Atul Bhan

Atul Bhan, MD, is a Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and a Pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He holds board certifications in Immunopathology and Pathology-Anatomic from the American Board of Pathology. His clinical expertise includes Autopsy Pathology and Immunopathology, with a focus on adult patients. Dr. Bhan completed his medical education at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (MD) and Christian Medical College & Hospital (MBBS), followed by residencies at Boston Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center.

Dr. Bhan's research focuses on Mucosal Immunology and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), particularly Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. His laboratory investigates:

• Regulatory B cells and their role in suppressing intestinal inflammation via IL-10
• Th-1 and Th-17 immune pathways in IBD pathogenesis
• Autophagy mechanisms (e.g., ATG16L1 variant) in antibacterial defense
• Intestinal alkaline phosphatase as a therapeutic for metabolic disorders
• Gut homing receptor α4β7 integrin (leading to Vedolizumab/Entyvio® development)

Dr. Bhan serves as Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease at MGH and collaborates extensively with researchers studying mucosal immunity, macrophage function, and metabolic regulation. His work has received over $19 million in annual research funding, supporting 20,000 sq.ft. of laboratory space at MGH.

Publications demonstrate research spanning mucosal immunity (45%), inflammatory bowel disease mechanisms (30%), liver pathology (15%), and cancer immunology (10%). Recent work emphasizes genetic risk factors (C1orf106, GPR65), immune cell regulation (SLAMF4, IL-10R), and diagnostic innovations (shear-wave elastography).

Dr. Bhan directs the Bhan Laboratory at MGH, which employs experimental models including TCR alpha knockout mice to study chronic intestinal inflammation. Key collaborators include Dr. Cox Terhorst (immune receptors), Dr. Ramnik Xavier (autophagy), Dr. Scott Snapper (IL-10 signaling), and Dr. Richard Hodin (intestinal alkaline phosphatase).