Tejal Desai

Tejal Desai is a Professor of Bioengineering and former Chair of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is currently the Sorensen Family Dean of Engineering at Brown University and holds adjunct positions at UCSF. Her research focuses on bioengineering, nanotechnology, and biomedical innovations for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and cell encapsulation. She earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Brown University (1994) and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from UCSF/UC Berkeley (1998).

• Leadership: Director of the UCSF/UCB Bioengineering Training Grant, Founder of the UCSF/UCB Translational Medicine Program, and Director of UCSF’s Engineering and Applied Sciences Initiative (HIVE).
• Research: Develops nano/microscale technologies for drug delivery, regenerative medicine, and immunomodulation. Key areas include ocular drug delivery, diabetes therapies, and biomaterials for cardiac repair.
• Awards: Elected to National Academy of Medicine (2015), National Academy of Engineering (2024), and National Academy of Inventors (2019). Recognized with MIT TR100, Popular Science’s 'Brilliant 10,' and AIMBE presidency.
• Advocacy: Leads initiatives for STEM diversity, equity in academia, and scientific funding advocacy through AIMBE.

Her lab, the Desai Lab, pioneers therapeutic microtechnology and nanotechnology for healthcare solutions. Major contributions include biocompatible drug delivery systems, immunoprotective cell encapsulation, and engineered microdevices for sustained therapy.