Rimsha Bhatta, front right, was a doctoral student in CCIL member Hua Wang’s lab.
Rimsha Bhatta is the newest doctoral graduate from Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) member Hua Wang’s lab, where she has worked on numerous cancer research innovations and publications since 2020. During her time at Illinois, Bhatta was also a member of the CCIL’s Tissue Microenvironment (TiME) training program and served as a mentor to high school students in the CCIL’s ResearcHStart summer program.
“I am extremely grateful to my advisor Hua Wang for all his support and patience in helping me learn and grow in the lab. One of the most important lessons I learned during my time in the Wang Lab is perseverance and the value of communication. Research is full of challenges, and it’s easy to feel lost at times. However, persistence and continuous effort always lead to solutions—sometimes in unexpected ways.” said Bhatta.
With a successful defense of her doctoral thesis, Bhatta is now moving on to the next chapter in her cancer research career at Eli Lily and Company.
Bhatta was instrumental in several cancer research projects in the Wang lab, including her work to develop a biomaterial for T cell immunotherapy that can stimulate and expand functional T cells in the body.
“Our team is working, ultimately, to develop better and safer cancer immunotherapies that could eventually save lives,” said Bhatta.
Bhatta was involved with a project targeting the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. The lab worked to develop a biomaterial to be implanted under the skin and remain there, recruiting and training immune cells to assault cancer cells.
Bhatta also worked with the research group on the development of an extracellular vesicle (EV)-based cancer vaccine. This project was especially important to her as she spent years working on studying EVs.
“The Cancer Center at Illinois has played a vital role in advancing my research by providing valuable resources and fostering collaborations beyond my department. Through CCIL, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with faculty, utilize advanced facilities, and connect with researchers both inside and outside UIUC through scientific presentations. These interactions have helped me refine my research ideas, expand my network, and contribute to the broader scientific community,” said Bhatta.
The CCIL is dedicated to training the future of cancer research through education programs and lab research, and Rimsha Bhatta is but one example of the fruit of that vision. Congratulations, Rimsha!
Editor’s Notes
This story was written by Florence Lin, CCIL Communications Intern.