Jeffrey Lotz, PhD, speaks at the podium during the 2026 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in San Francisco. More than 150 attendees participated in the two-day event. Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Researchers and clinicians at the 2026 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat explored how musculoskeletal science moves from discovery to clinical care and commercialization.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2026 — Researchers, clinicians, and biomedical engineers gathered at UCSF April 14–15 for a two-day retreat focused on a central challenge in biomedical research: how to move discoveries in musculoskeletal science from the laboratory into patient care and, in some cases, commercial development.
The annual meeting, held at Genentech Hall and Byers Auditorium at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus, carried the theme “From Bench to Business: Bridging Musculoskeletal Medicine and Entrepreneurship.” This year’s event attracted over 150 attendees from 15 UCSF departments and 16 institutions and was supported by 9 event sponsors.
Organized by the UCSF musculoskeletal research community and the NIH-supported Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine (CCMBM), the retreat brought together investigators across disciplines to examine how basic discoveries move toward clinical application.
Edward Hsiao, MD, PhD, who leads UCSF’s CCMBM, reviews research posters during the Center’s annual Scientific Retreat at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in San Francisco. The poster session included presentations from early-career investigators and trainees showcasing work in musculoskeletal biology, biomechanics, and translational research. Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Andrés Betancourt-Torres, a graduate student in the Alliston Laboratory for Skeletal Mechanobiology, views research posters during the 2026 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in San Francisco. He joined other investigators in presenting and reviewing work on musculoskeletal biology and translational research. Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Speakers included Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE, of Villanova University; Robert Guldberg, PhD, of the University of Oregon; Gerard Slobogean, MD, MPH, of UC Irvine; and Silvia Blemker, PhD, of the University of Virginia. Sessions focused on the path from unmet clinical need to invention, testing, and eventual translation.
“The future of medicine will not be defined by discovery alone. It will be defined by our ability to translate that discovery into care that reaches every patient who needs it,” said Dr. C. Benjamin Ma, chair of UCSF Orthopaedic Surgery.
Hope Welhaven, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Collins Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Crosstalk, right, speaks with Anthony Luke, MD, MPH, during the poster session at the 2026 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in San Francisco. The session brought together investigators to share and discuss ongoing musculoskeletal research. Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Over two days, more than 150 scientists, physicians, and researchers convened at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in San Francisco for the 2026 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat, which featured scientific presentations, poster sessions, and keynote talks on advances in musculoskeletal research. Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
The program included scientific presentations, panel discussions, and networking sessions designed to connect basic scientists, clinicians, and translational researchers. Early-career investigators presented posters and participated in a research “slam” competition highlighting emerging work in the field.
Graduate student Jess Wagner, left, and Professor Christopher Hernandez pose questions to panelists Robert Guldberg, Silvia Blemker, Michele Marcolongo, and Gerard Slobogean during the UCSF HIVE Hot Ones Challenge. (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
UCSF HIVE Hot Ones Challenge Brings Heat and Humor to Retreat Programming
A new and lighter addition to this year’s program was the UCSF HIVE Hot Ones Challenge, led by Christopher Hernandez, PhD, professor and researcher in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The interactive session brought a playful twist to the keynote question-and-answer format, inspired by the popular interview show.
Attendees were invited to pose questions to featured speakers, with the boldness of each question determining the level of heat in the wings or fried cauliflower they had to eat. As the questions intensified, so did the spice level, quickly pushing participants into increasingly hot territory and plenty of good-natured hesitation before each bite.
The activity offered a relaxed, engaging way to connect with speakers and learn more about their scientific and career motivations. The event also highlighted the UCSF Health Innovations Via Engineering (HIVE) program and its focus on creativity and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
“Science moves forward when we are willing to ask better questions, sometimes uncomfortable ones, and stay in the conversation long enough to turn ideas into impact,” said Dr. Hernandez. “And sometimes,” he added, “that conversation comes with wings that are probably not FDA-approved for that level of heat.”
UCSF researchers Alexandra Gersing, MD, PhD; Fatemeh Gholi Zadeh Kharrat, PhD; Kelly Wentworth, MD; Karin Wu, MD; and Daehyun Yoon, PhD, also delivered lightning talks on ongoing studies. Additional trainee presentations included work on fracture healing, biomarkers, and musculoskeletal injury.
Keynote programming on the second day featured Robert Guldberg, PhD, who spoke on innovation in musculoskeletal science, and Silvia Blemker, PhD, who delivered the Bradford Lectureship keynote on translating engineering approaches into clinical application.
Other speakers included Jeffrey Lotz, PhD, and Chelsea Bahney, PhD, of UCSF; Maggie Fung, of GE Healthcare Systems; Anthony Luke, MD, MPH, of UCSF; and Hassan Serhan, PhD, of CarthroniX. Sessions focused on clinical testing, translational research, and innovation pathways.
Additional presentations highlighted infrastructure supporting research translation, including programs in innovation and entrepreneurship across UCSF and UC Berkeley.
The retreat concluded with poster awards and a networking session at Mission Bay.
Researchers share their findings during the 2026 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in San Francisco. Over two days, more than 150 scientists, physicians, and researchers convened for scientific presentations, poster sessions, and keynote talks on advances in musculoskeletal research. Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Participants gather for a group photo during the 2026 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in San Francisco. The event brought together scientists, clinicians, and trainees under the theme “From Bench to Business: Bridging Musculoskeletal Medicine and Entrepreneurship,” featuring presentations, posters, and discussions on advances in musculoskeletal research and translation. Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
“This retreat is about more than collaboration—it’s about strengthening a shared ecosystem where discovery can move faster and further toward patients,” said Edward Hsiao, MD, PhD, who leads UCSF’s Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine. “Connections give us possibilities. What we discover together has to be carried forward with patience, rigor, innovation, and purpose until it becomes something that truly changes lives.”
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