musculoskeletal conditions will be discussed, such as in injuries and degenerative diseases involving bone, cartilage, tendon, and neural tissues.