Future Leaders winner developing treatment for women's reproductive disorder

Throughout the year, CBS Colorado recognizes high school students who are excelling in science, technology, engineering, and math, STEM. Future Leaders award winners get $1,000 and a profile on CBS News Colorado. The newest Future Leaders award winner is Mishika Bhatia, a recent graduate of Rock Canyon High School. 

Bhatia has spent the last two years researching a treatment for Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, PMOS. 

"PMOS...it's a reproductive and endocrine disorder," Bhatia explained. 

PMOS is the new medical name for PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome. PMOS is very common, effecting 1 in 10 women of reproductive age globally. It leads to irregular periods, cystic acne, hair loss, and infertility. 

"I actually, two years ago, was diagnosed with PCOS or PMOS. And I went through seeing doctors, looking for potential treatments, discovering there was really nothing that could cure this disorder," Bhatia told CBS Colorado. 

Finding a therapeutic drug that targets the symptoms of PMOS became a passion project for Bhatia. 

"I discovered that (the plant) saw palmetto targets a pathway in males that a lot of research has been done on, but it targets the same pathway in women and that pathway hasn't been explored yet, so I'm applying the science that has been done in males to PMOS and women," Bhatia said. 

She partnered with Dr. Joshua Johnson on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and was able to begin her research in his lab. She started with cell studies and then moved on to pharmacological testing.

"Isolating the enzyme pathway I believe is at work in the cells and then testing saw palmetto in a variety of dosages on the enzyme itself. I'm also starting the process of breaking down saw palmetto into its different components," she explained. 

Bhatia has presented her work at various competitions along the way. At the Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair, she won second place overall and first place in her category. At the International Science and Engineering Fair, she took second place in Translational Medical Science. She was also named a top 300 Science Scholar at the Regeneron Science Talent Search. 

"I think if anything going to those competitions provided PMOS a lot more awareness and attention," Bhatia said. 

"Why do you think that your success is so important in the future?" asked First Alert Meteorologist Lauren Whitney. 

"My goal is if I can get this research enough attention, I would not only be able to help women with PMOS, but also hopefully make discoveries and more research in all the other fields that reproductive science actually impacts," she replied. 

Bhatia is not only a trailblazer in the lab, she is a member of the Lady Trailblazer organization. She's started five chapters of the Girl Persist program at high schools along the Front Range.  

"It is essentially a program that runs leadership and development and professionalism programs for young girls all across Colorado," she said. "I really love the mentoring and the teaching. Even through biotech, I've gotten to mentor some wonderful young women, help them do similar research projects." 

"You're going to the University of Michigan. What are you hoping to do in college?" Whitney asked. 

"I'm studying pharmaceutical sciences and drug development on a pre-med track and then I'm also studying business, so as of now I hope to go to medical school," she responded. 

Bhatia hopes to one day be a physician scientist with a fully developed drug treatment for PMOS already under her belt.