Medical scientists affiliated with the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health, located at IU School of Medicine—Indianapolis, focus on the discovery and development of new treatments, cures, diagnostic tools, new technologies and preventative strategies to address the increasing burden of musculoskeletal diseases and disorders of bone, muscle, tendon, ligament and cartilage affecting patients of all ages. Faculty investigators from universities throughout Indiana who share an interest in bone and muscle research collaborate at the center to address the unknowns and issues of musculoskeletal diseases and disorders.
Center Director
Melissa Kacena, PhD, is the director of the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health. Kacena is also a professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. In 2024, she was named an IU Indianapolis Chancellor’s Professor — the most distinguished faculty appointment awarded by the university. Kacena is also a research career scientist with the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Kacena’s research has focused on megakaryocyte-mediate regulation of bone mass, hematopoiesis, and fracture healing in normal, aging and diseased states. Her background spans the fields of engineering, cell biology, clinical, and translational sciences.
