Sahika Inal
Professor Sahika Inal's research bridges the fields of organic electronics and biology, focusing on the development of bioelectronic materials for real-time health monitoring and intervention.
Biography
Professor Sahika Inal is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at KAUST. Her research lies at the intersection of organic electronics and biology, focusing on developing bioelectronic materials and devices that interface with living systems.
Her research aims to create tools that can translate biological signals into electronic signals, facilitating real-time monitoring and intervention for health applications, including tissue regeneration, diagnostics and drug delivery.
Prior to joining KAUST, Sahika Inal was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Bioelectronics at the Center of Microelectronics of Provence, École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne, Gardanne, France. She earned her B.Sc. in Textile Engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 2007 and her M.Sc. in Polymer Science in 2009 from a joint program involving TU, HU, FU, and the University of Potsdam in Berlin, Germany. In 2013, she completed her Ph.D. in Experimental Physics from the University of Potsdam, where her doctoral research focused on developing phase transition polymer/conjugated polyelectrolyte-based optical sensors for autonomous pathogen detection. Her M.Sc. work explored optical processes in organic solar cells using small molecule acceptors.
She hold nine patents and has delivered over 50 invited and keynote presentations at international conferences and universities across various countries. She is recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and has received several awards, including ACS PMSE Young Investigator Award 2022, Beilby Medal and Prize 2022, and the Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship 2022. She has authored over 130 publications, and her work has been cited more than 13000 times with a 2024 h-index of 61.
Her innovative contributions help advance the field of bioelectronics and open new possibilities for understanding and interacting with biological systems.
Research Interests
Sahika’s expertise lies in polymer science and bioelectronic devices. She specializes in photophysics of conjugated polymers, characterization of polymer thin films, behavior of polymer films in aqueous environment, and the design of biosensors and actuators comprising conjugated polymers. She currently investigates ion/electron conduction in organic electronic materials and designs bioelectronic devices that can record/stimulate biological signals.
Combining in-situ techniques to monitor ion and electron motion in films, fibers, and porous scaffolds of organic materials, her team aims to find the best performing materials, formulations, processing conditions and form factors for applications in electrolytes.
These optimized materials are then applied to build specific devices (transistors, fuel cells, electrodes, electrochemical actuators or drug delivery devices) that can sense or stimulate biological signals.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Experimental Physics, University of Potsdam (UP), Germany, 2013
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Polymer Science, TU, HU, FU Berlin, UP (Joint Program), Germany, 2009
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
- Textile Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey, 2007
Related Media
Research Achievements
- Editorial Board Member of iScience, Cell Press
- Editorial Board Member of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Royal Society Publishing
Questions and Answers
Why your area of research?
My research is in the field of organic bioelectronics. Bioelectronics deals with the coupling between the worlds of electronics and biology, in order to develop devices for detection and treatment of diseases. I cannot think about a better cause to focus on. I want to make devices that have the potential to solve the health problems of the people.
Why KAUST?
As a polymer scientist and engineer, I work in close coloration with chemists who design innovative materials and with biologists who actually come up with problems that excite all of us. I like dealing with problems that are vital for human health and that concerns a wide audience. I have been up to date with the relevant research at KAUST and have been aware of the world-class KAUST scientists. I was convinced that the facilities, collaborators and the research environment at KAUST provide most of the necessary ingredients for a young scientist like myself to grow. KAUST has, therefore, been a natural next step in my career.