Welcome to Payne Lab

Transforming How We Heal Growing Bones and Joints

Our lab is dedicated to developing innovative ways to repair damaged growth plates and joint cartilage—key tissues that help children grow and keep all of us moving comfortably.

Our research centers on regenerative medicine solutions for growth plate and articular cartilage injuries. We focus particularly on pediatric growth plate (physeal) injuries, a significant clinical challenge where abnormal bone repair tissue, known as a bony bar, can form in place of cartilage. When this occurs, children may experience angular deformities or even complete growth arrest.

At the mechanistic level, we study how angiogenesis drives this improper bone formation and develop targeted therapies that modulate angiogenic and osteogenic signaling to prevent bony bar development.

On the translational side, we engineer cartilage regeneration strategies using biomaterials enhanced with biological factors to block unwanted bone formation and promote healthy cartilage repair. This includes the development of a 3D‑printed pediatric growth plate mimetic composite designed to restore growth plate function and support normal skeletal development.

Our work also extends to articular cartilage injury and osteoarthritis, where we investigate molecular pathways of degeneration and repair to inform new solutions for long‑term cartilage regeneration.

Projects

Publications