Worcester, Massachusetts, USA: Indian-origin researcher Dr Nikita Bhalerao has been honoured with the 2025 Rising Star Award by the National Pancreas Foundation (NPF) in the United States for her remarkable contributions to pancreatic cancer research.
The recognition includes a fellowship from the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance (PCA), acknowledging her groundbreaking work on cancer cachexia, a severe and often fatal complication of pancreatic cancer that leads to drastic, involuntary weight loss in most patients.
Dr Bhalerao, currently serving as an assistant professor of medicine in Dr Jason Pitarresi’s laboratory at UMass Chan Medical School, investigates the molecular mechanisms driving this debilitating syndrome. Her research focuses on identifying the biological pathways that trigger muscle and fat wasting, which are linked to pancreatic cancer’s poor survival rates and late detection.
“Pancreatic cancer is one of the most devastating diseases because patients experience extreme weight loss as it progresses, and it often remains undiagnosed until an advanced stage,” said Dr Bhalerao. “My goal is to uncover how cachexia develops and find ways to block this process.”
The NPF Rising Star Award celebrates early-career researchers who show extraordinary innovation and leadership in improving the understanding and treatment of pancreatic diseases.
Through the PCA fellowship, Dr Bhalerao aims to pinpoint tumour-derived molecules responsible for adipose tissue breakdown, a discovery that could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches for pancreatic cancer patients.
Her mentor, Dr Jason Pitarresi, praised her scientific dedication and innovative spirit.
“Nikita is an incredibly driven and insightful researcher,” he said. “She took on one of the most challenging projects in our field and identified a new tumour-secreted factor that causes fat tissue wasting, offering hope for better interventions in pancreatic cancer.”
Looking to the future, Dr Bhalerao plans to establish her own research laboratory centred on tumour immunology and molecular biology, with the goal of improving survival outcomes in pancreatic cancer patients. She also expressed deep gratitude toward her current lab team for their collaborative environment.
“Everyone here is supportive and eager to share ideas, which reflects Dr Pitarresi’s mentorship. The lab’s teamwork has made my time at UMass Chan extremely rewarding,” she said.
Originally from Mumbai, India, Dr Bhalerao completed her bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Mumbai and a master’s in biotechnology from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. She earned her PhD in cancer biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she studied the role of tumour glycobiology in pancreatic cancer development.
Dr Bhalerao will formally receive her award later this year during the NPF’s “Courage for a Cure Awards Celebration” in Boston, Massachusetts.
