Research Discipline/Bio
My current research is a continuation of my time as a fellow in Dr. Chuan-Ju Liu’s Translational Orthopedic lab. Under his guidance and mentorship, I received NIH Postdoctoral funding in 2012. In that learning environment, my studies involved working with two key catabolic inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, and their role in arthritis. People who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) have reduced levels of exercise. Exercise offers a multitude of health benefits, including increased muscle strength, enhanced bone mineral density, increased stroke volume, and reduced joint pain. RA is more prevalent in older, female, and non-Hispanic Black individuals. Black women are a marginalized demographic with the worst health outcomes and have been disproportionately underrepresented in medical research. Under the direction of Dr. Felicia Mensah, I am studying the impact of exercise on the lived experiences of marginalized communities with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Educational Background
Master of Education, Applied Physiology, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2025
National Institute of Health Postdoctoral Fellow, Translational Orthopedic Surgery, NYU School of Medicine, 2016
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Universidad Iberoamericana, 2011
Bachelor of Arts, Art History and Premedical Studies, Bucknell University, 1998
Honors/Awards
Membership in Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society, 2025
ORAL PEER-SELECTED PRESENTATIONS- New England Science Symposium, Harvard Medical School, 2016. Osteoarthritis Research Society International World Congress (OARSI) Paris, 2014. Yale Bouchet Conference, Yale University, 2014. Philadelphia Regional Biomedical Postdoctoral Research Symposium at the University of Pennsylvania, 2013
Publications/Exhibitions
Uddin SM, Richbourgh B, Ding Y, Hettinghouse A, Komatsu DE, Qin YX, Liu CJ. Chondro-protective effects of low intensity pulsed ultrasound.Osteoarthritis Cartilage.2016 Nov;24(11):1989-1998. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2016.06.014. Epub 2016 Jun 27.
Zhao H, Gonzalezgugel E, Cheng L, Richbourgh B, Nie L, Liu C. The roles of interferon-inducible p200 family members IFI16 and p204 in innate immune responses, cell differentiation and proliferation.Genes and Diseases. 2015 Mar;2(1):46-56.
Zhao YP, Tian QY, Liu B, Cuellar J, Richbourgh B, Jia TH, Liu CJ.Progranulin
knockout accelerates intervertebral disc degeneration in aging mice.Scientific Reports. 2015 Mar 16;5:9102. doi: 10.1038/srep09102.
Zhao YP, Liu B, Tian QY, Wei JL, Richbourgh B, Liu CJ. Progranulin protects against osteoarthritis through interacting with TNF-α and β-Catenin signalling.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2015 Dec;74(12):2244-2253. doi: 10.1136 annrheumdis-2014-205779. Epub 2014 Aug 28.
Wei J, Richbourgh B, Jia T, Liu C.ADAMTS-12: a multifaced metalloproteinase in arthritis and inflammation. Mediators of Inflammation. 2014;2014:649718. doi: 10.1155/2014/649718. Epub 2014 Apr 28. Review.
Uddin SM, Mundra JJ, Jian J, Tian Q, Gonzalez-Gugel E, Richbourgh B, Liu CJ. Progranulin inhibition of TNFα.Immunology & Cell Biology. 2014 Apr;92(4):299-300. doi: 10.1038/icb.2014.7. Epub 2014 Feb 11.
Konopka J, Richbourgh B, Liu C.The role of PGRN in musculoskeletal development and disease.Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Ed). 2014 Jan 1;19:662-71. Review.
Jian J, Zhao S, Tian Q, Gonzalez-Gugel E, Mundra JJ, Uddin SM, Liu B, Richbourgh B, Brunetti R, Liu CJ.Progranulin directly binds to the CRD2 and CRD3 of TNFR extracellular domains.FEBS Letters. 2013 Nov 1;587(21):3428-36. doi: 1 0.1016/ j.febslet.2013.09.024. Epub 2013 Sep 23.
Last Updated: Jun 27, 2025