Masoud Agah
Masoud Agah
Micro Analytical Chemistry
My lab team and I have made seminal contributions in developing chip-scale gas chromatography. We have used novel semiconductor micromachining techniques combined with nanotechnology and 3D printing to develop unique chips and integrated microsystems capable of capturing gaseous samples and identify the constituents of gas mixtures.
My research to put it in simple form, we are trying to make a dog-on-a-chip. In other words, we want to create an artificial nose with extreme capability for air quality monitoring including but not limited to occupational settings, for disease diagnosis through body odor and breath analysis, for detecting and saving lives during natural disasters, and many other applications.
My most interesting research accomplishment ...
there are many but to me two are shining. One is the creation of the first gas chromatograph chip in which we integrated a unique silicon micromachined separation column with our patented photo ionization detector. Second was our use of additive manufacturing techniques to create novel chip-to-chip and chip-to-system interfaces. In this way, assembling a system having chips with fluidic and electric interfaces looks like connecting Legos.
In the next 5 years new developments or innovations in my field ...
one of the beauties of research that fascinates me is to discover unknowns. Many things we accomplished were not in the original proposals we submitted but federal funding enables us to put resources into creativity and innovation and push the boundaries. So, I would say I need to wait and see where creative minds of researchers joining my group will take us.
The most formative experience I've had ...
I lost my dad when I was 12. I learned through that period of time that: Do not lose hope and be patient. Painful times can provide opportunities for exponential growth.
Best part of working at Virginia Tech ...
Virginia Tech is my home. Blacksburg is the town that I have lived the longest since was born. Virginia Tech, and especially the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has been instrumental in my achievements. The staff support has been amazing and the department has tried hard to provide the resources I needed.
Groups or organizations I am involved in ...
as an inventor, I need to know what goes on in my research space. Connecting with scientific and engineering societies like IEEE are then important. Knowing the federal and state funding agencies and investor networks would be important to find the right capital to turn your great idea into an engineered product or invention.
I wish I had invented ...
what I am working toward. A fast, reliable, small system that can be widely used for smell detection and can be deployed quickly through drones, robots, etc. when needed.
Honor or award I am most proud of ...
I earned the first rank in the Iran National College Entrance Exam in 1992 among more than 300,000 high school students attending.
Words of encouragement to an aspiring inventor ...
Do not give up! There is always a way. We can learn a lot from failures to make or create something more impactful. Thinking out of the box and engineering things differently carries risk and may look frustrating at times but could be potentially more rewarding at the end.
What is something that people at Virginia Tech may not know about you ...
I play ping pong with my son a lot. I have become a better player as he has grown up and plays better. We play competitively and enjoy it a lot. And with my daughter, we have this laughing bond. Sometimes and for no specific reason, we laugh so hard that our cheeks and abs hurt and we cry. Special moments with each.
Masoud Agah | Professor
Electric and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech
College of Engineering - faculty bio page