The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT
Science + Engineering... Conquering Cancer Together
John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT
Director, Laboratory for Multiscale Regenerative Technologies
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
M.D. 1999, Harvard Medical School
Ph.D. 1997, MIT
KI Research Areas of Focus:
Nano-based Drugs
"Our laboratory is focused on the applications of micro- and nanotechnology in tissue repair and regeneration. Our long-term goals are to improve cellular therapies for liver disease, develop microtechnology tools to systematically study living cells, and design multifunctional nanoparticles for cancer applications. We are involved in a multidisciplinary effort to develop nanomaterials as tools for biological studies and as multifunctional agents for cancer therapies. By bridging the unique electromagnetic properties of nanomaterials with advances in bioconjugate chemistry, photonics, and phage display we aim to develop ‘intelligent' systems for tumor therapy and biomolecular detection. Our interest centers around nanoparticles and nanoporous materials that can be designed to perform complex tasks such as home to a tumor, sense changes in cells and tissues, enhance imaging, and trigger the release of a therapeutic payload."
Learn more about the work the Bhatia lab is doing to use micro and nanotechnologies to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy by watching this video: "Inside the Lab: Sangeeta Bhatia, M.D., Ph.D."
The Bhatia lab's work is profiled as part of the current interactive exhibits in the Koch Institute Public Galleries. Watch a web version of the story here.
Dr. Bhatia trained at Brown, MIT, Harvard, and MGH. She was a member of the Bioengineering Department at University of California at San Diego for 6 years. She has been awarded the David and Lucile Packard Fellowship given to "the nation's most promising young professors in science and engineering," the MIT TR100 Young Innovators Award, the Global Indus Technovator Award, and been named one of Massachusetts' 'Women to Watch'. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. She co-authored the first undergraduate textbook on tissue engineering and is a frequent advisor to governmental organizations on nanobiotechnology, biomedical microsystems, and tissue engineering. She is the co-founder of two startup companies. She holds 15 issued or pending patents and has worked in industry at Pfizer, Genetics Institute, ICI Pharmaceuticals, and Organogenesis.
