Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center >>
Collaborative Research
Fueling Patient Outcomes
About the Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC)
The Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC) will enable the University of Pittsburgh to elevate its study of musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoporosis, degenerative arthritis, fragility fractures and spinal pathology. It will attract and retain top scientists and advance leading-edge research, making musculoskeletal medicine a major focus at the University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences alongside cancer and neuroscience.
Orland Bethel, founder of Hillandale Farms
Research Fellowships
Our Fellowship program is designed to support the generation of critical preliminary data for larger grant applications, leading to breakthrough treatments for musculoskeletal disease.
We have 2 levels of BMRC Fellowships to support translational basic science and clinical musculoskeletal research.
4-6 BMRC/ORS Fellowships are available 2025.
All recipients must be active ORS members.
Fellowship Funding
$20,000
- Postdoctoral Scholars
- Medical Residents
$30,000
- Junior Faculty Members
Core Labs
We offer 11 Core Labs that are housed in both the Department of Orthopaedics and the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
BMRC BioBank
A first-in-kind accurate encyclopedic data repository, fostering cross-institutional collaboration has officially collected its first patient tissue samples. BMRC collaborator Dr. Malcom Dombrowski and Executive Director Joon Y. Lee, MD were part of the team to gather the first samples from joint replacement and spine surgery last week.
This major step is a move to get closer to personalized treatment options for common ailments like arthritis and back pain.
Executive Director Joon Y. Lee, MD
Recent News
Ferguson Spine Lab and BMRC Core Lab Investigators Awarded NIH UC2 Grant
Congratulations to Dr. Gwendolyn Sowa and Dr. Nam Vo on their UC2 grant, “Whole person experience...
BMRC Welcomes Associate Dean of AI in Medicine Dr. Hooman Rashidi
We were honored to welcome Hooman H. Rashidi, MD, MS, FCAP, to the Bethel Musculoskeletal Research...
BMRC Team Attends the 2025 ORS PSRS Symposium
Members of our BMRC core labs, including representatives from our Ferguson Spine Lab, traveled...
Our Clinical Partnership
