Sheel Dodani

Dr. Sheel Dodani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), affiliated with the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. His research focuses on developing fluorescent protein-based biosensors to study anion sensing in biological systems. He leads the Dodani Lab, which engineers sensors for chloride, nitrate, and sulfate to visualize ion dynamics in living cells. Dr. Dodani holds a PhD from the California Institute of Technology (2016) and a BS from the University of California, Berkeley (2013), with prior education at UTD (BS, 2007).

His work bridges chemical biology, biophysics, and molecular engineering, with recent breakthroughs in creating genetically encoded chloride and nitrate sensors using directed evolution and structural design. Key contributions include the ChlorON and NitrOFF series of sensors, enabling real-time imaging of labile anions in cellular environments. His research has applications in neuroscience, environmental monitoring, and synthetic biology.

Dr. Dodani has secured prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER Award and Welch Foundation grants. His lab collaborates across disciplines to advance tools for studying ion homeostasis and metal-dependent signaling. Current efforts focus on optimizing sensor kinetics, expanding spectral ranges, and translating these technologies for biomedical and environmental uses.