Sangeeta N. Bhatia
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Primary Section: 31, Engineering Sciences Membership Type:
Member
(elected 2017)
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Biosketch
Sangeeta Bhatia, MD/PhD is a cancer researcher, MIT professor, HHMI investigator, and biotech entrepreneur who works to adapt technologies developed in the computer industry for medical innovation. Receiving degrees from Brown University, MIT, and Harvard, Bhatia trained as both a physician and engineer, and her laboratory leverages miniaturization tools such as microfabrication and nanotechnology to yield inventions with new applications in medical diagnostics, drug delivery, infectious disease, and tissue regeneration. Bhatia is a passionate advocate for diversity in science and engineering, and she is the inaugural director of the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. Bhatia has received multiple honors including Mentoring and Diversity awards from Harvard, the Lemelson-MIT Prize for Inventors, and the Heinz Medal for groundbreaking inventions and advocacy for women in STEM fields. She has been recognized by a large group of interdisciplinary organizations, including being an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, the American Academy of Arts and Science, Brown University’s Board of Trustees, and the National Academy of Sciences.
Research Interests
The focus of Sangeeta Bhatia’s research is on the development of novel micro- and nanoscale platforms for understanding, diagnosing, and treating human disease. While cell autonomous processes certainly influence the balance between health and disease, the laboratory’s focus is on interactions between cells and their microenvironment. They leverage micro- and nanotechnology tools that have been created by the semiconductor community, which, by virtue of their spatial resolution, enable the precise synthesis, interrogation, and perturbation of tissue microenvironments. Specifically, they focus on tissue microenvironments of clinical importance in hepatology and oncology. In the area of hepatology, they are interested in liver tissue engineering - both for treating patients with cell-based therapies and for developing more predictive in vitro models of human disease. In the oncology field, they leverage the physical traits of nanomaterials to improve the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. The Bhatia group endeavors to translate their inventions and scientific findings to patients, and to advocate for diversity in science and engineering.
