معرفی
Manu Prakash is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University, with courtesy appointments in Biology and Oceans, and serves as a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment. His research spans bioengineering, oceanography, and global health with a focus on developing affordable scientific tools for communities worldwide.
Dr. Prakash earned his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from MIT (2008), an M.S. in Applied Physics from MIT (2004), and a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (2002). His academic journey included a Junior Fellowship at the Harvard Society of Fellows (2008-2011) before joining Stanford.
Prakash's research centers around 'frugal science' - developing low-cost, accessible scientific tools that can be deployed globally. His work includes creating pocketable microscopes (Foldscope), mosquito and plankton monitoring systems, and autonomous malaria diagnostic platforms. He uses interdisciplinary approaches to understand how computation is embodied in biological matter, including cognition in single-cell protists and morphological computing in animals without neurons.
His laboratory has produced numerous innovative tools deployed worldwide, including Foldscope for microscopy and Abuzz for mosquito surveillance. His publications reveal a strong focus on developing instruments for studying non-model organisms, particularly marine life, and addressing fundamental questions about cellular sensing mechanisms.
- MacArthur Fellow, MacArthur Foundation (2016)
- HHMI-Gates Faculty Scholar, HHMI (2016-2021)
- TR35, MIT Technology Review (2014)
- Brilliant 10, Popular Science (2014)
- TED Senior Fellow (2011-2013)
- Junior Fellow, Harvard Society of Fellows (2008-2011)
Prakash actively mentors numerous doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers working on projects related to frugal science, ocean monitoring, and disease diagnostics. His laboratory collaborates globally with organizations including the Institute Pasteur in Senegal, UCSF Malaria Eliminate Initiative, and research institutions in Tanzania and India. Major projects include Planktoscope for ocean microbial mapping, Octopi for malaria diagnostics, and Foldscope for low-cost scientific instruments.
