Shwetal Mehta

Dr. Shwetal Mehta is an Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University (ASU), holding affiliations in the School of Life Sciences and School of Molecular Sciences. She is also part of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms driving glioma biology, particularly cancer stem cells and their roles in therapy resistance. She earned a Master’s in Molecular Biology from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India, and holds a PhD (details not fully disclosed in text).

Dr. Mehta teaches courses such as BIO 495 (Undergraduate Research) and NEU 591 (Seminar) across multiple semesters. Her lab investigates neurodevelopmental pathways hijacked by cancer stem cells, including epigenetic regulation (e.g., HDAC1), 3D tumor models, and glioma-vascular interactions. As Deputy Director and Pre-Clinical Core Leader at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, she oversees preclinical trials for glioblastoma therapies.

Her research has led to discoveries in Wnt signaling, glial signatures, and drug-response mechanisms in gliomas. Despite no awards explicitly listed, her work bridges basic science and clinical translation. Lab members include postdoctoral fellows (e.g., Sonam Patel, Gozde Uzunalli) and research technicians. Current projects explore genetic/epigenetic deregulations in cancer stem cells and vulnerabilities for novel therapies.