Dr. Sharma is the Director of Scientific Programs for the James P. Allison Institute at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is the inaugural Scientific Director of the Immunotherapy Platform, Professor in the Departments of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology, the T.C. and Jeanette Hsu Endowed Chair in Cell Biology, and Co-Director of Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. In 2006, Dr. Sharma designed and conducted the first neoadjuvant (pre-surgical) clinical trial with immune checkpoint therapy. She designed and conducted multiple clinical trials, which eventually led to FDA-approval of immune checkpoint therapy for cancer patients.