Sangeeta Bhatia is interested in dissecting the role of the tissue environment in both health and disease using engineering tools. Bhatia and her team use micro- and nanotechnology tools created by the semiconductor industry to study the interactions between cells and their microenvironments. The tools allow them to synthesize, interrogate, and perturb tissue microenvironments in a precise fashion, to better understand biological function and how it can go awry. Specifically, the team focuses on tissue microenvironments of clinical importance in liver biology and cancer, with an aim to translate their findings into new therapies for patients.
HHMI Investigator Sangeeta Bhatia’s lab developed a low-cost, point-of-care platform to detect lung cancer via a simple urine test. Thirteen HHMI scientists have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.  Eleven HHMI scientists are elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.