Tim Griffin, PhD

Biography

"Our laboratory investigates how biomechanical and metabolic signals influence synovial joint health and the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA). We utilize a multi-disciplinary approach that spans from the whole animal (e.g., to evaluate changes in OA pain and limb function) to the sub-cellular level (e.g., changes in mitochondrial function and post-translational protein modifications). We develop and test new experimental methods and pre-clinical animal models to enhance the translational relevance of our work, which involves two major areas of inquiry: 1) to understand how aging and obesity increase the development of OA, focusing on sex-specific changes in cartilage metabolism and cellular resilience, and 2) to determine how exercise protects against OA pain and disability, focusing on intra-articular adipose tissue lipolysis, macrophage immuno-metabolic regulation, and chondrocyte epigenetic reprogramming. Our long-term goal is to develop new therapeutic approaches for treating OA pain and slowing the progression of the disease."

Email

griffint@omrf.org

Publications

Research Interests:

• Osteoarthritis
• Metabolism
• Mechanobiology
• Inflammation
• Aging and Resilience
• Exercise Physiology