Tamara Alliston

Tamara Alliston, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She holds adjunct positions in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at UCSF, and is a faculty member in the UC Berkeley/UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, UCSF Graduate Programs in Biomedical Sciences, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, and Developmental and Stem Cell Biology. Dr. Alliston co-directs the Skeletal Biology Core at the NIH P30-supported UCSF Core Center in Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine.

• PhD in Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine (1998)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, UCSF

Research Interests: Dr. Alliston investigates how mechanobiologic pathways regulate bone and cartilage homeostasis, focusing on TGFβ signaling in osteocytes and chondrocytes. Her work examines the molecular mechanisms linking bone quality, joint degeneration, and aging, with interdisciplinary approaches combining molecular biology, bioengineering, and materials science. Key areas include:

• Role of osteocytes in bone fragility and osteoarthritis
• TGFβ/Wnt signaling cross-talk during mechanical stress
• Bone-brain crosstalk in aging and Alzheimer’s disease
• Metabolic regulation of bone remodeling via diet and diabetes
• Development of regenerative therapies for skeletal tissues

Recent Publications (selected trends) explore:

• Integrating mouse transcriptomics with human GWAS to identify bone fragility genes
• Impact of aging on osteocyte collagen regulation
• 3D imaging of osteocyte networks
• Therapeutic targeting of TGFβ in fibrous dysplasia
• Fluid shear stress signaling in bone matrix remodeling

Honors and Leadership:

• Co-Director, NIH P30 Skeletal Biology Core
• Editorial Board, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
• Chair, UC Berkeley/UCSF Bioengineering Executive Committee
• AIMBE College of Fellows (2021)
• Recipient of Arthritis Investigator, ASBMR Frost, and Boskey Awards

Training and Collaboration: Dr. Alliston mentors graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in her lab, with trainees presenting at major conferences like ASBMR and ORS. Current and former lab members include Neha Dole, Charlie Schurman, Dave Monteiro, and Serra Kaya. Her NIH R01-funded research spans projects on osteocyte mechanobiology, bone-cartilage crosstalk, and diabetes-related skeletal dysfunction.