Postdoctoral Fellow · Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
Advancing mechanism-based, non-opioid therapeutics for spine degeneration
through the biology of SerpinA1, estrogen signaling, and bone–disc crosstalk
Advancing mechanism-based, non-opioid therapies for spine degeneration while building collaborative bridges across academia, medicine, engineering, and mentorship.
Interdisciplinary investigations spanning the full translational spectrum — from molecular mechanisms to clinical relevance
Bridging bench discoveries to clinical applications — biologically relevant models that mirror human lumbar pathology.
Bridging bench discoveries to clinical applications in spine degeneration, developing biologically relevant models that mirror human lumbar pathology. This platform forms the foundation for evaluating bone anti-resorptive drugs, estrogen signaling modulators, and inflammation-targeted therapies in physiologically accurate in vivo systems.
Molecular cascades linking SerpinA1, inflammatory mediators, and age- and sex-dependent pathways to chronic low back pain.
Uncovering the molecular cascade by which IVD degeneration generates chronic low back pain — with focus on SerpinA1/Alpha-1 antitrypsin, inflammatory mediators, and age- and sex-related degenerative pathways. Combining in vivo mouse models with tissue-level profiling to identify targetable mechanisms upstream of nociception.
Bidirectional signaling between vertebral bone, disc, and macrophages — osteoclastogenesis, Wnt/sclerostin, and endplate inflammation.
Investigating bidirectional signaling between vertebral bone, intervertebral disc, and macrophages — including osteoclastogenesis, Wnt/sclerostin signaling, and endplate-mediated inflammatory cascades that drive degeneration. The SerpinA1 global deletion model reveals how systemic protease-inhibitor deficiency disrupts immune homeostasis at the bone-disc interface.
Correlating mechanical properties, biological degeneration markers, and sex differences using micro-CT and biomechanical testing.
Correlating mechanical and compositional properties of intervertebral discs — using novel micro-CT/mechanical testing approaches — with biological degeneration markers, sex differences, and therapeutic interventions such as raloxifene. This work links structural-level outcomes to molecular-level interventions across the full spine functional unit.
Repurposing raloxifene as a non-surgical, non-opioid IVD intervention via estrogen receptor signaling.
Repurposing existing bone therapeutics — particularly raloxifene — as non-surgical, non-opioid treatments for IVD degeneration and back pain. Investigating estrogen receptor signaling as a protective pathway against age- and sex-related disc deterioration. IV tail-vein delivery demonstrates systemic access to disc tissue with measurable improvement in disc mechanical properties.
Cultivating the next generation of spine researchers through active mentorship, community engagement, and global bridge-building.
Cultivating the next generation of spine researchers through active mentorship, scientific community engagement, and collaborative bridge-building. Mentoring 11 trainees across 6 institutions and 4 countries; serving on ORS Innovation Committee 2023–25; organizing Innovation Track sessions; delivering invited lectures at medical schools and international festivals.
Active research projects, peer-reviewed publications, and conference contributions
Investigating the emerging role of SerpinA1 (Alpha-1 antitrypsin) as a systemic regulator of bone and IVD homeostasis. Global deletion models demonstrate impaired macrophage recruitment to injured discs, enhanced osteoclastogenesis, and bone loss that mirrors the skeletal phenotype of genetic emphysema — providing a unique window into inflammation-driven disc degeneration.
Demonstrating that the bone anti-resorptive drug raloxifene stimulates estrogen receptor signaling to protect against age- and sex-related IVD degeneration in mice. Intravenous short-term tail-vein injections are shown to enhance axial mechanical stiffness of the disc, positioning raloxifene as a promising non-opioid spine intervention.
Characterizing sex-dependent differences in spinal SERPINA1 expression and their capacity to predispose women to heightened spinal inflammation and accelerated IVD degeneration — establishing a novel biological basis for the well-documented but poorly understood sex disparity in chronic back pain prevalence.
Collaborative investigation (Iatridis Lab, ISMMS) of a clinically relevant rat model where lumbar endplate microfracture induces Modic-like changes, IVD degeneration, and spinal cord sensitization — providing a translational platform to study discogenic pain initiation and its central sequelae.
A clinical and mechanistic perspective on the repurposing of osteoporosis drugs — including bone anti-resorptives and anabolics — for the treatment of IVD degeneration, bridging bone biology with the unmet therapeutic need in chronic back pain. [Accepted]
Demonstrated that systemic raloxifene activates spinal estrogen receptor pathways, preserving disc height, matrix composition, and mechanical properties in aged male and female mice — establishing a non-surgical therapeutic rationale for bone anti-resorptives in disc disease.
Established a clinically relevant rat model of lumbar endplate injury that replicates Modic-like changes and pain sensitization, providing a critical translational platform for studying discogenic pain initiation and central sensitization mechanisms.
Demonstrated that pharmacological or genetic suppression of Wnt pathway antagonists sclerostin and DKK-1 enhances IVD structural integrity, identifying the Wnt axis as a therapeutic target for disc degeneration.
Characterized microstructural and wear properties of friction-stir-processed magnesium nano-composites under varying processing conditions, contributing to the development of lightweight biocompatible structural materials.
Evaluated mechanical hardness and wear resistance of novel magnesium matrix surface composites reinforced with nano-tungsten carbide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, demonstrating significant improvement in tribological performance.
View the complete publication record, citations, and citation metrics
Google Scholar Profile →Intravenous Raloxifene Protects Against Age- and Sex-Related Intervertebral Disc Degeneration in Mice
Moderated Spine Degeneration & Therapeutics scientific session
ASBMR Student Cohort — translational bone-disc biology research
Raloxifene Stimulates Estrogen Receptor Signaling to Preserve Disc Structure Across Sex and Age
Advocated for federal bone research funding at ASBMR's Capitol Hill Day delegation
ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Award — bone-disc crosstalk and SerpinA1 biology
Investigating the Role of SerpinA1 in Modulating Spinal Inflammation and IVD Homeostasis
ORS Spine Section Travel Fellowship Award — emerging investigator presentation
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (SerpinA1) Deletion Impairs Macrophage Recruitment and Alters Bone Homeostasis in the Spinal Column
Microstructural and Tribological Properties of Nano-WC–CoCr Reinforced AZ91D Magnesium Matrix Surface Composites
From foundational science in India to translational research leadership in the United States
Mechanical Engineering graduate; 2nd prize at national technical fest Technovation. Foundation for a career bridging materials science and biomedicine.
IERT Allahabad, IndiaMS in Mechanical Engineering on a competitive Government of India Fellowship. Teaching Assistant; supervised Bachelor's thesis on Mg composites. Graduated top of class.
NIT Kurukshetra, IndiaTaught Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Energy. Managed Materials Science Lab; served on NBA accreditation. IIT-Delhi Summer Research Fellow; Best Poster IMME 2017.
Inderprastha Engineering College & IIT-DelhiPivoted to spine biology. Joined Dr. Holguin's lab; co-mentored by Dr. Buganza Tepole (Purdue). ORS Best Poster 2019, ORS Spine Travel Fellowship 2020, ASBMR Young Investigator Award 2021.
IUPUI, Indianapolis, USAJoined ISMMS Orthopaedics July 2022; promoted to Postdoc March 2024. ORS Innovation Committee 2023–25; Session Moderator ORS Texas; ASBMR Student Cohort; ORS Best Poster 2024.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYAdvancing raloxifene IV therapy, SERPINA1 sex-dependent biology, and endplate injury models. Organizing ORS Innovation Track; delivering invited lectures; mentoring 11 trainees globally.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYBuilding toward faculty appointment — independent program at the frontier of translational spine science, mechanism-based non-opioid therapies, and a global mentorship ecosystem.
The Road Ahead2024 Best Poster Award, ORS Annual Meeting, Long Beach · 2022 Finalist, Podium Presentation Award, ORS Annual Meeting · 2020 ORS Spine Section Travel Fellowship Award · 2019 Best Poster Award, ORS Annual Meeting, USA
"Science grows when scientists grow. My commitment to mentorship stems from the belief that the future of translational research depends not only on discoveries made today, but on the researchers we cultivate for tomorrow."
Dr. Bhadouria actively mentors medical students, senior undergraduates, and postbaccalaureate researchers across the United States, Europe, and Asia — providing hands-on training in spine biology, biomechanics, and scientific communication. Her mentorship extends beyond the laboratory, guiding trainees through competitive admissions, research fellowships, and their first peer-reviewed contributions.
Mentoring researchers in
Science grows when it is shared — through invited talks, open media, and editorial service.
Invited lecturer for the Indiana University School of Medicine graduate course on bone biology and musculoskeletal therapeutics.
"Global experience in science" — sharing the journey of navigating new disciplines and cross-continental research culture with an international academic community.
"Health challenges around the world" — as the first founding member of Global Voices, IUPUI, discussing health equity and the global burden of spine disease.
Open to meaningful collaboration with clinicians, engineers, scientists, institutions, and students committed to translational research and transformative impact in spine health.