Eileen Bhatt

Eileen Bhatt has contributed to understanding how mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) regulates cancer cell death and therapeutic sensitivity, demonstrating that the balance of BCL-2 family proteins at the mitochondrial membrane determines chemotherapy and targeted therapy response. Her research showed that incomplete MOMP, where only a fraction of mitochondria permeabilize, promotes genetic instability and tumor evolution through sublethal caspase activation. She established that priming the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway through BH3 mimetics like venetoclax enhances sensitivity to diverse cancer therapies. Her work on mitochondrial apoptotic signaling has informed combination strategies to overcome apoptosis resistance in cancer.