Priya Bhardwaj

Priya Bhardwaj, PhD, is a Senior Scientist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where she investigates how the skeleton functions as a dynamic regulator of whole-body metabolism. Her research focuses on how bone cells sense and respond to mineral balance, with particular emphasis on citrate metabolism and the transporter SLC13A5 mechanisms that are increasingly recognized as critical determinants of bone strength, quality and disease.

Her work integrates molecular, cellular and translational approaches to understand how skeletal signaling pathways intersect with endocrine and neurological systems. She has studied the role of ADGRG2 in parathyroid function and calcium homeostasis, as well as G-protein-coupled receptor signaling in Ca-PTH regulation. More recently, her research extends to human cell models and patient-derived systems, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic strategies for metabolic bone diseases and rare neurological disorders. She has received competitive research funding to study metabolic regulation in neurological disease, particularly in the context of SLC13A5-related epilepsy.

Dr. Bhardwaj earned her PhD in Science from the University of Rajasthan, India, where she investigated the anti-carcinogenic properties of Nerium indicum in experimental models of skin papillomagenesis. Her interdisciplinary training in molecular biology and physiology continues to shape her approach to bridging skeletal biology with broader systemic and neurological health.