Suzanne Eldridge, PhD profile page

Dr. Suzanne Eldridge is a molecular biologist with a background in engineering. The main goal of her research is to discover, understand and develop new drugs that will prevent osteoarthritis and heal cartilage. Eldridge began her training in engineering and subsequently undertook a master’s in medical engineering. During these studies, she acquired a strong interest in musculoskeletal biology – with a particular emphasis on joint and cartilage damage – undertaking a short internship in a biomaterials company specializing in meniscal replacements for patients with meniscal damage. Eldridge became unsatisfied with the engineering approach to “fix” the body once it’s “broken” and pursued a master’s and subsequent PhD in molecular biology of cartilage, investigating why a joint fails in the first place and, more importantly, why there are no treatments. Her current research is focused on a protein she discovered that only patients with healthy cartilage have. This protein, called Agrin, is hard to detect in patients with osteoarthritis and the more severe their disease, the less Agrin they have. Eldridge’s studies have shown that by adding this protein back to the joint, the cells make more cartilage. Eldridge is now pursuing Agrin as a treatment for cartilage damage and osteoarthritis, with the ultimate goal of taking this discovery from the lab to the patients who need it.