Dr. Carla Scanzello

Biography

Carla R. Scanzello, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine (Rheumatology) at the University of Pennsylvania. She is affiliated with various institutes, including the Penn Institute for Immunology, the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, and the Penn Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics. Additionally, she serves as a Staff Physician at the Corporal Michael J. Cresenz VA Medical Center. Dr. Scanzello is the Co-Director of the Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center at the VA Medical Center and holds the position of Associate Director at the VA RR&D CReATE Motion Center. Her research expertise involves understanding the molecular stimuli and clinical consequences of synovial inflammation in osteoarthritis (OA) and meniscal injury. She has identified specific inflammatory pathways that are over-expressed in patients with early-stage knee OA, particularly focusing on Toll-like receptor pathways and chemokine-mediated pathways. Her work aims to explore the impact of these pathways on OA development and progression in joint injury animal models, including the incorporation of pain-related outcomes for translational relevance. Her ultimate goal is to develop novel anti-inflammatory strategies to reduce pain and disability associated with OA.

Research Interests