Nina Bhatt

Nina Bhatt studies how components of metabolic syndrome — insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension — independently and synergistically increase cancer risk. Her research characterized how chronic hyperinsulinemia promotes cancer growth through insulin receptor and IGF-1R signaling, activating PI3K-Akt-mTOR and Ras-MAPK pathways in cancer cells. She has defined the metabolic syndrome cancer risk increment beyond that explained by obesity alone. Her translational work explores whether metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, and other insulin-sensitizing agents can reduce cancer risk in metabolic syndrome patients.