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 some of the key 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.

Carstens, who is originally from Rochester, Minnesota, previously worked as a summer student at Mayo Clinic, where he conducted research in orthopedics and regenerative medicine. Carstens 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, Carstens contributes to several projects involving the research of arthrofibrosis and related pathologies.

Ali L. Manguso, M.S.

Manguso is the program manager for the Division of Orthopedic Surgery Research. She grew up in Plymouth, Wisconsin. She earned her Bachelor of Science in community health education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2009, followed by a Master of Science in leadership and human resource development from Louisiana State University in 2020. She joined the division of Orthopedic Surgery Research in May 2025, bringing extensive experience in quality and process improvement and change management.

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 orthopedic surgery 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 also was 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.

Oksana Pichurin

Pichurin, who is originally from Russia, is a supervisor — senior research technologist in the lab. Since joining Mayo Clinic in 2015, her work has focused on orthopedic and musculoskeletal regenerative research. Pichurin has vast experience in a large range of experimental assays and techniques, including molecular analyses and translational research applications. In Dr. Abdel's lab, Pichurin participates in several projects investigating causes and treatments for arthrofibrosis.