Olja Simoska

Olja Simoska is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina, affiliated with the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on integrating electrochemical methods with microbiology to address challenges in human health, particularly in developing biosensors for pathogen detection and metabolic monitoring. She holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Utah.

Education:

• B.A. in Chemistry, Bard College (2015)
• Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin (2019)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Utah (2020–2022)

Research Interests: Her work spans electrochemistry, bioelectrochemistry, microbial electrochemistry, and biosensor design. Key projects include studying extracellular electron transfer mechanisms in bacteria, developing electrochemical platforms for antibiotic efficacy monitoring, and creating wearable biosensors for stress biomarkers like cortisol.

Awards:

• ACS Irving S. Sigal Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020–2022)
• Ereztech BridgeForward Award (2021)
• Henze Teaching Award (2018)
• Distinguished Undergraduate Research Mentor (2025)

Grants & Mentorship: She leads research funded by the NSF EPSCoR and USC initiatives, mentoring over 15 graduate and undergraduate students. Notable mentees include Courtney Weber (ECS Fellowship recipient) and Savanah Belt (multiple award-winning undergrad).

Labs & Affiliations: Her lab (GSRC 402–404) focuses on electrochemical biosensors and microbial systems. She is an Associate Editor for ECS Sensors Plus and actively serves on professional committees for the ACS and Electrochemical Society.