Prof Sandilya Garimella is a Visiting Faculty at Plaksha and a mechanical engineer by training. Prior to joining Plaksha, Prof Garimella spent thirteen years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a US Department of Energy national laboratory, as a Scientist and Principal Investigator.
His research spans computational physics, electrohydrodynamics, and analytical instrumentation, with a focus on the invention and development of novel chemical and bioanalytical platforms — specifically ion mobility and mass spectrometry technologies. This work has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications, 16 granted US patents and over 40 international patents, and several commercial licenses. Prof Garimella was recognized with the R&D 100 Award in 2017 for the invention and commercialization of Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) — a platform that fundamentally advanced ion mobility separation capability. In 2024, he was named a Battelle Distinguished Inventor for sustained contributions to technology innovation and commercialization through patents developed in service of the US Department of Energy. He was also a recipient of the Stephen Katz Early Stage Investigator Award from the US National Institutes of Health, under which he led a multi-million dollar program developing hybrid analytical instrumentation coupling mass spectrometry with advanced microscopy for the characterization of novel materials and protein structures.
Beyond research, Prof Garimella brings a deep commitment to education and mentorship. He was honored with PNNL's Mentor of the Year Award in 2019 for sustained contributions to the training of postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduate and graduate interns, across interdisciplinary instrumentation projects. He has also served as a pro-bono mathematics educator for K–12 students since 2013, reflecting a long-standing commitment to accessible education at all levels.
At Plaksha, Prof Garimella teaches Freshmore courses and contributes to the Innovation Lab and Grand Challenges (ILGC) program — bringing to the classroom the same interdisciplinary, build-and-iterate philosophy that shaped his research career.
