Research Team
Akansha Prasad
PhD Student
Akansha obtained her Bachelor of Engineering & Biomedical Engineering in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering from McMaster University in 2022. She has been a member of the Didar Lab since 2018 and is currently a direct-entry PhD student in Biomedical Engineering under the co-supervision of Dr. Tohid Didar and Dr. Carlos Filipe. Her research focuses on developing smart biointerfaces, biosensors, sensor stabilization strategies, and AI-enabled technologies for food safety, sustainability, and public health applications.
Akansha is a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar and has received several distinctions for her research and innovation, including Food Scientist of the Year, the Widmer Poster Award at µTAS 2024, and support as a McMaster Student Seed Fund Entrepreneur. Her PhD work also contributed to the founding of The Sentinel Group, a startup and spin-off focused on AI-enabled food freshness and spoilage assessment. Outside of the lab, Akansha is also an active member of the McMaster community and has previously served as President of McMaster’s Engineering Graduate Society, Team Lead for the Student Wellness Centre’s Graduate Wellness Team, and as a member of the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Association. In her free time, Akansha enjoys hiking, exploring local cafés, trying new board games, and reading mystery novels.
Akansha is a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar and has received several distinctions for her research and innovation, including Food Scientist of the Year, the Widmer Poster Award at µTAS 2024, and support as a McMaster Student Seed Fund Entrepreneur. Her PhD work also contributed to the founding of The Sentinel Group, a startup and spin-off focused on AI-enabled food freshness and spoilage assessment. Outside of the lab, Akansha is also an active member of the McMaster community and has previously served as President of McMaster’s Engineering Graduate Society, Team Lead for the Student Wellness Centre’s Graduate Wellness Team, and as a member of the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Association. In her free time, Akansha enjoys hiking, exploring local cafés, trying new board games, and reading mystery novels.