Mamatha Bhat

Administrative Assistant: Jacinta Tauro, Jacinta.tauro@uhnresearch.ca

Research Synopsis

Short-term survival after liver transplantation has improved dramatically over time, however long-term survival has not increased due to significant compromise particularly by metabolic and malignant complications. The goal of Dr. Bhat’s research program is to enable a precision medicine approach to long-term complications after liver transplantation through a better understanding of their mechanistic basis. She has been examining metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease as well as hepatocellular carcinoma, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, post-transplant diabetes and liver regeneration in the context of liver transplantation. Her research program employs a bench-to-bedside paradigm that connects clinical outcomes with basic research using tools from systems biology, including bioinformatic analysis of ‘omic datasets (e.g., transcriptomic, miRNA, methylation, intestinal microbiome) and machine learning tools. Validation of findings is performed using patient samples/clinical cohorts, as well as in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. Her work will contribute to a better understanding of the key pathways that underpin these clinical conditions, leading to identification of optimal preventive and therapeutic strategies. Dr. Bhat has assembled a multidisciplinary research team conducting projects at the intersection of basic science, informatics and clinical outcomes.