BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Cameron Villarreal (D. Chan, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 1:00 PM. Title: Investigating the role of the gut microbiome in modulating musculoskeletal health Date: 9/5/2024 Time: 1:00 PM Location: MJIS 2001 and Zoom - https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/91920279987<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F91920279987&data=05%7C02%7Cbmegradstudents-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7Cb28843b731b848174a5f08dcc37ee17b%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638600196908980797%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=o5D4L4haAeq%2Bnf4%2FkWNXQWPJsOZdb7BEvrVQKt83tRw%3D&reserved=0> Committee members: Dr. Deva Chan (Chair), Dr. Douglas Brubaker, Dr. Tzu-Wen Cross, and Dr. Leopold Green Abstract: Due to lifestyle and dietary factors, a disrupted gut microbiome is becoming more prominent. At the same time, the incidence of aging and inflammation-associated musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoarthritis, is rising. These concomitant rises may be linked through actions of the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome alters systemic inflammation, intestinal permeability, and nutrient metabolism. Each of these processes can be associated with musculoskeletal development and the underlying structure-function relationship in bone and synovial connective tissues. Beyond these indirect relationships, other work has shown that modulation of the gut microbiome in rodents through high-fat diets or antibiotic use leads to an altered propensity for osteoarthritis and bone material properties, respectively. While a wealth of evidence suggests that the gut microbiome alters the musculoskeletal system, how it modulates the connective tissue in joints and underlying subchondral bone remains poorly understood, hindering our ability to diagnose, treat, and prevent musculoskeletal disease. We examine alterations to the structure-function relationship in musculoskeletal tissue through a combination of imaging biomechanics. Additionally, we profile the gut microbiome through 16S taxonomic profiling. These results will seek to identify (1) how specific divergent gut microbiome profiles result in different musculoskeletal parameters, (2) the time course of those changes, and (3) if gut-driven alterations to musculoskeletal health can be restored through exercise, prebiotic use, or a combination of both interventions. This work seeks to enhance our understanding of the interrelatedness between the gut and the musculoskeletal system to enable improved treatment, both adjuvant and preventative, of musculoskeletal disease and injury.