Scott Manalis

Scott Manalis is the David H. Koch (1962) Professor of Engineering at MIT, holding dual appointments in Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. He serves as Associate Department Head of Biological Engineering and is a member of the MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Ludwig Center at MIT, and the Broad Institute. His lab develops precision measurement technologies for single-cell analysis, focusing on biophysical properties relevant to cancer and immune cell dynamics. Key innovations include the suspended microchannel resonator for cell mass measurement and high-throughput density profiling.

Education: B.S. in Physics from UC Santa Barbara; Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University. He founded Travera and Affinity Biosensors to commercialize his lab's technologies. His research spans precision medicine, microfluidic device engineering, and environmental microbiology. Notable achievements include predicting cancer drug responses through single-cell mass dynamics and revealing biophysical changes during cell division.

Research emphasizes functional assays for personalized medicine, with a focus on metastasis, immune cell profiling, and minimal residual disease. Over 100 publications highlight his interdisciplinary approach, integrating engineering, biology, and clinical science. Administrative support is provided by Mariann Murray (mariann@mit.edu). His lab’s work has been featured in MIT News and Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Students and alumni include pioneers in biotechnology, academia, and industry, such as Rob Kimmerling (Co-founder, Travera) and Marcio von Muhlen (Co-founder, Turboprop). Current lab members include postdocs and graduate students working on projects ranging from CAR-T cell optimization to AAV gene therapy characterization. Collaborations with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Broad Institute underscore translational impact.