Smita Bhatia

Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH, is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), holding dual appointments in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and General Surgery. As the Gay and Bew White Endowed Professor in Pediatric Oncology and Vice Chair for Outcomes in the Department of Pediatrics, she leads UAB’s Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship. Her roles include Senior Scientist positions in multiple centers (O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, COERE, CCTS) and Associate Director roles in key institutions. Dr. Bhatia’s career spans over 430 peer-reviewed publications and an H-index of 99, with NIH funding since 2000 and leadership in national initiatives like the NCI Cancer Moonshot. She chairs the Department of Population Sciences (2006–2014) and currently serves on the NCI Clinical Trials Advisory Committee.

Education includes an MD from a foreign university, MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota, and postgraduate training in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Minnesota and All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Her research focuses on cancer survivorship, health outcomes, and disparities, with emphasis on long-term effects of pediatric cancer therapies. She has recruited 17 faculty across disciplines to build UAB’s cancer outcomes research infrastructure.

Her research interests include cardiotoxicity in cancer survivors, second malignancies, and health disparities. Awards include election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the NCI Outstanding Investigator Award. She serves on editorial boards (Journal of Clinical Oncology, CEBP) and advisory committees for cancer centers and T32 grants.

Advocacy includes work on palliative care for pediatric cancer patients, financial toxicity at end-of-life, and improving guideline-concordant care access. Her lab integrates clinical, genomic, and social determinant data to address survivorship challenges.