About
Dr. Harsh Vardhan is a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Rice Academy Junior Fellow at Rice University's Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, working under Dr. Rafael Verduzco. His research focuses on covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for applications in PFAS degradation and selective metal ion removal from water. Previously, he held roles as a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering and conducted doctoral research on COFs for heterogeneous catalysis at the University of South Florida. He has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Alexiou Award in Environmental Chemistry and Rice Academy Fellowship.
Education: Ph.D. in Chemistry (University of South Florida, 2021), M.S. in Chemistry (Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur). His work bridges materials science, environmental engineering, and nanotechnology. Key projects include developing COF-based materials for ion rejection and catalytic processes, alongside pioneering CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing tools for therapeutic applications in sickle cell disease.
Research Interests:
- Catalytic materials design
- Environmental remediation technologies
- Nanomaterials synthesis
- CRISPR-based gene editing
- Water purification systems
Publications Trends: Over 15 peer-reviewed articles highlight his contributions to genome editing precision, CRISPR off-target mitigation, and COF material applications. Recent work emphasizes spatial control of gene editing and AAV vector engineering.
Awards & Grants: Recipient of departmental research grants, travel awards, and student-nominated teaching accolades. Current funding includes the Rice Academy Fellowship supporting his PFAS degradation studies.
Labs & Affiliations: Member of the Verduzco Polymer Engineering Laboratory at Rice. Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on environmental and biomedical material innovations.
