Michael Zuscik

Dr. Zuscik is the Mack Clayton Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Orthopedics and Director of the Colorado Program for Skeletal Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Zuscik is a leading expert studying mechanisms of osteoarthritis (OA), and was the first to demonstrate that manipulations of the gut microbiome could be a novel therapeutic strategy in protecting against cartilage degeneration in OA in the context of obesity. His other research interests have included the study of second messenger signaling pathways in bone and cartilage homeostasis as well as in the context of injury and disease. Most recently, he has pioneered studies on the role of the gut microbiome in these contexts. Currently, Dr. Zuscik sits on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs’ Joint Programmatic Review and Vision Setting Panel and is a standing member of the Skeletal Biology Structure and Regeneration grant review panel at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the NIH.