Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

The CREATE Professional Research Training Programme in Bone and Joint Health Technologies will provide highly qualified personnel trained in the integration of engineering principles, biological sciences, and information technology to solve patient oriented clinical problems through research that supports medical product development. The programme is part of a new partnership between Queen's University and the University of Wisconsin - Madison that builds on a number of recent successful projects in biomedical engineering between the two institutions. Both institutions also have strong ties to industry-leading companies that will facilitate relationships between researchers during technology development and knowledge transfer. The long-term objective of the research programme project is to develop a new generation of minimally invasive technologies for the long-term maintenance of joint health. Specifically, computer assisted techniques will be used to guide the design, fabrication, and implantation of patient-optimized, biologically enhanced materials at an early stage of degenerative disease. Projects are structured into three themes: Joint Health Assessment, Computer-assisted Reconstruction Technologies, and Tissue Repair Technologies. The training programme is designed to develop professional skills in trainees that complement their qualifications and technical skills, and provides multidisciplinary research skills that will facilitate transition to the workforce. Five programme goals address: (1) advanced technical knowledge in imaging, computer-assisted surgical guidance, and regenerative methods for tissue reconstruction; (2) clinical practices and health care delivery; (3) commercialization practices; (4) skills for working in multidisciplinary teams; and (5) communication skills. These are developed in an integrated programme that includes a professional development course focused on best practices in key areas and a skills development course that places CREATE trainees in a working team of clinicians and basic scientists.