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U.S.-based National Pancreas Foundation honors Nikita Bhalerao
Recognized for advancing pancreatic cancer research, her work explores the mechanisms behind cachexia to uncover new therapeutic targets for one of medicine’s toughest challenges.
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Anushka Pathak - Mon, 27, Oct 2025
- 13:40 EDT
- 24
Indian-origin postdoctoral fellow Nikita Bhalerao / Courtesy: University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Indian-origin researcher Nikita Bhalerao received the ‘2025 Rising Star Award’ from the National Pancreas Foundation (NPF).
The award came with a fellowship from the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance (PCA) for her pioneering work on pancreatic cancer cachexia.
Currently assistant professor of medicine at the laboratory of Jason Pitarresi, Bhalerao studies the molecular drivers of cancer cachexia—a severe wasting syndrome that causes extreme, unintentional weight loss in up to 80 percent of pancreatic cancer patients.
Her research in the laboratory of Jason Pitarresi seeks to uncover key molecular mediators of the condition, which contributes to the cancer’s low survival rate due to late detection and aggressive progression.
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“Pancreatic cancer is one of the most notorious cancers because patients experience significant weight loss as the disease progresses, and the cancer isn’t detected until a very late stage, leading to poor survival rates in these patients,” said Bhalerao. “I’m working on understanding the mechanisms of how cachexia ensues and ways to target and block this weight loss.”
The NPF’s Rising Star Award recognizes scientists who demonstrate exceptional innovation and leadership in advancing pancreatic disease research and treatment.
Bhalerao’s PCA fellowship will support her work identifying tumor-derived factors that drive adipose tissue wasting, potentially leading to new therapeutic strategies for patients.
“Nikita is an exceptionally hardworking, dedicated, and creative scientist,” said Pitarresi. “The cause of cachexia remains poorly characterized, and Nikita took on a bold and risky project by setting out to determine new molecular mediators that drive cachectic wasting."
"Her work revealed a new tumor-derived factor that mediates adipose tissue wasting, pushing the boundaries and opening the door to potential breakthroughs in a disease that urgently needs them,” he added.
Looking ahead, Bhalerao plans to establish her own lab focused on tumor immunology and molecular biology to improve survival outcomes in pancreatic cancer. She credited her current lab’s collaborative culture for nurturing her research.
“Everyone is super collaborative and brainstorms ideas, which speaks volumes to Jason’s mentorship because his entire lab made my experience at UMass Chan so pleasant,” Bhalerao said.
A native of Mumbai, Bhalerao earned her undergraduate degree in biotechnology from the University of Mumbai and a master’s degree from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
She later completed a PhD in cancer biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she focused on tumor glycobiology in pancreatic cancer initiation.
Bhalerao will be honored at the NPF’s 'Courage for a Cure Awards Celebration' in Boston later this year.
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