Pitt will expand its musculoskeletal care and research with a strategic investment from the Orland Bethel family

The Orland Bethel Family Foundation, a powerful supporter of the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, has committed an additional $53.5 million to expand the Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC). The gift, which brings giving from the Bethel family to nearly $100 million in the last five years, will grow the center’s research, innovation and training efforts.

“Orland Bethel is changing the landscape of what we know about musculoskeletal disease and supporting critical work that will lead to better treatments,” said Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel. “This gift will improve the lives of countless individuals who suffer pain and limited mobility. I cannot thank Orland enough for his partnership and generosity.”

The strategic gift will create three endowed professorships, launch an award program for mid-career researchers and thought leaders, improve recruitment and retention of key BMRC leaders, develop a commercialization-focused curriculum, connect researchers with venture capital and better couple the BMRC with industry leaders to ensure it is producing the researchers and leaders most in demand inside and outside of academia.

“This multifaceted gift will transform the BMRC into not only a leader in research and training, but also a powerful economic engine for the region, attracting investment and creating new companies,” said Anantha Shekhar, the John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine and senior vice chancellor for the health sciences at Pitt. “The BMRC is already at the forefront of global discovery; it will soon be the leader in commercialization in the field of treating musculoskeletal disease and improving patient outcomes through personalized medicine.”

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