We are a multidisciplinary translational research group, comprising veterinary, biomedical, and clinical researchers, working collaboratively and using comparative medicine principles to address critical musculoskeletal health challenges.
Musculoskeletal injuries and diseases are among the most prevalent and debilitating conditions affecting both veterinary and human populations. Across species, these disorders are a leading cause of chronic pain, reduced mobility, diminished performance and long-term declines in quality of life. Current care approaches largely address structural damage after it has occurred with limited options available for early risk detection, progression prevention, or the restoration of long-term musculoskeletal health and function.
A critical gap exists in integrating clinical orthopaedic and sports medicine innovation with multi-omic molecular insights to enable earlier detection, more precise interventions and effective therapeutic outcomes.听
Our translational research combines surgical, neurological, biomechanical and molecular approaches within a One Health framework to advance musculoskeletal clinical care across all species. The goal is to transform healthcare by moving beyond late-stage management toward precision prevention and sustainable long-term health outcomes. Our research efforts focus on joint disease, ligament and tendon injuries, chronic pain, and related conditions.
Project leads: Dr , Associate Professor听, Dr , Dr Christina Zhu, Dr Benjamin Herbert听
Canine cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease is one of the most common causes of chronic pain and disability in dogs, frequently progressing to osteoarthritis with lifelong consequences. Current diagnostics rely on clinical signs and imaging鈥攐ften detecting disease only after damage is established. Our project focuses on discovering circulating biomarkers that signal early ligament pathology and joint degeneration before irreversible changes occur. By enabling rapid, minimally invasive screening, this work has the potential to redefine disease monitoring, guide earlier intervention, and improve long-term mobility and quality of life for affected dogs.
Funding:听Betty & Keith Cook Canine Research Fund
Project leads:听Associate Professor听, Dr
Many therapies that appear promising in preclinical osteoarthritis studies fail to translate into effective treatments in clinical trials. One potential explanation is the limited understanding of how disease stage, severity and treatment timing influence therapeutic success.
This project evaluates the predictive value of experimental osteoarthritis models by determining how therapies affect both joint degeneration and pain when delivered at different stages of disease.
The goal is to improve how preclinical studies guide treatment development and ultimately increase the success of new therapies for osteoarthritis.听
Project leads:听顿谤 , Dr , Dr
Tendon ruptures are an increasingly common injury associated with ageing populations and growing sports participation. Although surgical repair, reconstruction and appropriate rehabilitation can restore function, these approaches may not address the underlying biological changes that predispose tendons to rupture and re-injury.
This project aims to identify biomarkers that signal increased rupture risk and uncover molecular pathways that drive tendon degeneration. By combining these insights, we aim to develop diagnostic tools and preventative therapies that detect vulnerabilities earlier than current conventional imaging technologies, monitor responses to intervention, and ultimately reduce the likelihood of tendon rupture before injury occurs.
Project leads:听Associate Professor听, Associate Professor听, Professor , Professor Mark Connor
The management of pain is an important area of veterinary care, yet there is no 鈥渙ne size fits all鈥 therapeutic for common domestic species, and this is largely due to species and breed differences in efficacy and side-effect profiles for commonly used analgesic therapies.
Optimising the use of opioids and novel therapies such as cannabinoids in companion animals, warrants a better understanding of the target receptors and how they differ across species and between breeds.
We are investigating genetic variants of canine and feline opioid and cannabinoid receptors to better understand their functional significance. We hypothesise that the variability in analgesic efficacy may arise due to single nucleotide polymorphisms at locations encoding the functional receptor.听
贵耻苍诲颈苍驳:听Feline Health Research Fund: Using genomics to characterise cannabinoid receptors as novel therapy targets for arthritis-related chronic pain in cats.
Project leads:听Associate Professor听, Dr
Cruciate ligament rupture is a frequent cause of chronic pain and disability through early onset, post-traumatic osteoarthritis in both animals and humans. Females have a higher risk of cruciate ligament rupture, chronic pain and osteoarthritis but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
This translational research project aims to evaluate the sex-specific pathways that drive early ligament degeneration and disease onset to identify novel therapeutic targets and advance precision, evidence-based veterinary and human health care.
Betty & Keith Cook Canine Research Fund: Evaluating dried blood spot sequencing for early detection of canine joint disease.
Feline Health Research Fund: Using genomics to characterise cannabinoid receptors as novel therapy targets for arthritis-related chronic pain in cats.
Royal NSW Canine Council Health and Welfare Charity: Investigating cannabinoid receptors as a novel therapy target to treat chronic pain in dogs with osteoarthritis.
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For information about opportunities to work or collaborate with One Health Musculoskeletal Research Group, please contact听onehealth-msk.science@sydney.edu.au.
