Sharada Navada

Sharada Navada is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science at NTNU, affiliated with the Faculty of Natural Sciences. Her research focuses on water treatment in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), particularly microbiological and physicochemical water quality management. She holds an Industrial PhD from NTNU, exploring salinity acclimation strategies for nitrifying biofilms in RAS for Atlantic salmon.

Education: B.Tech (Honors) in Chemical Engineering with a Minor in Computer Science from IIT Bombay (2008-2012), M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (2012-2015). Professional experience includes roles as a Process Engineer and R&D Coordinator at Pure Salmon Technology (2016-2024) and Process Specialist at Veolia Water Technologies (2013-2015). Research exchanges include TU Delft (2020) and MIT (2011).

Research interests emphasize biofilm behavior under varying salinities, nitrification processes, and microbial management strategies. Key publications address salinity acclimation, biofilm resilience, and start-up strategies for RAS systems. Teaching includes courses on RAS technology, water quality, and system design.

Outreach activities involve academic lectures on biofilter optimization and water quality in aquaculture. Active in conferences such as the IWA Microbial Ecology Conference and NordicRAS, presenting work on biofilm adaptation and salinity management.