Adam Abraham, Ph.D. is a Research Investigator of Orthopaedic Surgery at Michigan Medicine. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University, and Ph.D. at Colorado State University. He then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in skeletal disorders in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, followed by additional training at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. During the latter he also spent time as a visiting research scholar at the University of Glasgow at the Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation. His research has helped define the mechanical and structural properties of biological interfaces, examined mechanisms of metabolic dysfunction that disrupt musculoskeletal tissue function, and identified cellular targets to improve treatment of joint pathology. He has received numerous national and international recognitions, including a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute on Aging. He is a member of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
Areas of Interest
Dr. Abraham’s research focuses on determining how biomechanically-induced inflammatory signaling mechanisms regulate musculoskeletal function throughout an individual’s healthspan. Growth and adaptation of the musculoskeletal system requires complex signaling crosstalk between resident stromal cells, the immune system, and the tissue microenvironment. However, damage induced from exceeding the physiological tolerances of biomechanical performance and/or intrinsic aging processes can disrupt these signaling networks and drive functional losses resulting in chronic disease, such as osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc degeneration, or tendinopathy. Therefore, understanding the precise conditions that shift constructive cellular responses to destructive processes will provide novel targets for optimizing exercise performance, preventing injury, and treating pathology.
Credentials
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – 2013, Colorado State University