Madhu Bhaskaran
Indian engineer
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Madhu Bhaskaran is a migrant Australian engineer (of Indian origin) and Distinguished Professor at RMIT University. She co-leads the Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group at RMIT University[1]
RMIT University (M.E., Ph.D.)
Madhu Bhaskaran | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Education | PSG College of Technology RMIT University (M.E., Ph.D.) |
| Known for | "electronic skin" |
| Spouse | Sharath Sriram |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electronic materials engineering |
| Workplaces | RMIT University |
Early life and education
Madhu Bhaskaran was born and grew up in Chennai in India.[2] After high school she went on to study Electronics and Communications Engineering at PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore from 2000 to 2004. After moving to Australia, Bhaskaran completed a Masters in Microelectronics Engineering at RMIT University in 2005, and graduated with a Ph.D. in Electronic Materials Engineering four years later.
Career
After completing her PhD in 2009, Madhu Bhaskaran won a competitive Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship to investigate piezoelectric thin films. She also co-established and currently co-leads the Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group in 2010. Bhaskaran's group measured the potential of piezoelectric nano-films to provide energy for small electronic devices.[3] Bhaskaran's research interests include functional oxide thin films, wearable technologies and stretchable electronics which can be applied in monitoring health and in communications.[4] She has been invited to give 65 presentations (10 plenaries) at national and international conferences. She is a recognised Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE, awarded in 2022) and has received 15 national/international awards including Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher (2017) and Batterham Medal awarded by ATSE (2018). In 2025, she was recognised as one of Australia’s top 100 innovators by The Australian.
Key patented advances include stretchable skin like patches which incorporate functional materials; sensors embedded in fabrics for nearable applications; electronic skin that senses pressure, temperature, and pain sensation (mimicking human skin); wearable patches for monitoring physiological parameters; conductometric biosensor technology which enable non-invasive monitoring of biomarkers, pathogens, and hormones; and biosensors for early detection of cancer . Many of these are being pursued for translation with industry with design and clinical inputs. Her publications (December 2005 – July 2026) include one edited book,[5] six book chapters, 220 journal articles, 36 conference proceedings and 12 patents.
Bhaskaran has obtained over $70.5 million in competitive research funding for projects. She has12 patents including detection methods for cancer and heart disease, sensor manufacturing, and sensor materials. Her intellectual property is being commercialised through partnership and licencing agreements - Conformal sensors on fabric for Sleeptite; Biosensors for respiratory viral diseases on-person and in-property and built spaces by Outbreak Safe; Biosensors for fertility hormone tracking by Symex Labs; Cardiac screening using two technologies – wearable ECG and cardiac biomarker screening by Lubdub. This has led to ~$6M research contracts or funded grants with industry. For her outstanding translational research, she has won multiple awards including the 2024 Good Design Award, 2021 Knowledge Commercialisation Award for Best Industry Collaboration, 2020 Frederick White Medal, and 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australian Award (2020).
Board service
An advocate for young researchers and women in science, Bhaskaran is a co-founder of the Women Researchers’ Network at RMIT University and Board member of Women in STEMM Australia since 2015.[6] Professor Bhaskaran says, "What gives me happiness is that I have managed to do many things beyond research in my career so far – this includes mentoring PhD students and postdocs, holding leadership positions in the Higher Degrees by Research space (and that has helped enhance the research environment at my workplace) as well as contributing to the gender diversity space."[7] Bhaskaran served with the Expert Advisory Group to the Australian Government's Decadal Plan for Women in STEM[8] She is serving as co-chair of Women in STEMM Australia since 2021. She is also on the Advisory Board for STEM Sisters since 2022 and is part of the Equal State Reference Group - Victorian Gender Equality since 2024 providing strategic advice on implementing Our equal state: Victoria’s gender equality strategy and action plan 2023-27.
Awards and honours
Professor Madhu Bhaskaran has received the following honours and awards for her research:
- International Postgraduate Scholarship 2006-2009
- Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship 2010-2014
- Research Media Star Award 2011[9]
- Victoria Fellowship Physical Sciences 2015[10]
- Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship 2016–present
- Named one of Top 10 Innovators under 35 for Asia, MIT Technology Review, 2016[11][12]
- Australian inventors on MIT's top 10 'Innovators Under 35' list[13]
- Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher 2017[14][15]
- Named one of Australia's Most Innovative Engineers by Engineers Australia 2017[16]
- Batterham Medallist, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 2018[17]
- Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 2022[18]
Nominated by Australian Academy of Science, Bhaskaran also won the APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE).[19][20][21] ASPIRE recognises young scientists from Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in innovation, research and education.