Bio
Career
Robbyn K. Anand is the Suresh Faculty Fellow and Carlyle G. Caldwell Endowed Chair in Chemistry at Iowa State University where she joined the Department of Chemistry as an Assistant Professor in August 2015. She earned her Ph.D. in 2010 from the University of Texas at Austin under the guidance of Prof. Richard M. Crooks with the support of an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. She developed microfluidic devices employing bipolar electrodes for electrokinetic focusing of charged species and membrane-free seawater desalination. Then, as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, she worked with Prof. Daniel T. Chiu at the University of Washington on the capture and analysis of circulating tumor cells. She pioneered a technique for dielectrophoretic manipulation of biological cells using extended electric field gradients. At Iowa State, Prof. Anand has led the development of a technology for the selective isolation and analysis of single cells with the aim of obtaining information that can improve outcomes in cancer therapy. Her research group has also advanced methodologies for separations in complex media (e.g., blood plasma) and for previously inaccessible target compounds. During this time, Prof. Anand founded the Midwest Women Chemists Retreat – an annual event aimed at the retention of women in the chemical enterprise.
Honors and Awards
- Carlyle G. Caldwell Endowed Chair in Chemistry
- 2021 Analytical Chemistry Young Innovator Award
- Clinical Ohmics 2021 Pioneers Under 40
- 2021 Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award
- 2021 Satinder Ahuja Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science
- 2021 Royce W. Murray Young Investigator Award
- 2020 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award
- 2020 Suresh Faculty Fellowship
- 2019 NIH NIBIB, Trailblazer Award
- 2019 National Science Foundation, CAREER Award
- 2019 Cottrell Scholars Award
- 2018 Top 40 Under 40 Power List, The Analytical Scientist
- 2018 Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh Starter Grant
- 2014-2015 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, Postdoctoral Training Grant
- 2007-2010 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Personal Interests
- Being a mom to her daughters, Keertna and Harini
- Swimming, rock climbing, ultimate frisbee, running
- Improvisational theater, esp. how its practice improves storytelling, brainstorming, and team work
- Indian culture, esp. cuisine and music