Jessica E. Molina, an MD/PhD student and current PhD candidate in the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab under Dr. Jennifer Nichols, has received a National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship (Parent F30) for her project, “Identifying Phenotypes in Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis through Pain, Biomechanics, and Machine Learning Analyses.”

Carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) is a debilitating disease that affects an estimated 13 million people nationwide. It impacts the joint at the base of the thumb, causing functional limitations, pain and reduced quality of life. Current treatments fail to both relieve pain and restore normal function. There is a need for a comprehensive evaluation to better understand how structure, function and pain intersect in CMC OA, and to address the biomechanical and sensory impacts of the disease.

Molina’s research will take an innovative approach to understanding disease progression by 1) determining the direct relationship between movement-evoked pain and function, and 2) using machine learning to identify complex relationships between biomechanics and sensory data to define patient phenotypes and predict symptoms.

Through this fellowship, Molina will be funded for the remainder of her graduate and medical school education. She will gain extensive training in biomechanics analysis and advanced data science techniques, preparing her for a career as a physician-scientist developing personalized rehabilitation strategies.