Research interests

• Skeletal Regenerative MedicineSkeletal Stem Cells

Current research

• Research challenge: The Bone and Joint Research Group has demonstrated the efficacy of using patients’ own bone stem cells together with innovative biocompatible scaffolds to transform approaches to orthopaedic treatment. Starting in 2002, Professor Richard Oreffo demonstrated that a patient’s own stem cells had a large capacity to form bone in vitro. He was able to isolate human skeletal stem cells and optimise their expansion and characterisation by identifying the physical conditions necessary to optimise their growth. Together with Professor Douglas Dunlop, Professor Oreffo demonstrated the survival and applicability of using a patient’s own cells in bone impaction grafting in in vivo models and in human patients. To facilitate large bone repair defects, they combined stem cells and bone graft with 3D printed scaffold templates.
  
  Improving quality of life for hard-to-treat patients through pioneering, cost-saving changes to clinical practice
  
  The research led to the first patient in the UK being treated with a stem cell-augmented 3D-printed hip replacement in 2014.

  Subsequently, over 25 patients have been treated in Southampton using this technique, some of whom contacted the team directly after reading the wide press coverage of the first procedure.

  A review of 20 patients in 2020 showed no one needed to have their implant replaced, or had suffered any dislocations or fractures.

Supervision of Graduate students and Post-doctoral fellows: 2000-Present: Supervised over 26 research fellows & 56 PhD/MD fellows to completion. Supervise, as of September 2024, 5 PhD/MD fellows.

Richard is Emeritus Professor of Musculoskeletal Science and was co-founder and inaugural director of the Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration. He held positions in USA, AstraZeneca, University of Oxford before being appointed at the University of Southampton. Richard is internationally recognised for his work on skeletal biology and the mechanisms involved in skeletal stem cell differentiation and bone regeneration with a focus  on bone & cartilage repair with translation through to patient benefit a personal key driver. His research led to the first 3D titanium bone stem impaction graft operation in the UK.

He is founder / CSO and a Director at Renovos Biologics Limited, transforming orthopaedics and regenerative medicine through pioneering use of nanoclay gels. Richard is on the editorial boards of five journals, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and in 2015 was awarded a DSc by the University of Oxford. Richard is a Fellow of International Orthopaedic Research and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Richard has published >350 peer-reviewed full papers (H-index 82; >25,695 citations ISI WoS; H-index 94 and >35,275 citations Google Scholar; Jan 2005). Richard holds 9 patents and is co-editor of “Epigenetic aspects of Chronic Diseases” Highly commended in the BMA Medical Book Awards. He serves / has served on a number of Research Council Committees, Industrial committees and international advisory boards and holds a number of visiting professorships in Australia and Asia.

Richard is the Founder of The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation that has raised over £4.2M enabling, to date, over 50 talented socio-economically disadvantaged Black British students to attend universities in the UK on full scholarships.

Richard was awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours for services to education equality and musculoskeletal science

Prizes