In this episode of JBMR at 40, host Matt Greenblatt sits down with Dr. Xu Cao of Johns Hopkins to explore a career defined by discovery across the bone field. Dr. Cao reflects on his pioneering work uncovering how osteoclasts and osteoblasts are coupled through TGF-β signaling—findings that reshaped our understanding of bone remodeling and seeded new insights into angiogenesis, pain, and osteoarthritis.

The conversation traces how seemingly distinct research areas converge on a central theme of coupling, extending from cellular biology to brain–bone communication. Dr. Cao also shares lessons from his time as a JBMR editor, advocating for a more multidisciplinary future that integrates biomechanics, neuroscience, and clinical perspectives.

Closing with candid advice for early-career scientists, he emphasizes hypothesis-driven thinking, resilience in lean funding climates, and the importance of curiosity in tackling the field’s biggest unanswered questions.