In the diseased or injured musculoskeletal system, a variety of repair, regeneration, and replacement treatment strategies have been used successfully, and novel approaches are being developed. The goal of this Gordon Research Conference on Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering will be to examine topics relevant to diseases, development, physical and biological regulation, diagnostics, and therapeutics of multiple tissues, including bone, cartilage, intervertebral disc, muscle, nerve, meniscus, ligament, and tendon. The Conference will address multiple cross-cutting topics, including developmental biology, imaging, stem cells, biomaterials, systems biology, environmental influences, and the translation of basic research to clinical practice. This is described by the conference theme, "Integrating Musculoskeletal Science: Biology, Engineering, And Clinical Challenges."

Within this context, the more general aims of this conference are:

1. To provide a premier forum for presentation and discussion of the latest information in the field of Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering, and thereby facilitate the development of new insights, new interactions, new collaborations, and new research directions.
2. To encourage new investigators and advanced trainees to embrace the field of Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering, not only through exposure to or dissemination of cutting-edge research, but also through collegial interactions with more senior colleagues in an environment that is conducive to formal and informal scientific discourse.

The final Conference program will target both junior and senior investigators working at the cutting-edge of musculoskeletal research. Given the intense interest and activity in the field of musculoskeletal biology and bioengineering, there is a great potential for these areas to benefit humans through the development of novel clinical therapies, based on fundamental basic science research. This conference will provide a forum in which investigators can integrate such knowledge, from basic science through to clinical therapies.

Continuing the tradition of previous Conferences, there will be a Special Lecture on Thursday evening. Dr. George Lauder, Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology, will speak on "Robotic Fish: One future for musculoskeletal engineering", and will present a novel perspective on the integration of diverse areas, such as evolutionary morphology, robotics, and biomechanics, in the development of biomimicry of the musculoskeletal system.