Makarand V. Risbud

Makarand V. Risbud, PhD, holds the James J. Maguire Jr. Professorship in Spine Research and serves as Division Director of Orthopaedic Research at the College of Life Sciences. His laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of intervertebral disc degeneration and regeneration, with a translational focus on stem cell-based therapies.

Education:

• PhD, National Center for Cell Science, India (2001)
• MTech, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (1999)
• MSc in Biochemistry, University of Pune (1997)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University (2001–2002)

Research Focus: Dr. Risbud's work centers on hypoxia and hypertonicity adaptation in nucleus pulposus cells, emphasizing HIF-1 and TonEBP transcription factors. His lab pioneers tissue-engineering strategies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to regenerate degenerate discs, demonstrating MSC differentiation into functional disc cells under physiologically relevant conditions. Additional efforts include developing ex vivo disc organ culture models to study cell-matrix interactions.

Industrial Impact: His research has significant translational potential, attracting biotech interest for clinical applications in disc regeneration.