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| Michael Flores, MD | Hannah Greenfeld, PhD | Ashutosh Parajuli, PhD |
Supported by a prestigious NIH T32 training grant, three outstanding physician-scientists and researchers will advance innovative musculoskeletal research under the mentorship of UCSF faculty leaders.
SAN FRANCISCO (July 13, 2026) — The UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the UCSF Musculoskeletal (MSK) Center are pleased to introduce the fellows selected for the UCSF Musculoskeletal Training Program for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Michael Flores, MD
Resident (PGY-3), Orthopaedic Surgery
Research Project: Gut Microbiome Analysis in Prosthetic Joint Infection (MAP-PJI)
Faculty Mentor: Erik Hansen, MD
Hannah Greenfeld, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Research Project: Patterning of Mesodermal Progenitors by BMP Signaling
Faculty Mentor: Daniel Wagner, PhD
Ashutosh Parajuli, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, San Francisco VA Medical Center
Research Project: Abaloparatide Drives Site-Specific SSPC Responses in Fracture Repair
Faculty Mentor: Daniel Bikle, MD, PhD
About the T32 Training Program
The Musculoskeletal Center’s Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) aims to address the pervasive impact of musculoskeletal diseases, prevalent among over half of the U.S. population aged 18 and older, and nearly three-quarters aged 65 and older. The underlying causes of these debilitating conditions is inadequately understood.
The MSK Center’s $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) supports the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out cutting-edge research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal diseases.
Entering its fourth year, the program funds research training and career development activities for a total of 14 postdoctoral fellows and resident physicians for up to two years.
“We are grateful to the NIH and NIAMS for their continued support,” said Aaron Fields, PhD, director of the MSK Training Program. “This pivotal funding empowers us to train the next generation of leading physician-scientists and researchers, driving breakthroughs in musculoskeletal science that translate into improved patient care.”
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