Dr. Amal Abbas is a Saudi chemical engineer and innovator specializing in multidisciplinary research at the intersection of engineering, medicine, and biotechnology. She is experienced in microrobotics, pharmaceutical formulations, biocompatible polymers, biomechanics, and biosensors for health monitoring and diagnostics.

She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UC San Diego, where she developed a patented multi-segment capsule that enables time-tunable oral drug release, offering a “one-capsule-a-day” solution for patients managing complex polypharmacy regimens, such as those for cardiovascular disease.

During her Ph.D., Dr. Abbas trained in Professor Joseph Wang’s Laboratory for Nanobioelectronics, where she gained expertise in electrochemistry, wearable and touch-based sensing technologies, and microrobotic systems, complementing her groundbreaking work in oral drug delivery.

Currently, Dr. Abbas serves as a Senior Researcher at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), where she leads interdisciplinary projects that integrate drug delivery, nanotechnology, and bioelectronics. Her work bridges cutting-edge technology with practical healthcare applications, reflecting her vision and dedication to addressing real-world challenges.

Her academic journey began with a master’s degree in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), where she trained under Prof. Dennis Discher, a global leader in mechanobiology. There, she investigated cellular mechanosensitivity and nanobiopolymer synthesis and was awarded the Graduate Student Fellowship from the Singh Center for Nanotechnology for her work on flexible electronics for medical applications.

Dr. Abbas expanded her translational expertise at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in Prof. Jeffrey Karp’s lab, where she worked on polymeric nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery.

Committed to translating research into market-ready solutions, Dr. Abbas has trained through programs like NSF I-Corps, MedTech Accelerator, UC San Diego’s MicroMBA, and Georgetown’s Qiyadat Global Leadership Program, gaining expertise in commercialization, regulatory strategy, and leadership at the intersection of science, innovation, and healthcare.

Dr. Amal Abbas’s research at MIT is pioneering the development of advanced ingestible and wearable systems that integrate smart materials and sensing technologies with artificial intelligence (AI) to create adaptive, next-generation therapeutics. Her work is driving innovations that personalize treatment regimens, enhance therapeutic precision, and transform patient care.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ck8VEdB-xsNRHrJSSfTyVzlwugdug6eF/view?usp=drive_link