The Department of Basic Medical Sciences (BMS) offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
Discovery activities range from studies of molecular and cellular processes to studies of the whole animal, in areas of cell and tissue growth, differentiation, regeneration, and numerous aspects of cancer biology. BMS faculty currently have active research programs in the areas of cancer biology; musculoskeletal biomechanics and skeletal adaptation; neural development, mechanisms of injury and regeneration; tissue dynamic spectroscopy; cellular and molecular screening; and high throughput analysis of cell function. Our directory of faculty research interests describes in more detail the exciting research that is conducted in BMS.
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Associate Professor
Dr. Dianne Little is an Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine with a Courtesy appointment in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, where she directs the Multidisciplinary Orthopaedic and Regenerative Engineering (MORE) Laboratory. A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons with a multidisciplinary background in systems physiology and musculoskeletal diseases, she brings over two decades of experience in basic and translational research. Her current work spans a number of areas: 1) Rotator cuff tendon tissue engineering, including the use of novel non-woven approaches and native extracellular matrix signals for engineered tendon development and regeneration of the enthesis. 2) Improved understanding of rotator cuff tendon biology, regeneration, and disease through integration within and across multiomic platforms to discover novel pathways of tendon cell identity, differences in tendon biology between males and females, and the earliest molecular events in tendon tears. 3) Understand osteoarthritis and tendon disease as a disease of systemic physiology, working to understand how both factors in the exposome (diet, environment, psychosocial stressors) and intrinsic factors interact in the context of osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, and the risk for other chronic diseases. 4) Together with collaborators at major medical centers to improve understanding of primary arthritis of the shoulder joint, and why some patients report better outcomes than others for similar orthopaedic diseases, like rotator cuff tears. 5) Preclinical models of musculoskeletal disease. Dr. Little’s research has been continuously supported by the NIH since 2011, and more recently by the Department of Defense with total research funding exceeding $4.5 million. With more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, 90+ national and international presentations, and a strong record of award-winning mentorship, national and international collaborations with top Universities, and long standing institutional and national professional society service, she works across disciplines to advance understanding of musculoskeletal disease, and to develop innovative devices, treatments, and solutions towards musculoskeletal, and systemic health for all.
