Biography

Dr. Ravi Prakash is Assistant Professor in the Electronics Department at Carleton University. He received his B.Sc. degree (2008) in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India, and his M.Sc. (2010) and Ph.D. (2013) in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Calgary, Canada. Prior to joining Carleton in 2018, he worked as Assistant Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at Queen's University (2017-18), and as an NSERC postdoctoral fellow (2015-16) in Calgary. His research contributions are primarily in the fields of Lab-on-Chip micro-devices, biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics, soft-wearable systems for continuous, non-invasive health monitoring, environmental monitoring systems, cost-effective copolymer semiconductor, conductor and superconductor materials, and micro/nano fabrication techniques. His career accomplishments over the past eight years include over 25 peer-reviewed publications, including 14 journal publications, 10 conference publications, over 10 invited talks/seminars and 2 patents. At Carleton, Dr. Prakash has established the Organic Sensor and Devices Laboratory (OSDL) to investigate organic, label-free chemical and biological sensors, screen-printed bio-electronic microsystems, flexible organic electronic components for wearables and human-device interfacing, and system-level integration of multi-component micro-and nano-sensory systems. OSDL research initiatives regularly attract collaborators from industry and academic partner institutions in Ontario, across Canada and internationally, and furthermore support a strong cluster of graduate and post-doctoral trainees.

Dr. Prakash is a licensed professional engineer in the province of Ontario, and member of several technical organizations including Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, IEEE Sensors Council, and the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). He serves as peer reviewer for a number of international journals including Lab on a Chip journal published by the Royal Society of Chemistry and Sensors journal published by MDPI.

 

Research

The recent advancements in polymer semiconductor materials and micro/nanofabrication techniques have yielded exciting developments in the domain of low-cost, flexible electronic devices and systems. The choice of carbon-based semiconductor materials has opened several possibilities for designing electronic system topologies using organic transistor devices, screen-printed disposable sensors and integrated systems for wearable technology and point-of-care applications. Polymeric semiconductor and conductor materials are highly promising for developing disposable micro/nano technologies which can be produced through an all room temperature fabrication process and are suitable for low-cost flexible printed microelectronic systems.

At DOE, Dr. Prakash oversees the Organic Sensor and Devices Laboratory (OSDL). OSDL aims to promote interdisciplinary research collaborations and industrial partnership in the domain of organic semiconductor devices and polymer electronics. Several impactful research themes are currently been pursued with Canadian industry, academic and non-profit partners. Current research programs include:

Scholarly Work in Progress

  1. Roslyn Massey, Ravi Prakash, Ultrasensitive, Label-free detection of cortisol using aptamer-linked organic transistor biosensors, Manuscript in preparation, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2018.
  2. Claire Dederer, Ravi Prakash, Giant Magnetoresistance sensors for detection of thin film defects in paramagnetic materials, Manuscript in preparation, October 2018.
  3. Siziwe Bebe, Ravi Prakash, Design of a bio-electrolytic energy storage cell using low-cost super dielectric materials. Manuscript in preparation, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2018.

    4. Publications

    Journal Publications

    1. Ravi Prakash, Anita Wong, Kanti Pabbaraju, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Raymond Tellier, Detection of Arboviruses in Blood and Mosquito Slurry Samples using Polymer Microchip, IEEE Trans - NIH Healthcare Innovations and Point of Care Technology, vol. 1, pp. 168-171, 2017.
    2. Ravi Prakash, Kanti Pabbaraju, Sallene Wong, Raymond Tellier, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Integrated Sample-to-Detection Chip for Nucleic Acid Test Assays, Biomedical Microdevices, vol. 18(3): pp. 44(1-14), 2016.
    3. Ravi Prakash, Kanti Pabbaraju, Sallene Wong, Anita Wong, Raymond Tellier, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, “Multiplex, Quantitative, Reverse Transcription PCR Detection of Influenza Viruses Using Droplet Microfluidic Technology”, Micromachines, vol. 6, pp. 63-79, 2015.
    4. Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Ravi Prakash, Droplet Microfluidics for Chip Based Diagnostics, Sensors, vol. 14(12), pp. 23283-23306, 2014.
    5. Ravi Prakash, Kanti Pabbaraju, Sallene Wong, Anita Wong, Raymond Tellier, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Droplet Microfluidic Chip Based Nucleic Acid Amplification and Real-Time Detection of Influenza Viruses, Journal of Electrochemical Society, vol. 161(2), pp. 3083-3093, 2014.
    6. Ravi Prakash and Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Liquid Dielectrophoresis Dispensing of Vesicles for On-Chip Nucleic Acid Isolation and Detection, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physiochemical and Engineering Aspects, vol. 432C, pp. 42-49, 2013.
    7. Ravi Prakash, Dimitrios P. Papageorgiou, Athanasios G. Papathanasiou, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Dielectrophoretic Liquid Actuation on Nano-Textured Super Hydrophobic Surfaces, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, vol. 182, pp. 351-361, 2013.
    8. Ravi Prakash, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Microbead Dispensing and Ultralow DNA Hybridization Detection Using Liquid Dielectrophoresis, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, vol. 169, pp. 274– 283, 2012.
    9. Ravi Prakash, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Dimitrios P. Papageorgiou, Athanasios G. Papathanasiou, Performance of Multilayered Fluoropolymer Surface Coating for DEP Surface Microfluidics Devices, Microfluid. Nanofluid., vol. 13, pp. 309-318, 2012.
    10. Ravi Prakash, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Dispensing and bio-functionalization of giant unilamellar vesicles on a chip, Journal of Physics, vol. 301, pp. 012015-18, 2011.
    11. Ravi Prakash, Reginald Paul, Karan V.I.S. Kaler, Liquid DEP Actuation and Precision Dispensing of Variable Volume Droplets, Lab Chip, vol. 10, pp. 3094-3102, 2010.
    12. Karan V.I.S. Kaler, Ravi Prakash, Dipankar Chugh, Liquid dielectrophoresis and surface microfluidics, Biomicrofluidics, vol. 4(2), pp. (022805)1-17, 2010.
    13. Ravi Prakash, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, DEP actuation of emulsion jets and dispensing of sub-nanoliter emulsion droplets, Lab Chip, vol. 9, pp. 2836-44, 2009.

    Conference Publications

    1. Ravi Prakash, Kanti Pabbaraju, Sallene Wong, Raymond Tellier and Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Droplet Microfluidics based Multiplexed, Real-time PCR Assay for Detection of a Respiratory Viral Panel, Advances in Microfluidics and nanofluidics 2014, Taipei, 21-23rd May 2014.

    2. Ravi Prakash, Kanti Pabbaraju, Sallene Wong, Raymond Tellier and Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Chip based Amplification and Detection of Influenza C Virus using Dielectrophoresis, proc. 224th Electrochemical Society Meeting, San Francisco, 28th Oct.-1st Nov 2013.
    3. Ravi Prakash and Karan V. I. S. Kaler, L-DEP dispensing of functionalized lipid vesicles for chip based biosensing, proc. 1st Int. Workshop on Wetting and Evaporation: droplets of pure and complex fluids, Marseilles, 17-20th June 2013.
    4. Ravi Prakash, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Dimitrios P. Papageorgiou, Athanasios G. Papathanasiou, Raymond Tellier, Multiplexed Post Amplification Viral Screening Assay using Surface Microfluidic Technology, Proc. Electrowetting 2012, Athens, 20-23rd June, 2012.
    5. Ravi Prakash, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Dimitrios P. Papageorgiou, Athanasios G. Papathanasiou, Composite surface coating for improved DEP surface microfluidics, Proc. 8th International meeting on Electrowetting, Athens, June 21st-23rd, 2012.
    6. Ravi Prakash, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Chip based assembly of vesicular bio-sensors using quantum dots as bio-probes, Proc. 15th international conference on miniaturized systems for chemistry and life sciences, vol. 1, pp. 1448-1450, 2011.
    7. Ravi Prakash, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, “Dispensing and bio-functionalization of giant unilamellar vesicles on a chip, proc. 13th international conference on Electrostatics, Bangor (UK), April 2011.
    8. Ravi Prakash, Karan V.I.S. Kaler, Chip Based Unilamellar Vesicle Formation And Dispensing Using Dielectrophoresis, Proc. 14th international conference on miniaturized systems for chemistry and life sciences (MicroTAS), vol. 1, pp. 417-419, 2010.
    9. Ravi Prakash, Dipankar Chugh, Karan V.I.S. Kaler, Quantitative Biochemical Assay On a Surface Microfluidic Device, Proc. 3rd International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (Biodevices 2010), vol. 1, pp. 51-58, 2010.
    10. Ravi Prakash, Dipankar Chugh and Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Quantitative DNA Hybridization Assay on a Multiplexed Surface Microfluidic Device, Proc. 2nd Micro/Nanoscale Heat Transfer International Conference (MNHMT 2009), vol. 1, pp. 1-9, 2009.
    11. Ravi Prakash, Dipankar Chugh, Karan V. I. S. Kaler, Multiplexed Surface Microfluidic Liquid and Droplet DEP Manipulations for HTS, Proc. 13th international conference on miniaturized systems for chemistry and life sciences (MicroTAS), vol. 1, pp. 156-158, 2009.

    Book Chapters

    1. Karan V.I.S. Kaler, Ravi Prakash, Chapter title: Dielectrophoresis Based Droplet Microfluidic Devices for On-Chip Bioassays, Book title: Microfluidics: Control, Manipulation and Behavioral Applications, Nova Science Publishers, Inc. New York (2012).

    Patents and Technology Disclosures

    1. Droplet-Based Microfluidic Device Having a Plurality of Reaction Sites, Karan V.I.S. Kaler, Ravi Prakash, Pub. No: US 14/657,362; CA 14/25062, Filing Date: March 13th, 2015; status: ‘Non-final office action’.

    2. Controlled Dispensing of Ultrafine, Variable Volume, Emulsion Droplets, Karan V.I.S. Kaler, Ravi Prakash and Dipankar Chugh, Pub. No.: US 2012/0006681 A1, Pub. Date: Jan. 12th, 2012.

    Presentations

    1. Invited talk in the Biosensors and Bioelectronics session at the World Conference & Expo on Biomedical Engineering on July 16-17, 2018, Miami, USA.
    2. Invited research seminar on “Disposable chemical and biological sensors for application in health and medicine”, at the Collaborative Biomedical Engineering Research Program, Queen’s University.
    3. Polymer Microchip Technology for Rapid Detection of Arboviruses in Blood and Mosquito Slurry Samples. IEEE - NIH 2017 Special Topics Conference on Healthcare Innovations and Point-of-Care Technologies (HI-POCT), Bethesda, MD, United States (Nov. 6th-8th, 2017).
    4. Polymer Transistors and Printed microelectronics: New research program at ECE Department, Queen’s University. Centre for Advancing Electronics Dresden, Distinguished Seminar Series, Dresden, Germany (May 29th, 2017). (Invited)
    5. Chip Diagnostics and Polymer Semiconductor based Biological, Electro-chemical Sensor Applications. Seminar at Xerox Research Center of Canada, Mississauga, Canada (April 20th, 2017). (Invited)
    6. Chip Diagnostics and Polymer Semiconductor based Electro-chemical, Photonic Sensors and Integrated Microsystems. Research meeting with the Printed Electronics group, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada (Feb. 2017). (Invited)
    7. Panel presentation at the 2nd Microfluidic Integrated Platform (MIP) user group meeting organized by CMC Microsystems Canada (Toronto, May 2015). (Invited)
    8. Industrial Networking presentation at Innovate Calgary for ATS Venture Inc., to seek industry collaboration towards CIHR and CHRP grant applications (Calgary, September 2014).
    9. 5th Advances in Microfluidic and Nanofluidics (AMN) Meeting, Taiwan (21st–23rd May, 2014).
    10. Industrial networking presentation at Innovate Calgary for Bio-Rad, as part of the licensing based commercialization approach for prototype RT-PCR micro-device (Calgary, May 2014).
    11. Invited presentation at the 1st Microfluidic Integrated Platform (MIP) user group meeting under the emSYSCAN initiative, organized by CMC Microsystems Canada (Toronto, Nov. 2013).
    12. Exhibition presentation at the 2012 Texpo Research and Exhibition event (Toronto, ON), organized by CMC Microsystems.
    13. 8th International meeting on Electrowetting, Athens, Greece (21-23rd June 2012). (Invited)
    14. 15th International conference on miniaturized systems for chemistry and life sciences (MicroTAS 2011), Seattle, USA (Oct. 3-7th 2011).
    15. 13th International conference on Electrostatics, Bangor, Wales, UK (10-14th April 2011).
    16. Media day event (Media Relations, University of Calgary) to demonstrate an example microfluidic chip technology for potential bio-assay applications. The event was covered by various national news outlets (Global, CTV, Calgary Herald, and Access Alberta) and included a live interview with Alberta Primetime (Calgary, February 7th, 2011).
    17. 14th International conference on miniaturized systems for chemistry and life sciences (MicroTAS 2010), Groningen, The Netherlands (3-7th Oct. 2010).
    18. Oral presentation under the 'Emerging Technologies' category at the ACAMP (Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT Products) Cleantech seminar (September 2010, Calgary, AB) to demonstrate possible environmental applications of droplet microfluidic technology. (Invited)
    19. 3rd International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (Biodevices 2010), Valencia, Spain (19-23rd Jan. 2010).
    20. 13th international conference on miniaturized systems for chemistry and life sciences (MicroTAS 2009), Jeju, Korea (3-7th Oct. 2009).
    21. 5th Canadian Workshop on MEMS and Microfluidics (CWMEMS 2007), Montreal, Canada (12-13th Aug. 2007).

     

    Teaching

    Microelectronics; Digital Systems; Sensors and Actuators; Integrated Microsystems; Renewable Energy Systems