Expert Bio

Professor Rao's research is aimed at discovering, understanding and developing advanced materials for a range of applications, including solar energy conversion, catalysis, printed electronics, sensors, and functional coatings. Students and researchers in his lab work on highly interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of materials science, mechanical engineering, solid state physics, and thermal sciences.

Waste Advantage Magazine
EPA Awards Nearly $1.2M to Student Teams for Innovative Solutions to Environmental and Public Health Challenges

A WPI research team working to tackle harmful algal blooms by creating 3D-printed floating structures which serve as photocatalysts was chosen for funding by the Environmental Protection Agency. The project will include students in mechanical & materials engineering and robotics engineering, Professors Pratap Rao and Markus Nemitz, and postdoctoral fellow Ceren Yilmaz Akkaya.

Boston 25
WPI Engineers Create Wireless Oxygen Sensor for Sick Babies

Boston 25 reported on WPI researchers developing a sensor the size of a Band-Aid to measure a baby’s blood oxygen levels, a vital indication of the lungs’ effectiveness and whether the baby’s tissue is receiving adequate oxygen supply. This wearable device will be flexible and stretchable, wireless, inexpensive, and mobile - possibly allowing the child to leave the hospital and be monitored remotely.

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