Our research team
Dr. Abdel has assembled a lab team with far-ranging expertise, all committed to deepening scientific knowledge about arthrofibrosis and why it occurs in some patients after total knee arthroplasty.
We also accept applications from around the world for training positions from graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and others in academia who are interested in pursuing high-level musculoskeletal biochemical and biomechanical research.
Learn more about Dr. Abdel and current members of his research team.
Matthew P. Abdel, M.D.
Dr. Abdel is the Andrew A. and Mary S. Sugg Professor of Orthopedic Research and a consultant in hip and knee reconstruction at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Abdel has received numerous awards for his work, including the Lawrence D. Dorr Surgical Techniques & Technologies Award from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (2020, 2019 and 2018); the Otto Aufranc Award from The Hip Society (2017); and the Mark B. Coventry Award from The Knee Society (2019 and 2014). He also received a research grant from the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (2017). Dr. Abdel is a member of the member-only and prestigious The Hip Society and The Knee Society, and he currently serves on the board of directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Read Dr. Abdel's research publications.
Mason F. Carstens, M.S.
Mason, who is originally from Rochester, Minnesota, previously worked as a summer student at Mayo Clinic, where he conducted research in orthopedics and regenerative medicine. Mason attended Creighton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience and a Master of Science degree in medical science and clinical anatomy. In Dr. Abdel's lab, Mason contributes to several projects involving the research of arthrofibrosis and related pathologies. He played hockey for Creighton University and continues to play competitively.
Anne M. Roesler, M.S.
Anne is the program manager for the Division of Orthopedic Surgery Research. Originally from Caledonia, Minnesota, Anne received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology-allied health from Winona State University in Minnesota in 2016 and a Master of Science degree from Winona State in applied research and management in 2022. Anne performed research in both academic and industry settings before transitioning to a management role in orthopedics at Mayo Clinic. She joined Dr. Abdel's lab in December 2020. In addition to her work, Anne enjoys hiking, camping, weightlifting and spending time in the outdoors.
Roman Thaler, Ph.D., M.S.
Dr. Thaler, originally from Italy, is a research associate who joined Mayo Clinic in 2014. He is also an assistant professor of orthopedics at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota. He received a master's degree in 2008 and a doctorate in 2011 from the University of Vienna in Austria. His studies investigated the epigenetic mechanisms controlling bone development and the interplay of the collagenous extracellular matrix in these processes. Dr. Thaler has received several honors and awards for his research, including the ASBMR John Haddad Young Investigator Award in 2019, the Mayo Clinic Patrick J. Kelly Research Award in 2017, the ASBMR Harold M. Frost Young Investigator Award in 2016, the Jakob Erdheim Research prize of the Austrian Society for Bone and Mineral Research in 2013 and others. He was also awarded grants from the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine, now the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics, in 2016 and 2014. Integrating his rich research experience, Dr. Thaler's studies now focus on the elucidation of the cellular, molecular and epigenetic causes controlling arthrofibrosis development.