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McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory

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Gullbrand Laboratory

Janai Augustin

PhD Student in Bioengineering

Hometown

Castries, Saint Lucia

Education

Ph.D. Candidate, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, 2023
A.S. Engineering, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 2019
A.S. Natural Sciences, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, 2016

Areas of Special Interest

Janai's research interests include understanding the complex mechanisms that govern intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration to inform the development of  tissue engineering techniques for disc regeneration. His goal is to understand the molecular, cellular, and biomechanical pathways involved in disc degeneration processes . In addition, he wants to investigate the interplay between IVD degeneration and its implications on surrounding orthopedic tissues. Outside of lab, Janai is a sports fanatic. He enjoys watching soccer, basketball, football, volleyball and tennis, and he also plays soccer and volleyball.

Awards

  • 2024 | ORS Spine Section Poster Award ORS
  • 2022 | B-SURE (Biomechanics Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) Summer Fellowship Award from the American Society of Biomechanics
  • 2022 | McKay Orthopedic Research Laboratory Conference Grant/Semester Scholars Program (University of Pennsylvania)

 

Publications (* Co-First Authors)

  1. 2026 | Bhadouria N, Huang JJ, Augustin J, Wang B, Almeida JI, Kroon T, Manolis J, Lemonick M, Seifert A, Vashishth D, Iatridis JC, Holguin N. Raloxifene Injections Normalize Age-Related Mechanical Sensitization in Female and Male Mice and Augment Intervertebral Disc Structure in Old Female Mice. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2026.03.118
  2. 2026 | Augustin JA*, Burt KG*, Barrett C, Fainor M, Orozco BS, Schaer TP, Smith HE, Mauck RL, Gullbrand SE. Neuroimmune Activation in a Goat Model of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Cells. 2026; 15(3):286. DOI: 10.3390/cells15030286
  3. 2023 | Fainor M, Mahindroo S, Betz KR, Augustin J, Smith HE, Mauck RL, Gullbrand SE. A Tunable Calcium Phosphate Coating to Drive In Vivo Osseointegration of Composite Engineered Tissues. Cells Tissues Organs. 2023. DOI: 10.1159/000528965

 

Selected Conference Abstracts and Presentations

Podium Presentations
  1. 2026 | Augustin J, Burt K, Fainor M, Orozco BS, Kim SY, Scanzello CR, Gullbrand SE. Synovium-Cartilage Crosstalk in Facet Joint Osteoarthritis and Correlations with Adjacent Disc Degeneration. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Socity 2026. Podium Presentation.
  2. 2026 | Augustin J, Burt K, Barrett C, Smith HE, Mauck RL, Schaer TP, Gullbrand SE. Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Correlates with Neuroinflammation in a Translational Large Animal Model. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Socity 2026. Podium Presentation.
  3. 2024 | Augustin J, Bhadouria N, Holguin N. Mutation of SERPINA1 Induces a Clinical Spinal Pathology that May be Normalized by Augmentation Therapy or Raloxifene. Philadelphia Spine Research Society (PSRS) Symposium 2024.
Posters
  1. 2025 | Augustin J, Bhadouria N, Almeida JI, Kroon T, Koehne N, Brown R, Holguin N. Mutation of SERPINA1 Induces a Clinical Spinal Pathology That May Be Normalized by Augmentation Therapy or Raloxifene. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
  2. 2024 | Fainor M, Bazaz A, Augustin J, Mauck RL, Smith HE, Gullbrand SE. Engineering Composite Tissues: Coupling Angiogenesis and Osteogenesis via Material and Chemical Signals. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
  3. 2024 | Koon T, Augustin J, Holguin N. Tori Kroon. Anti-Sclerostin Antibody Injections Promote Intervertebral Disc and Vertebral Bone Structure in Old Mice. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
  4. 2024 | Bhadouria N, Manolis J, Augustin J, Holguin N. Intravenous, Short-Term Injection of Raloxifene Enhances the Axial Mechanical Stiffness of the Intervertebral Disc. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
  5. 2023 | Bhadouri N, Manolis J, Augustin J, Holguin N. Intravenous, Short-Term Injection of Raloxifene Enhances the Axial Mechanical Stiffness of the Intervertebral Disc. Philadelphia Spine Research Society (PSRS) Symposium. 
  6. 2023 | Fainor M, Augustin J, Smith HE, Mauck RL, Gullbrand SE. Driving Osteogenesis in Composite Biomaterials Using Tunable Hydroxyapatite Surface Modifications. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
  7. 2023 | Fainor M, Augustin J, Mauck RL, Gullbrand SE. In Situ Delivery of Microspheres to Promote Local Vascularization in Composite Structures. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
  8. 2022 | Fainor M, Augustin J, Smith HE, Mauck RL, Gullbrand SE. Driving Osteogenesis in Composite Biomaterials Using Tunable Hydroxyapatite Surface Modifications. Philadelphia Spine Research Society (PSRS) Symposium. 
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