Sujata Bhatia

Sujata K. Bhatia, MD, PhD, PE is a physician, bioengineer, and professionally licensed chemical engineer. Her background spans industry and academia, and her experience includes medical device and biotechnology product development, preclinical trials, clinical trials, and intellectual property.

She received her MD and PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She then worked for the DuPont company, on the preclinical and clinical development of tissue adhesives for wound closure, microspheres for tumor treatment, and omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular health. Upon entering academia, she was a Lecturer and Assistant Director for Undergraduate Studies in Biomedical Engineering at Harvard University. She has also served as Assistant Dean of the Harvard Summer School, and an Associate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government for the Science, Technology and Globalization Project. She has served on panels and committees for the National Academy of Engineering, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Institute of Medicine, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Engineering Education, United States Department of Health and Human Services, United States Department of State, and United States Department of Defense.

She has been an invited keynote speaker for the National Science Olympiad and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She has served as an international lecturer and panelist for scientific organizations in Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Chile, Ireland, and Denmark. She was chosen by the National Academy of Engineering for U.S. Frontiers of Engineering in 2005; Japan-America Frontiers of Engineering in 2006; a co-organizer of Japan-America Frontiers of Engineering in 2007; and the Keck Futures Initiative and U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Education in 2013. At Harvard College, she received the John R. Marquand Award for Exceptional Advising and Counseling of Harvard Students in 2012; the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Advising and Mentoring in 2013; and the Star Prize for Excellence in Advising in 2013.

In 2014, she was chosen by the American Society for Engineering Education for the “20 Under 40” list of top engineering educators in the nation. She was voted as a Harvard Yearbook Favorite Professor for three consecutive years in 2014, 2015, and 2016. In 2019, she was the invited keynote speaker for the Bioengineering Graduate Research Symposium at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2021, she was an invited speaker for the EU Chapter of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program for the National Academy of Engineering.