Self-sustained MEMS oscillators: In my Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, I developed an architecture of a reactively coupled pair of MEMS oscillators and demonstrated, for the first time, a significant improvement in the frequency stability of the oscillators associated with the phase-locking behavior inherent to the phenomenon of synchronization. Simultaneously, I built mathematical models to support the experimental work, which required solving nonlinear deterministic and stochastic ordinary differential equations (ODE) numerically and analytically. The concept I presented established the basis for a new class of exact miniaturized clocks and frequency references.

DNA Nanotechnology: In my first postdoctoral work, where I spent most of my time on the wet bench conducting experiments, I developed a framework for building self-repairing DNA-based nanostructures integrated with the chemical control system to allow autonomous removal of damaged nanostructures and their replacement with intact structures, in short, “self-healing nanostructures”. I also constructed novel DNA-based biochemical circuits to sense biologically relevant proteins orthogonally rapidly and produced a programmable output. These mechanisms could potentially be applied to create many devices, allowing them to self-optimize and self-regulate other molecules. 

Synthetic Biology: Subsequently, I moved to systems/synthetic biology, where I worked on a wide range of projects as a theorist and as an experimentalist, such as a) development of the first synthetic biological closed-loop controller to improve the robustness of in vitro biological process; b) designed enzymatic protease-based biosensors, capable of performing the Boolean logic computation in seconds; c) exploiting latent promiscuity and epistasis to improve biodegradation of a herbicide. In this process, I learned core biological experimental techniques and advanced mathematical tools applied to dynamic reaction networks.

Computational Medicine:  Before moving to IIT D, I worked at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, on a multidisciplinary research initiative in which clinical data were transformed into useable information that has the potential to improve human health. In this work, I built a new mathematical model for ventilator waveforms to infer the lung condition from the recorded breaths. This work could potentially improve ventilator management and thereby improve patient care.