Physician-scientist driven to improve treatment options for kidney and bladder cancer patients

Sangeeta Goswami, M.D., Ph.D., always has been a “people person.” Her love of her patients and her research has fueled her work in both the clinic and the lab. 

Goswami went to medical school in her hometown of Assam, located in the northeastern corner of India, because she wanted to serve people. As a medical student, she found it extremely fulfilling to treat patients, but she realized that treatment options were limited for many diseases. 

“When I finished medical school, I felt like I had two choices: I could treat a lot of patients, or I could drive new options to treat patients and hopefully improve the standard of care,” she says. So, she came to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. and become a physician-scientist. 

A career dedicated to finding new cancer treatments for patients

After completing a doctorate in immunology and an internal medicine residency, Goswami came to UT MD Anderson for a clinical fellowship. She was drawn to UT MD Anderson’s size and resources, which would enable her to help more patients and further her research. 

“We’ve made tremendous progress in developing cancer treatments, but I want to make it better for every single one of my patients. I feel a sense of helplessness when I can’t do more for them,” says Goswami, who is now an associate professor with her own lab at UT MD Anderson. “I want to develop personalized strategies to treat my patients.” 

Since joining UT MD Anderson, Goswami has translated scientific discoveries in tumor immunology into biomarker-driven therapeutic strategies, leading to the development of multiple clinical trials for patients with advanced cancers.

Mentoring the next generation of scientists and oncologists

When she’s not in the research lab or seeing patients, Goswami can be found mentoring students and traines. “My career is shaped by outstanding mentors who took me under their wings when I joined UT MD Anderson,” she says. 

“We really need mentoring and sponsorship. Becoming a physician-scientist takes many years of training, and you have to prove yourself again and again.” 

For Goswami, mentoring traines ties back to her patients. “You want to inspire the next generation because you can’t do it alone,” she says. “Oncology takes a village.”  
 
Learn about research careers at UT MD Anderson.