Tejal A. Desai

Tejal A. Desai is the Sorensen Family Dean of Engineering at Brown University and holds the title of Professor of Engineering. Previously, she served as the Deborah Cowan Endowed Professor and Chair of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences at UCSF, and as Professor at UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on therapeutic micro/nanotechnology, biomaterials, and regenerative medicine, with over 250 peer-reviewed publications and patents.

Education:

• B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Brown University (1994)
• Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Joint Program between UCSF and UC Berkeley (1998)

Research Interests:

• Design of nanofabricated materials for controlled biologics delivery
• Biomimetic architectures for functional biomaterials
• Therapeutic targeting via micro/nanotechnology
• Integration of engineering principles with cell biology/tissue engineering

Leadership & Advocacy:

• President of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2020-2022)
• Advocate for STEM equity through initiatives like SF Science Education Partnership and UN Women’s Council collaborations
• Recipient of $1.2M Gates Foundation grant (2023)

Awards:

• 2024 NAE membership for contributions to nanotechnology and regenerative medicine
• 2015 National Academy of Medicine membership
• AIMBE Fellowship and numerous leadership honors

Labs & Initiatives:

• Director of UCSF Engineering & Applied Sciences Initiative (HIVE)
• Founder of UCSF/UCB Masters Program in Translational Medicine
• Therapeutic Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory (current research hub)