Dr. Manu Prakash

Biography

Manu Prakash is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering and a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. His research employs interdisciplinary approaches that combine theory and experiments to understand computation in embodied biological matter. His work includes studying cognition in single-cell protists and examining morphological computing among animals and neurons, as well as the origins of complex behavior in multi-cellular systems. He is dedicated to inventing new tools to study non-model organisms, which are pivotal for addressing fundamental questions in biology such as how cells sense pressure and gravity. Prakash is also devoted to the concept of 'frugal science', generating and disseminating tools that democratize access to scientific research. His notable inventions include the Foldscope and Abuzz, which have been used globally to aid in diagnosing deadly diseases such as malaria and in addressing environmental challenges, including mosquito and plankton surveillance. He is committed to convening global citizen science communities that tackle planetary-scale challenges during the Anthropocene.

Research Interests