Harshini Mukundan PhD

Harshini Mukundan is currently the deputy group leader for the physical chemistry and applied spectroscopy group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. She is also the team leader for the chemistry for biomedical applications research team, and mentors and leads several scientists, technologists, students, and post-doctoral fellows in this capacity. Her team aims to develop diagnostics, therapeutics, and contravention strategies for emerging infectious diseases, traumatic brain injury, and cancer, by exploring science at the intersection of chemistry, biology, engineering, informatics, and physics. Their core platform, the Universal Bacterial Sensor, is currently being validated for use in clinically relevant samples. This platform was the winner of an R&D100 Award in 2018 and was also awarded the Gold Prize for Corporate Social Responsibility, which was the first time this recognition was awarded to LANL.

Harshi first came to the Los Alamos National Laboratory as an NIH post-doctoral fellow in 2006, before which she worked in a start-up biotechnology company for two years. She is originally from India, where she graduated with a BS(Hons) and MS degree in microbiology, after which she came to the US to pursue Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences. She is passionate about mentoring, STEM education, and science outreach, and has been awarded mentoring recognition from LANL, and Women in Technology recognition from the New Mexico technology council, among other recognitions.