Affiliation: Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation

During his career, Dr. Elbarbary has amassed diverse knowledge and professional experience that span basic scientific discoveries as well as translational Orthopaedic research. Dr. Elbarbary holds a PhramD degree, and his experience in basic science includes a PhD from Japan, which helped to form a strong basis of molecular biology and biotechnology on top of a previous Master’s degree in medicinal chemistry. During his PhD, he unraveled a mechanism whereby an enzyme involved in tRNA maturation promotes the decay of messenger RNAs in a way that can be tailored to silence the expression of specific genes. During his post-doctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Lynne Maquat at the University of Rochester, he continued his research in the field of RNA biology, which involved investigating the roles of repetitive elements in regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally. Furthermore, he discovered a novel mechanism that mediates the decay of specific miRNAs and elucidated its role in regulating cell cycle and cancer invasion. In parallel, he established an independent program focusing on musculoskeletal applications of cutting-edge discoveries in the field of post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression; the work he continued when he established his own lab at the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and the Center of Orthopaedic Research and Translational Science (CORTS) in the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine. Currently, Dr. Elbarbary’s lab has active research programs investigating mechanisms that regulate RNA processing and decay and their roles in maintaining the homeostasis of bone and cartilage cells, with special focus on bone regeneration.