Photo of Gloria  Gronowicz, Ph.D.

Gloria Gronowicz, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus
Academic Office Location:
Surgery/Orthopedics
UConn Health
263 Farmington Avenue, MC 3105
Farmington, CT 06030-3105
Phone: 860-679-3842
Fax: 860-679-2103
Email: gronowicz@uchc.edu
Website(s):

Skeletal, Craniofacial & Oral Biology Graduate Program

Education
DegreeInstitutionMajor
B.B.A.Barnard CollegeBiology
Ph.D.Columbia UniversityCell Biology

Post-Graduate Training
TrainingInstitutionSpecialty
PostdoctoralUniversity of Chicago
PostdoctoralUConn Health CenterPostdoc with Dr. Gideon Rodan

Awards
Name of Award/HonorAwarding Organization
2011-14 Co-Chair of the Bone Topic Committee for 2012-2015 Orthopaedic Research SocietyOrthopaedic Research Society
Elected Director of the Skeletal Craniofacial and Oral Biology (SCOB) Graduate ProgramSCOB faculty
Merit Award Connecticut Microscopy Society
“Outstanding Service as Chair of Connective Tissue Subject Committee” AwardUConn Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine
Name & DescriptionCategoryRoleTypeScopeStart YearEnd Year
Editorial Board of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative MedicineEditorial BoardEditorExternalInternational2015
Committee on Women and Medicine and ScienceProfessional/Scientific OrganizationmemberUConn HealthUniversity20142015
2014 International International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health (IRCIMH)Professional/Scientific OrganizationReviewerExternalInternational20132014
Reviewer of NIH R03 Small Grants for New Investigators, NIAMS study section. Asked twice in 2013 to review grants Study SectionMemberExternalNational20122013
Reviewer of Basic Science for The 8th International Congress of Complementary Medicine Research-ICCMR 2013Professional/Scientific OrganizationReviewerExternalInternational20122013
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Professional/Scientific OrganizationReviewerExternalInternational20112013
Co-Chair of the Bone Topic Committee for the Orthopaedic Research SocietyProfessional/Scientific OrganizationCo-ChairExternalInternational20112015
ISRN Biomaterials (International Scholarly Research Network)Professional/Scientific JournalReviewerExternalInternational20112012
Head of the Election Committee for the AAUPOtherHead of the Election CommitteeUConn HealthUniversity20112013
Breast Research CNF at UConnResearch CommitteememberUConn HealthUniversity20112014
Elected to the Nominating Committee (Biologist) for the Orthopaedic Research Society Professional/Scientific OrganizationCommittee MemberExternalNational20102012
National Institute on Aging Special Emphasis Panel (SEP) to evaluate the program project application (P01) by Dr. Lynda Bonewald, entitled: “Osteocyte Regulation of Bone / Muscle with Age”Study SectionReviewerExternalNational20102011
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)Professional/Scientific OrganizationModeratorExternalNational20092016
Workshop on Bone Histology and Histomorphometry for the Women’s Leadership Committee of the Orthopaedic Research Society Professional/Scientific OrganizationChairExternalNational2009
NASA Bone Biology Panel Professional/Scientific OrganizationPanel memberExternalNational2008
Basic Science review panel for the 2009 Consortium Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Minneapolis, MN. Professional/Scientific OrganizationCo-ChairExternalNational20082009
Society for Women’s Health Research Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational2007
Judge of posters for Graduate Student Research Day at UCHCEducation CommitteeJudgeUConn HealthUniversity20072013
Membership Committee of Orthopaedic Research Society (Chairman, 2009-2010) Professional/Scientific OrganizationCommittee MemberExternalNational20062010
Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Professional/Scientific OrganizationReviewerExternalNational20052010
ASBMR representative to FASEB Study SectionMemberExternalNational20042013
NASA Bone Biology Panel Professional/Scientific OrganizationPanel memberExternalNational2003
International Board for the journal “Biomaterials” Editorial BoardMemberExternalInternational20022008
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon Panel Member for Aging and Disability: Bone Structure and Function Advisory CommitteePanel memberExternalNational2002
Society for Biomaterials Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational20002013
Member of the Integrated Admissions Committee for the Graduate ProgramEducation CommitteememberUConn HealthUniversity19992014
Orthopaedic Research SocietyProfessional/Scientific OrganizationModeratorExternalNational19972015
NASA Bone Biology Panel Professional/Scientific OrganizationPanel memberExternalNational19961997
Selectives Implementation Committee for Medical SchoolEducation CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity19962015
Sigma Xi Research Society Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational19932013
Medical/Dental Student Research Day CommitteeResearch CommitteememberUConn HealthUniversity19922014
Orthopaedic Research Society Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational19882015
Connecticut Electron Microscopy Society Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalState1987
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational19852015

The major interest of my laboratory is the study of bone cell responses to implants in aging. Both dental and orthopedic implant materials are being investigated. Presently with Drs. Kuhn and Hurley, we are developing new implant materials that are able to sequentially release different growth factor to stimulate bone formation. These novel scaffolds are being applied to a critical-size, bone defect model in aging mice and in human osteoblast cultures that are derived from bone discarded after orthopedic procedures in elderly patients.We are also studying the effect of an integrative medicine therapy, Therapeutic Touch, on the growth and differentiation of bone cells and osteosarcoma-derived cell lines. Therapeutic Touch involves the application of human biofields from practitioners’ hand. Plates of cells are treated twice a week for 10 minutes without any touching. We have found highly significant effects on cell proliferation and differentiation compared to untreated cells and placebo-treated cells. Presently we are also working with a breast cancer model in mice, treating these mice with Therapeutic Touch and studying tumor growth, metastasis and immune responses.Our third project is to study the etiology of otosclerosis. Otosclerosis is a focal disease of the human temporal bone and is among the most common causes of acquired hearing loss in the U.S., as it affects 0.1-1% of the general population. There are several stage of otosclerosis but the last stage involves hypermineralization of the stapes bone. We acquire stapes bone discarded from patients with otosclerosis and compare their phenotypic properties with osteoblast cultures from peripheral bone of age and sex-matched patients and from normal stapes of patients with other medical issues that require removal of the normal stapes. We have also found that bisphosphonates can normalize the properties of the otosclerotic cultures and we are presently studying the effects of bisphosphonates on these bone cells.We use molecular biology, histology, histomorphometry and biochemistry to address these research projects.

Not accepting students for Lab Rotations at this time

Journal Articles

Books

  • Gronowicz G Personalized Medicine: Promises and Pitfalls.

Book Chapters

  • Chapter 2 Cell Biology
    Gronowicz, G. and K. Sagomonyants Regenerative Engineering 2013 Jun;Chapt 2
  • Integrin activated responses to metallic implant surfaces.
    Sagomonyants, K and G. Gronowicz Comprehensive Biomaterials 2011 Oct;Vol 4, Chapt 9101-113
  • Biocompatibility: Integrin activated responses to metallic implant surfaces.
    Sagomonyants, K and G. Gronowicz Comprehensive Biomaterials Volume 4, Chapter 9:101-113
  • Biocompatibility: Integrin activated responses to metallic implant surfaces.
    Sagomonyants, K and G. Gronowicz Comprehensive Biomaterials 21-61
  • Chapter 2: Cell Biology.
    Gronowicz, G. and K. Sagomonyants Regenerative Engineering 21-61

Abstracts

  • Collagen Type I reporter mice: a tool for determining progenitor cell differentiation to functional osteoblasts
    Kuhn, LT, L Zhu, E Jacobs, DW Rowe, J. Goldberg, M. Hurley, G. Gronowicz. 2013 Jan;
  • Osteoblast cultures from the stapes of patients with otosclerosis demonstrate hypermineralization, which is corrected by alendronate
    Gronowicz, G, Y. Richardson, J. Flynn, G. Leonard and K. Parham Transactions of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society 2012 Jan;
  • Non-physiological mineral deposition in vitro by primary human osteoblasts under osteogenic conditions.
    Charles LF, Woodman JL, Goldberg AJ, Gronowicz GA, and Kuhn LT. Proceedings of the IEEE 36th Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference 2010 Mar;
  • Non-physiological mineral deposition in vitro by primary human osteoblasts under osteogenic conditions.
    L.F. Charles, J.L. Woodman, A.J. Goldberg, G.A. Gronowicz and L.T. Kuhn Northeast Bioengineering Conference 2010 Jan;
  • Biomimetic method for coating tissue culture polystyrene with carbonated hydroxyapaptite.
    Kuhn LT, Advincula MC, Liu Y, Gronowicz G, Habibovic P, and Goldberg AJ. J Dent Res 2009 Apr;88
  • Release of multiple growth factors for stimulating endogenous progenitor cells in aging bone.
    Kuhn,LT, G Ou, M Hurley, G Gronowicz 9th World Biomaterials Conference, China.

Conference Papers

Letters

Reviews

Title or AbstractTypeSponsor/EventDate/YearLocation
Effects of Therapeutic Touch on mice with breast cancer tumorsPlenary LectureTT Advanced International2013Craryville, NY
Effects of Therapeutic Touch on Cell Culture and Cancer in MiceOtherTheosophical Society2012 at Pumpkin Hollow in Craryville, NY.