Trained in Medicine, Community Health and Public Health, Dr. Bahrati Kulkarni’s research interests include maternal and child nutrition, body composition as well as nutritional aspects of bone health. She took part in a number of studies, which investigated the bone densities of different population groups using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. As a Principal Investigator, she spearheaded studies that explored bone density changes during pregnancy and lactation in under nourished women. These studies have highlighted the importance of nutritional status in terms of optimal body weight and muscle mass as a determinant of bone health. She is currently working on a DBT-funded study which investigates the effect of calcium rich food supplementation on the bone density changes in lactating women. She is also a co-investigator of an international collaborative study which examines the association of migration and early life nutrition supplementation with the abdominal adiposity and risk of cardiovascular diseases.

1. G.Amarendar Reddy, Bharati Kulkarni, Veena Shatrugna,  P. Thilak Ravindra Reddy, Balakrishna Nagalla,  Ajeya Kumar P. Bone mass of overweight affluent Indian youth and its sex specific association with body composition.  Archives of Osteoporosis (In press)
   
   
2. Bharati Kulkarni, Parul Christian, Steven C. LeClerq, Subarna K. Khatry. Determinants of compliance to antenatal micronutrient supplementation and women’s perceptions of supplement use in rural Nepal. Public Health Nutrition ( In press)
   
   
3. Bharati Kulkarni,  Veena Shatrugna,  Balakrishna Nagalla,  Ajeya Kumar P,Usha Rani K,Chandrakala Omkar A. (2008) Maternal weight and lean body mass may influence the lactation related bone changes in young under nourished Indian women. British Journal of Nutrition   Oct 30:1-7 (E-publication ahead of print)
   
   
4. Shatrugna V, Kulkarni B, Kumar PA, Balakrishna N, Rani KU, Reddy GC, Rao GV (2008)  Relationship between women's occupational work and bone health: a study from India. British Journal of Nutrition 99:1310-5.
   
   
5. Veena Shatrugna, Bharati Kulkarni. (2006)  Nutrition and Osteoporosis  - Indian scenario  Nutrition in Disease Management : Update series 30.
   
   
6. Bharati Kulkarni, Veena Shatrugna, N.Balakrishna. Maternal lean body mass             may be the major determinant of birth weight – a study from India (2006) European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 60:1341-4.
   
   
7. Veena Shaturgna, Bharati Kulkarni , P. Ajay Kumar, K. Usha Rani, N. Balakrishna. (2005) Bone status of Indian women from a low income group and its relationship to the nutritional status. Osteoporosis International 16:1827-35.