Ashok Mulchandani's
Bionanotechnology and Biosensors Group

BIOGRAPHY

 

Dr. Ashok Mulchandani is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.  Prof. Mulchandani obtained his B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Nagpur in 1976 and M. Tech. in Chemical Engineering  from Indian Institute of Technology, Powai in 1978. After working at Vulcan-Laval, Pune from 1978 to 1980, he joined McGill University, Montreal, Canada for Ph.D. and graduated in 1985. From 1985 to 1987 he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Chemical Engineering Department at Laval University, Canada and from 1987 to 1990 as a Research Associate at the Biotechnology Research Institute at Montreal, Canada. In 1990 he joined the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada and then moved to the University of California, Riverside in 1991 as the founding faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering. From 2000 to 2004 he was the Chair of the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.

 

Prof. Mulchandani is the Editor-in-Chief of the Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology and member of editorial boards of several journals. He has received several honors and awards including Research Initiation Award from the national Science Foundation and Faculty Participation Award from the Department of Energy. He has delivered several Plenary and Keynote lectures including the 2006 Subba Rau Lecture at National Institute of Technology Karnataka, 2006 National meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering at San Francisco, Gordon Conference on Bioelectrochemistry in France, 3rd International Symposium on Sensor Sciences in Germany, 2nd International Symposium on Pesticides and Environmental Safety, China and International Workshop on Biosensors, India.

 

Prof. Mulchandani’s research is focused on the application of Nanotechnology and Biotechnology for the creation of (bio)analytical devices, novel (bio)remediation technologies and nanostructured materials. In the area of (bio)analytical devices we are working on the development of nano-(bio)sensors for detection of biowarfare and chemical warfare agents for homeland security, measurement of exposure to diesel and gasoline exhausts and detection of cardiac markers and cancer markers for health care, monitoring of viruses, toxins and bacteria in water and food and toxic industrial chemicals in the environment. In the area of remediation, we are developing environmentally-friendly (green engineering) techniques for removal of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead and chromium from water and soil and degradation of pesticides and recalcitrant chemicals. In the area of nanostructured materials synthesis, we are working on biologically-programmed synthesis of nanocrystals.

 

Prof. Mulchandani has published over 160 peer-reviewed journal publications, 11 book chapters, a dozen conference proceedings articles and over 175 conference abstracts. He has co-edited four textbooks that include very popular Enzyme and Microbial Biosensors: Protocols and Techniques and Affinity Biosensors: Protocol and Techniques.

 

Prof. Mulchandani has graduated eight Ph.D. students and trained over 30 Postdoctoral Fellows and is currently advising another dozen Ph.D. students and Postdoctoral Fellows.

 

EDUCATION

 

Ph.D. in Chemical/ Biochemical Engineering,
McGill University, Montreal, Canada  

M. Tech. in Chemical Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India

B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering,
Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India

 

EMPLOYMENT

 

Jul., 2000 – Jun., 2004    Chair, Chemical and Environmental Engineering Dept., UC Riverside, CA.

 

Sep., 1991 - Present        Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Environmental Engineering Dept., UC Riverside, CA.

 

Sep., 1999 – Jun., 2000   Visiting Researcher, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

 

Jan., 1996 - Present        Faculty Member, Graduate Program in Environmental Toxicology, UC Riverside, CA

 

Jul., 1993 - Present         Faculty Member, Graduate Program in Biochemistry, UC Riverside, CA.

 

Jul., 1998 - Present         Faculty Member, Microbiology Graduate Program, UC Riverside, CA.

 

Jul., 1993 - Sep., 1993    Guest Researcher, Biotechnology Division, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD.

 

Jul., 1990 - Aug., 1991    Assistant Professor, Chemical & Biochemical Engineering Dept., University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

 

Nov., 1987 – Jul., 1990   Research Associate, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council, Montreal, Canada.

 

Nov., 1985 - Oct., 1987   Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical Engineering Dept., Laval University, Ste. Foy, Canada

 

Jun., 1980 - Sep., 1985   Research Assistant, Chemical Engineering Department, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

 

Sep., 1980 – Apr., 1982  Teaching Assistant, Chemical Engineering Department, McGill University, Montreal Canada.

 

Sep., 1978 - May, 1980   Project Engineer, Vulcan-Laval Ltd., Poona, India.