MRC Senior Investigative Scientist
Department of Veterinary Medicine

Email: rj328@cam.ac.uk

Research interests

Ravin is a leading expert on the chemistry and biochemistry of silicon and the effect of the element on health. He has a particular interest in the role and mechanisms of action of dietary silicon in connective tissues as well as cell interactions and impact of mineral silica nanoparticles. Much of his work has been on bone, in understanding the role silicon may play in the maintenance of normal bone health.

Key publications

Quignard S, Coradin T, Powell JJ, Jugdaohsingh R. Silica nanoparticles as sources of silicic acid favouring wound healing in vitro. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces (2017) 155:530-537.

Ratcliffe S, Jugdaohsingh R, Vivancos J, Marron A, Deshmukh R, Ma JF, Mitani-Ueno N, Robertson J, Wills J, Boekschoten MV, Müller M, Mawhinney RC, Kinrade SD, Isenring P, Bélanger RR, Powell JJ. Identification of a Mammalian Silicon Transporter. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol (2017) 312:C550-C561.

Kalia P, Brooks RA, Kinrade SD, Morjan DJ, Brown AP, Rushton N, Jugdaohsingh R. Adsorption of amorphous silica nanoparticles onto hydroxyapatite surfaces differentially alters surface properties and adhesion of human osteoblast cells. PLoS One (2016) 11:e0144780.

Jugdaohsingh R, Watson AIE, Pedro LD, Powell JJ. (2015) The decrease in silicon concentration of the connective tissues with age in rats is a marker of connective tissue turnover. Bone. 75:40-48.
Jugdaohsingh R, Watson AIE, Bhattacharya P, van Lenthe GH, Powell JJ. (2015) Positive association between serum silicon levels and bone mineral density in female rats following oral silicon supplementation with monomethylsilanetriol. Osteoporos Int. 26:1405-1415.

Macdonald HM, Hardcastle AC, Jugdaohsingh R, Fraser WD, Reid DM, Powell JJ. (2012) Dietary silicon interacts with oestrogen to influence bone health: Evidence from the Aberdeen Prospective Osteoporosis Screening Study. Bone 50:681-687.

Jugdaohsingh R, Calomme MR, Robinson K, Nielsen F, Anderson SHC, D’Hease P, Geutsens P, Loveridge N, Thompson RPH, Powell JJ. (2008) Increased longitudinal growth in rats on a silicon-depleted diet. Bone. 43:596-606.

Jugdaohsingh R, Tucker KL, Qiao N, Cupples LA, Kiel DP, Powell JJ. (2004) Silicon intake is a major dietary determinant of bone mineral density in men and pre-menopausal women of the Framingham Offspring Cohort. J Bone Miner Res. 19:297–307.

Reffitt DM, Ogston N, Jugdaohsingh R, Cheug HFJ, Evans BAJ, Thompson RPH, Powell JJ, Hampson GN. ( 2003) Orthosilicic acid stimulates collagen type 1 synthesis and osteoblastic differentiation in human osteoblast-like cells in vitro. Bone 32:127–135.