Shreya Deshmukh

Shreya Deshmukh is a 6th year PhD student in the Bioengineering department.

Can you tell us about your heritage?

I am an international student and identify as Indian. Growing up, my family moved around a lot.  I grew up in India until I was 10 years old, then lived in Japan (Tokyo) for the next 7-8 years, and moved to the US (Boston) for college.  After college, I came to Stanford.  My parents moved from Japan back to Mumbai while I was in college.  I am connected to multiple places, and this has helped me be adaptable, be open to learning new things, and find common threads with many people. I probably identify most with Mumbai since that’s where I lived the longest and where I go “home” to visit.

What is your area of focus, and how did you gain interest in it?

I came to Stanford wanting to work in global health and its applications in bioengineering.  I’ve been interested in this area since my undergraduate years.  Having grown up in different countries, I’ve seen many different ways of living and am deeply motivated to help people. 

My main project is a portable tool used to analyze malaria infections in blood samples. My particular approach uses magnetic levitation (and is inexpensive, compact, and rapid compared to other ways). I’m most excited by the challenge of designing something within constraints (like cost, portability, and ease of use by people speaking different languages and having different backgrounds). I want to come up with ways to bring necessary tools to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to them.

Another project on which I’m working uses a similar technique for a different application: using portable imaging combined with microfluidic chips to develop a more automated way of classifying samples in sexual assault cases.

What these projects have in common is: (1) how to detect “outsider cells” in a population of cells, and (2) increasing accessibility of diagnostic resources outside of the lab settting.

Can you tell us about your thoughts and/or efforts on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion at Stanford?

Diversity and equity are central to ethical and effective progress in global health. I hope, in my ongoing research in the field, to work in strong partnerships with local researchers and prioritizing the voices of affected communities, with sensitivity to “human” factors (socioeconomic, cultural, political, etc.) and not just the technical. I’d like to keep learning and growing on the path to a decolonized vision of global health work.

On a personal level, I think it’s important for people to be exposed to those who are different from themselves as it helps build empathy and connection. I also think mentorship and inclusion go a long way. I admire the JEDI efforts that are going on at Stanford, especially the long-running ones. 

I have participated in the Generation Science conference, which is a day-long conference that serves an audience of community college students interested in STEM careers. Stanford graduate students and postdocs give talks and engage in other activities. It feels good to be able to encourage and inspire others.

I have participated in Stanford FAST (Future Advancers of Science and Technology), where we work with students from a Title I high school in San Jose.  These students have so much excitement and potential around science but not much support from those around them. 

We serve as mentors, with each of us working with 3 to 4 students on their science projects, which they will present at local science fairs, state science fairs, and at a symposium at Stanford. We meet for 2 Saturdays each month over the course of a year.  

Any milestones in your life that are of particular significance to you?

A very significant milestone is coming up. I will be completing my PhD program this year!  After that, I plan to continue focusing on global health, possibly as a postdoc.