It’s graduations week here at Newcastle, and today we celebrated Rachel and Marc receiving their very well deserved PhD titles, and Vitaly who was graduating earlier today with a well deserved Masters in Research degree.

Congratulations all, very well done!

We have been playing with polarising microscopes again!

Here are two images by Roufaida, showing collagen fibers (thin in green, thick in red) in mouse articular cartilage (top image) and in the growth plate (bottom image). Aren’t they amazing?

Around this time of the year we are usually asked by our Institute and Theme leads to summarise our activities over the past 12 months. I have just submitted our outputs (below) and I wanted to say

Thank you all very much for being an excellent team, great friends and amazing scientists!

Here’s Pirog lab activity 07/2024-07/2025

Publications (research):

• Farcasanu M*, de las Heras Ruiz T*, Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Soul J, Coxhead J, German M, Young DA, Ferreira-Duarte A, Piróg KA. Dynamic compression improves chondrogenesis in the tissue engineered model of cartilage. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 2025; 122: 2574-2591.
• Hayman DJ, Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Lin H, Prior A, Charlesworth G, Hao Y, Pearson RD, Soul J, Clark IM, Piróg KA, Barter MJ, Van’t Hof RJ, Young DA. microRNA-324 mediates bone homeostasis and the regulation of osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation and activity. Bone, 2025; 190, 117273.
• Gilbert SJ, Soul J, Hao Y, Lin H, Piróg KA, Coxhead J, Patel K, Barter MJ, Young DA, Blain EJ. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of articular cartilage of post-traumatic osteoarthritis mouse models. Dis Model Mech, 2024; 17(10): dmm050583.

Publications (reviews):

• Bouchenafa R, Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Piróg KA. Involvement of kinesins in skeletal dysplasia: a review. American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology 2024, 327(2), C278-C290.

Publications (book chapters):

• Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Bouchenafa R, Pearson RD, Piróg KA. Microtubule-associated motor proteins in skeletal development and health, 2024. In: Rossi, A., Zaucke, F. (eds) The Extracellular Matrix in Genetic Skeletal Disorders. Biology of Extracellular Matrix, vol 16. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70835-0_11.

Publications (conference proceedings):

• Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Pearson RD, Kalamajski S, Young DA, Piróg KA. Role of Asporin in chondroprotection. Int J Exp Path 2024;105:A1–A23
• Bouchenafa R, Ben-Tiba E, Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Piróg KA. Pro143Leu KIF22 mutation affect cartilage structure in the SEMDJL2 mice. Int J Exp Path 2024;105:A1–A23
• Farcasanu M, de las Heras Ruiz T, Piróg KA. Dynamic mechanical compression improves the chondrogenic potential of ATDC5 and primary human chondrocytes in agar hydrogels. Int J Exp Path 2024;105:A1–A23

Grants:

• MRC Drug repurposing for bone diseases (co-PI)

Prizes:

• Anna Porter, Orthopaedic Trainee and PhD student in Pirog lab, won the prestigious Kreibich prize this year presenting her PhD project on tissue engineering approaches to investigate molecular mechanisms in hemiepiphysiodesis. Photo here: https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/piroglab/2025/07/07/congratulations-anna/
• Roufaida Bouchenafa, PhD student in Pirog lab, received a bursary from the British Society for Matrix Biology to attend the Matrix Biology Europe meeting in Lyon in September 2024

Impact:

• Kasia Pirog organised, contributed funding and presented (together with Roufaida Bouchenafa) at the annual Genetics Matters public engagement conference organised as part of the International Rare Disease Day and showcasing the activities of the Newcastle Centre for Rare Disease. With 65 attendees (local schools, general public, patients and patient organisations) and 30 enthusiastic scientists, a wonderful panel debate on achievements and challenges in rare disease research moderated by the NUCore Rare Disease Policy Manager Victoria Hedley, exciting hands-on experiments (building a 3D skin model, DNA extraction, osteoarthritis and chondrodysplasia diagnosis, muscle MRI scans, art installations and many more) and lovely food, the event was a great success. Event photos: https://www.tynesight.co.uk/ClientGalleries/Newcastle-University-Medical/02-03-25—Genetics-Event

Here’s to another amazing year ahead!

We’re playing with polarising microscopes today. Here’s an image of collagen fibers in porcine articular cartilage, acquired by João. Isn’t it awesome?

Huge congratulations to Anna Porter, Orthopaedic Trainee and PhD student in our lab, who won the prestigious Kreibich prize last week, presenting her PhD project on tissue engineering approaches to investigate molecular mechanisms in hemiepiphysiodesis.

We’re back from a lovely visit to Manchester to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Manchester Cell Matrix Centre. It had been a home to many matrix biology scientists including our very own Skeletal Research Group Prof Mike Briggs (1997-2012), Prof David Young (1997-1998), Dr Kasia Pirog (2001-2012), and Dr Ella Dennis (2011-2012).

It was great to see everyone, be reminded of the history of this great centre, see old friends and great science that continues to be delivered in Manchester.

We did talk about science as well! We are looking forward to new collaborations and continued working together.

Happy 30th anniversary, Manchester Cell Matrix Centre! and well done!

Our PhD student Marc Farcasanu successfully defended his PhD thesis yesterday. The viva was conducted by Dr James Henstock from Northumbria University and Dr Priscila Melo from Newcastle University – thank you both for acting as Marc’s examiners.

Well done Marc!

Congratulations on the successful defence of your thesis and the recent paper publication. It has been a pleasure working with you and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Please don’t be a stranger and keep in touch!