Sneha Senapati

Sneha Senapati is a postdoctoral fellow in the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, advancing precision diagnostics and predictive medicine through nanotechnology, Raman spectroscopy, machine learning, and AI. Her research investigates how molecular signatures captured through surface- enhanced Raman spectroscopy can be used to detect disease and predict biological responses to therapy. During her doctoral studies, Sneha developed ultrasensitive, label-free diagnostic platforms capable of distinguishing closely related viral variants, identifying cancer biomarkers, and rapidly assessing antimicrobial susceptibility from clinical samples. By combining engineered plasmonic nanostructures with machine-learning approaches, she demonstrated that early Raman spectral signatures contain predictive information about drug efficacy and resistance, establishing a new framework for therapeutic response modeling. As an MIT-Novo Nordisk Artificial Intelligence Postdoctoral Fellow, Sneha will develop AI-driven Raman spectroscopy platforms integrated with organ-on-chip systems to predict drug response and cytotoxicity in real time. Her work could transform drug development by enabling earlier identification of therapeutic windows and supporting safer, more personalized therapies while reducing reliance on animal testing.