Atul K. Bhan

Atul K. Bhan, MD is a Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and a Pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He leads the Bhan Lab which focuses on mucosal immunology and inflammatory bowel disease research.

Dr. Bhan's educational background includes an MD from All India Institute of Medical Sciences and an MBBS from Christian Medical College & Hospital. He completed residencies at Boston Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center, and is board certified in Immunopathology and Pathology-Anatomic by the American Board of Pathology.

Dr. Bhan's primary research interests center around mucosal immunology and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). His laboratory has made significant contributions to understanding the pathogenesis of chronic intestinal inflammation using TCR alpha KO mice as a model of human IBD. His team identified a regulatory B cell subset that suppresses the progression of intestinal inflammation by secreting IL-10. The laboratory is closely associated with the Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease at MGH, where Dr. Bhan serves as an Associate Director.

Dr. Bhan's research has explored various aspects of IBD pathogenesis, including the role of Th-1 and Th-17 pathways, innate immune system function, autophagy in intestinal inflammation, and the potential therapeutic effects of intestinal alkaline phosphatase. His work has led to important clinical applications, including the development of Vedolizumab (Entyvio), a humanized antibody targeting the gut homing receptor a4b7 integrin, which is now used to treat Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

• Research focus: Mucosal Immunology and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Laboratory: Bhan Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Role: Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease at MGH
• Key contributions: Identification of regulatory B cells in IBD, development of Vedolizumab

Dr. Bhan collaborates extensively with other researchers at MGH, including Dr. Terhorst, Dr. Xavier, Dr. Snapper, and Dr. Hodin. His laboratory's research activities are supported by significant funding, with Pathology research at MGH receiving over $19 million in annual research support.