Karan Saxena

I'm a Ph.D. scholar in the Laboratory for Paper-based Microfluidic Technologies (PI: Prof Bhushan J. Toley) at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, where I work at the interface of chemistry, engineering, and healthcare. My research focuses on designing highly sensitive and affordable paper-based lateral flow immunoassays for rapid, point-of-care diagnostics—technologies that have the potential to transform healthcare delivery in underserved and rural regions.

Ever since high school, I have been drawn to the idea of solving real-world problems through science, and I knew early on that I wanted to pursue a career in research. That conviction has only grown stronger over the years. Though formally trained as a chemical engineer, I’ve always been a chemist at heart, captivated by the elegance of chemical reactions and their power to create change. Today, I apply that passion to medical diagnostics, using inspiration from everyday chemistry, like hair dye reactions, to engineer novel signal amplification strategies that push the limits of detection in lateral flow assays. My goal is to develop diagnostic tools that are not just cutting-edge, but also accessible and impactful for the communities that need them most.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Technology (Honours) in Chemical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India, in 2021. 

My Chemical Engineering, IISc webpage