vailsymposium

Dr. Huard is the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Director of the Center for Regenerative Sports Medicine at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI) in Vail, Colorado. Dr. Huard is also an Affiliate Faculty, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins Colorado. From 2015-2019, Dr. Huard was Professor, Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Research in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) McGovern Medical School. Between 1995-2015, Dr. Huard held the Henry J. Mankin Endowed Chair in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and was the Director of the Stem Cell Research Center (SCRC). Dr. Huard also held numerous secondary appointments at the University of Pittsburgh and was also the Deputy Director for Cellular Therapies at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Dr. Huard possesses extensive knowledge in the areas of gene therapy, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine applications based on the use of muscle-derived stem/progenitor cells (MDSCs). The muscle-derived stem cells that his team isolated are currently undergoing testing in clinical trials for treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and myocardial infarction. More than 700 women suffering with SUI in Canada and the U.S. have volunteered for this stem cell therapy (Phase III Clinical Trial). Dr. Huard and his team have published over 400 peer reviewed papers, over 90 reviews/book chapters, and have over 900 abstracts accepted for presentation at national and international conferences (Citations 39577; h-index:106, i10-index: 340). The major research interests of SPRI’s Center for Regenerative Sports Medicine (CRSM) include: muscle stem cells isolation & characterization; bone & articular cartilage regeneration and repair; alleviation of muscle weakness in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD); cardiac and skeletal muscle injury repair, regeneration, and fibrosis prevention; peripheral nerve regeneration; and the use of adult stem cells as a source for paracrine factors to alleviate the phenotypic changes associated with natural and accelerated aging. The main focus of the Center for Regenerative Sports Medicine laboratory is to develop biological medicine approaches to improve tissue repair after injury, disease and aging. The Huard lab uses a variety of technologies that fall into 4 different categories, including: Biologics (adult stem cells which include muscle derived stem cells, adipose derived stem cells as well as Bone Marrow Aspirate and Platelet Rich Plasma); Regenerative Medicine approaches (gene therapy approaches, CRSPR-Cas9, protein delivery like coacervate, microspheres, PA nanofibers and magnetic nanoparticles); Therapeutics (FDA approved drugs such as anti-fibrotic agents, pro-angiogenic agents, telomerase activity, (hTERT), senolytic and senomorphic drugs); and Animal Modelling (dystrophic and progeria mice models, super healer mice (MRL/MpJ), osteoarthritis model/microfracture, tibia fracture, calvarial defect and ovariectomy).