Sangeeta Bhatia

Sangeeta Bhatia

Director, Laboratory for Multiscale Regenerative Technologies


Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA USA


I used to feel like I needed to compartmentalize the technical piece of myself from the rest. And in fact, it’s really that uniqueness that makes you different, that makes you valuable.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Sangeeta Bhatia

Milestones

My road in life took a while to figure out.
She wanted to try biomedical engineering, but it was still a new field, so she reached out to people working in the field to try to figure out which path she wanted to take.
Her first job was in a water testing lab; she found it boring, but it gave her the laboratory experience she needed to explore more of her options.
Then she moved onto a biotech company, but she was frustrated by being in a lab all day; she wanted to have more contact with patients.
Her third job was in artificial organs and nerve regeneration, and it felt like her “Goldilocks” job: her third job was the one that fit just right.
She now runs a lab of 25 people; they’ve invented nanosensors that can roam the human body and search for diseased cells, pushing forward the science of cancer detection.
Other things her lab is working on: regenerating human livers using organic 3D printers, and engineering a bacteria that can enter tumors and treat them from the inside.
In 2003, the MIT Technology Review named her one of the top 100 innovators in the world under the age of 35.
But she says that even as far as she’s come, she still struggles with imposter syndrome; the way she overcomes it is by continuing to work hard and celebrate her successes.
Keep following my journey

Career

Director, Laboratory for Multiscale Regenerative Technologies

I am a professor that researches the use of technology for tissue repair and regeneration.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Science
Problem Solving

Day to Day

I lead a laboratory of 25 scientists dedicated to leveraging miniaturization tools from the world of manufacturing to impact human health. My team and I have pioneered technologies for interfacing living cells with synthetic systems, enabling new applications in tissue regeneration, stem cell differentiation, medical diagnostics and drug delivery. I also develop nanoparticles designed to study, diagnose, and treat a variety of diseases.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for college students

Embrace your differences and make those qualities your strengths. Don't compartmentalize yourself. Bring all of yourself to the table. That's what gives you value.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

"I'm not taken seriously. I don't belong here. "

Challenges I Overcame

Imposter Syndrome