Dr. Resham Bhattacharya

Dr. Resham Bhattacharya, PhD, is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology within the Section of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). A distinguished researcher in the field of cancer biology, she serves as the Co-Leader of the Cancer Biology Program at the Stephenson Cancer Center (SCC) and is a designated TSET Research Scholar. She also holds adjunct professorships in both the Department of Cell Biology and the Department of Pathology.

Academic Background & Leadership

Dr. Bhattacharya’s academic foundations span molecular biology and organismal sciences. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Chemistry and her Master of Science in Zoology and Ecology from the University of Calcutta, India. She later moved to the United States, completing her PhD in Molecular Microbiology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Today, she leads her own research laboratory out of the Biomedical Research Center in Oklahoma City, directing high-impact translational oncology programs and shaping the strategic direction of cancer biology initiatives at the SCC.

Research Vision & Clinical Translation

Dr. Bhattacharya’s laboratory bridges the gap between fundamental laboratory discoveries and patient care, focusing heavily on molecular signaling pathways in vascular pathologies and gynecologic cancers—specifically ovarian and uterine cancers.

Her research portfolio is defined by three core pillars:

• Novel Target Discovery: A primary area of interest involves identifying and mapping proteins with uncharacterized biology. Her lab recently discovered and characterized the role of Lysine-Rich Coiled-Coil 1 (KRCC1) as a viable therapeutic target, investigating its impact on DNA replication, repair, and damage response pathways.

• Bench-to-Bedside Translation: Dr. Bhattacharya translates laboratory findings into active clinical protocols. Her identification of the TGF-beta pathway as a critical lever in aggressive uterine carcinosarcoma culminated in a human clinical trial (NCT03206177). Similarly, her lab's investigation into using BMI1 to target chemoresistant, stem-like cancer cells led to an active clinical trial evaluating anti-Bmi1 therapy in ovarian cancer patients (NCT03206645).

• Vascular Biology & CBS Signaling: Her team investigates cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) and its production of hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$). Her breakthrough discovery—revealing that $H_2S$ signaling regulates hypoxia-inducible factors even under normal oxygen levels (normoxia)—has profound implications for endothelial health, vascular homeostasis, and cancer cell mitochondrial biology.