Saad Bhamla studies biomechanics across species to engineer knowledge and tools that inspire curiosity. A self-proclaimed “tinkerer,” his lab is a trove of discoveries and inventions that span biology, physics and engineering. His projects include studying the hydrodynamics of insect urine, worm blob locomotion and ultra-low-cost devices for global health. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Economist, CNN, Wired, NPR, the Wall Street Journal and more.

Saad is an Associate Professor at Georgia Tech, as well as a prolific inventor. His most notable inventions include a 20-cent paper centrifuge, a 23-cent electroporator, and the $1 hearing aid. His work is recognized by numerous awards, including the DARPA Young Faculty Award, Moore Inventor Fellowship, NIH Outstanding Investigator Award, NSF CAREER Award, Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, and INDEX: Design to Improve Life Award. Saad is a National Geographic Explorer and TED speaker. His dedication to making science accessible has been honored with the National Academies’ Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communication. In 2023, Newsweek recognized Saad as 1 of 10 Innovators disrupting healthcare. He is a co-founder of Piezo Therapeutics.