Bioengineering Seminar Series - Dr. Shalini Prasad

Dr. Shalini Prasad, Head of Department of Bioengineering at The University of Texas at Dallas, will present "Wearable Sweat Biosensing: Decoding Hormonal, Circadian, and Inflammatory Health in Real Time." Abstract Human physiology unfolds in dynamic rhythms, yet conventional diagnostics largely rely on isolated measurements that can miss critical hormonal and inflammatory transitions. This seminar will present wearable electrochemical biosensing technologies designed to continuously and non-invasively measure biomarkers in passive sweat. The talk will highlight two applications. The first examines continuous monitoring of estradiol and progesterone across the menstrual cycle, to resolve individualized hormonal trajectories that discrete blood, saliva, and urine measurements may not capture. The second explores the concurrent monitoring of cortisol, melatonin, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha to characterize circadian regulation, stress responses, inflammation, and age-associated changes. In a 48-hour study, sweat-based cortisol and melatonin measurements showed strong agreement with salivary reference measurements. Together, these studies illustrate how wearable biosensors can move health assessment from episodic testing toward continuous, multidimensional phenotyping. The seminar will discuss sensor design, electrochemical detection, analytical validation, temporal modeling, and the translational challenges of converting complex biosignals into meaningful physiological insights. Ultimately, this work establishes a framework for personalized monitoring across reproductive health, stress, aging, chronic disease, and preventive care.