Joan Bhatt

Joan Bhatt investigates PTEN tumor suppressor function and mechanisms of PI3K pathway dysregulation in cancer. Her research has characterized the molecular mechanisms by which PTEN lipid phosphatase activity opposes PI3K signaling and how PTEN loss promotes AKT/mTOR hyperactivation in cancer cells. She has examined how PTEN dosage quantitatively determines cancer susceptibility and the non-cell-autonomous roles of PTEN in the tumor microenvironment. Her translational work has advanced understanding of resistance mechanisms to PI3K-targeted therapies in PTEN-null cancers and rational combination strategies to overcome this resistance.