Multiscale Imaging & Analytics of Interfaces in Musculoskeletal Health (RTG 3144)

A DFG-funded Research Training Group 

Musculoskeletal (MSK) health is shaped by complex interactions at biological interfaces—between cells and matrix, bone and tendon, muscle and adipose tissue, mineral and collagen, or skeletal tissues and their mechanical and biochemical environment. Understanding these interfaces across scales is essential for tackling major clinical challenges such as osteoporosis, impaired healing, and age-related degeneration.

The RTG “Multiscale Imaging and Analytics of Interfaces in Musculoskeletal Health” brings together an interdisciplinary team of researchers from University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), DESY (PETRA III), and Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. We combine cutting-edge imaging, experimental biomechanics, data science, clinical imaging data, and translational medicine to understand how musculoskeletal interfaces form, adapt, fail, and regenerate.

Our scientific mission

We aim to unravel MSK interface structure–function relationships from the macro- to molecular scale, addressing fundamental questions in:

• Bone–tendon and muscle–tendon interfaces

• Bone quality and mineral–collagen interactions

• Osteocyte lacunar-canalicular networks & mechanobiology

• Age-, sex- and gender-specific differences in MSK health

• Regeneration and remodeling in zebrafish and mammalian models

• AI-enhanced image analysis

• Computational modeling of interfaces

Our projects address these by integrating different approaches, ranging from synchrotron imaging, ultra-high-resolution electron microscopy (TEM, SBF-SEM, FIB-SEM), nano- and micro-CT, SAXS/WAXS, Raman spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, advanced biomechanics, Finite-Element-Methods & Finite Cell Methods to AI-driven analytics into unified, correlative workflows.

Training the next generation of MSK interface scientists

We offer a structured, interdisciplinary doctoral program that combines:

• Project-oriented training with interdisciplinary supervision committees (UKE–TUHH–Hereon)

• Hands-on modules in imaging physics, biomedical engineering, computational analysis, and interface biology

• Winter School on MSK Health, RTG Lecture Series, soft-skill and career-development training

• Access to world-class infrastructure: PETRA III beamlines, UKE EM Core Facility, ICCIR, biomechanics labs, zebrafish and rodent models

• International networking, conference participation, research exchanges, and entrepreneurship support

Our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion

The RTG follows an intersectional EDI concept with:

• Gender-balanced recruitment (≥50% women targeted)

• Sex- and gender-specific design embedded in scientific projects

• Bias-aware selection procedures and targeted support for underrepresented groups

• Family-friendly structures, flexible arrangements, and childcare options

• Workshops on diversity, intercultural competence, leadership, and conflict management

Join us in shaping the future of musculoskeletal interface research

Our work bridges engineering, medicine, imaging physics, biology, and data science to create new insights and technologies for musculoskeletal health. The RTG fosters a vibrant, collaborative, and international research environment—right in the heart of Hamburg’s rapidly growing life-science ecosystem.