Prof. Ahmad Bahai
Professor of the Practice, EECS, MIT
CTO, Texas Instruments
Solid State Nanopores
Abstract
The convergence of innovations across health sciences, semiconductor technology, and artificial intelligence is poised to fundamentally reshape personalized healthcare. Advances in biochemistry, microelectronics, and AI have already transformed nearly every aspect of modern life; their intersection now presents a particularly compelling opportunity in health and life sciences.
Real-time monitoring of biomarkers with clinical-grade accuracy enables deeper insight into disease progression and supports more precise and timelier diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. At the same time, the growing availability of large, high-quality datasets—coupled with increasingly sophisticated AI algorithms—creates new pathways for understanding disease mechanisms at the molecular level.
In this talk, Prof. Bahai will highlight several applications of advanced semiconductor technologies for real-time biomarker monitoring to enable clinical diagnosis and therapeutic interventions.
A notable example of this convergence is the use of solid-state nanopores for single-molecule detection. Nanopore technologies are driving a new generation of biosensing and sequencing platforms. Unlike biological nanopores, solid-state nanopores are fabricated in materials such as silicon nitride membranes using advanced lithographic techniques, offering superior robustness and design flexibility. Their higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), along with compatibility with CMOS integration, is critical for scalable, high-throughput implementations.
Key technical challenges remain, including improving the consistency of pores and the controlled slowdown of molecular translocation to improve detection resolution. Addressing these challenges, along with seamless integration with CMOS, will enable increasingly complex systems that combine microfluidic, electronic, and photonic components. Emerging architecture which incorporates photonic waveguides to enhance sensitivity illustrates the potential of these hybrid platforms to significantly advance next-generation biosensing technologies.
About
Ahmad Bahai is a senior vice president and chief technology officer (CTO) of Texas Instruments, responsible for guiding breakthrough innovation, corporate research, and Kilby Labs.
Dr. Bahai is a Professor of the Practice at MIT, an IEEE Fellow, and a member of the US Department of Commerce's Industrial Advisory Committee related to the CHIPS for America Act. He was an adjunct professor at Stanford University from 2017–2022 and a professor in residence at the University of California, Berkeley from 2001–2010.
Throughout his career, Dr. Bahai has held a number of leadership roles including director of research labs and chief technology officer of National Semiconductor, technical manager of a research group at Bell Laboratories, and founder of Algorex, a communication and acoustic IC and system company that was acquired by National Semiconductor.
He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, University of London and a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley.