PRATIK SHAH

Dr. Shah and his research group have significant expertise and motivation to bring problems from the clinic and society into the laboratory to develop novel bioengineering solutions and perform real world prospective clinical evaluations. The lab has supported patients, clinicians and industry collaborators by providing innovative medical technologies using mobile phones, microfluidics, and optics and photonics devices for generating at home and point-of-care real world data and evidence.

Example Projects and Collaborations:

• Evaluating Real-World Public Health Data from Non-Invasive Diagnostic Technologies: In a study led by Dr. Shah his lab published in the British Medical Journal, in collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health, evaluated the significance and efficacy of real world data generated from the United States Food and Drug Administration approved advanced technology-enabled, non-invasive diagnostic screening (TES) smartphones and other point-of-care medical imaging devices vs. conventional vital signs examinations (Project and publication link). This study led to significant insights regarding strategies for developing TES technologies that are ready for deployment and designed for effective and scalable primary care and real-world evidence generation.
• Developing a Microfluidic Assay for Sensitive Pathogen Detection: Dr. Shah was the Co-Principal Investigator in a collaboration funded by the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) with MIT Mechanical Engineering for developing an affinity ligand-based whole-cell capture, concentration, and culture for sensitive pathogen detection food safety tests. This microfluidic microbiological assay is suitable for implementation in an integrated bench top device for use by moderately-trained technicians directly at production sites in a format that preserves cells for further downstream testing (Project link).
• Lateral Flow Diagnostic Strips and Bio-Digital Wearables for Saliva Biomarkers: In collaboration with MIT Chemical Engineering and other researchers Dr. Shah and his lab contributed to developing and publishing biochemistry protocols for a lateral flow diagnostic strip and bio-digital wearable devices to detect biomarkers in human saliva samples. Biomarkers such as matrix metalloproteinases-8 and -9, pH and nitric oxide linked to oral diseases, stress and human physiology have been successfully integrated with our platforms (Project and publication link).
• Low-Cost Sleep Apnea Screening via Physiological Monitoring Mask: A study of a low-cost mask to screen for sleep apnea through physiological monitoring: respiratory activity (airflow and nasal air pressure) and sleep behavior (motion and noise) was published (Project and publication link).
• Point-of-Care Optics and Near-Infrared Imaging Devices for Dental Diagnostics: Dr. Shah led research projects in his research group that reported construction and validation of low-cost, point-of-care, 2D and 3D near-infrared imaging devices and technology to diagnose dental caries, cracks, and demineralization without the use of ionizing X-rays (Project and publication link, Project and publication link, Project and publication link).
• Open-Source Imaging Device for Portable Diagnostics: Dr. Shah’s research group in collaboration with MIT Medical and Tufts School of Medicine has open-sourced the construction and the algorithm of porphyrin and other imaging device, and created a cell phone clip that can be used on a mobile phone camera (Project and publication link).