Sanket Goel will reimagine health access with sensory system technology.
Dr. Sanket Goel is joining UM as an Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair of Canada in Translating Cyber Physical Sensory Systems to Reimagine Health and Prosperity and Professor in the Price Faculty of Engineering. In this new role, Goel plans to adapt his innovative sensory platforms to improve health systems in Manitoba.
Goel, an internationally recognized engineer and educator, will develop miniaturised sensory systems to address real-world challenges in healthcare, agriculture and environmental monitoring. Leveraging the already strong research ecosystem at UM, Goel will build the next generation of technology needed to improve access for people and communities across the province and beyond.
“Many in Manitoba face challenges in distance and access when seeking healthcare and I look forward to investigating solutions together,” says Goel. “You may be familiar with the glucometer, which a person living with diabetes wears on their arm to monitor insulin levels – our lab can do the very same for any aspect of your health, metabolic rate, kidneys, cardiac and even cancer biomarkers.”
Goel brings his expertise designing devices tailored to public needs across bio-medical, agri-food and environmental disciplines from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Hyderabad to the new UM SenSys Lab at Price Faculty.
Goel has already demonstrated many successes in rural India, where millions live in farming villages without access to local healthcare and residents are forced to rely on treatment plans provided by doctors living in cities far away.
Goel’s team developed remote sensors using cutting-edge data transfer technology to overcome challenges of access to internet and electricity, providing patients with reliable communication and diagnostic options without the need for costly travel.
“I’m always looking for unmet needs, the kind of challenges that people take for granted,” says Goel. “Reimaging health does not just relate to the health of our bodies -- the health of our entire ecosystem determines the wellbeing of our society, and we have sensory solutions available for plants, animals and waterways as well.”
Recently, Goel’s team augmented a farmer’s gloves with sensors to identify and measure the concentration pesticides on their plants and provide data instantly to an app on their phone.
“We work to incorporate our technology seamlessly, without adding a bunch of new devices to carry around, because an invention can only succeed when people use it,” says Goel. That’s why he also opens his lab for public engagement with high school students and community members hoping to learn more about the electronics they use.
From smartphone semiconductors to AI programming, Goel wants to remove some little mysteries in our day-to-day lives and empower everyone to make more informed decisions about their health and environment. By putting modern tools and an understanding of how to use them in the hands of farmers and families, Goel hopes to inspire a more equitable and healthy future for communities across Manitoba and Canada.
For Goel, joining UM is a homecoming to Canada. Beginning in 2001 he spent four and a half years at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, doing his PhD studies. He then returned home to India, where he became founding Head of the Center for Research Excellence in Semiconductor Technologies at the Birla Institute, launched three technology ventures of his own and was recognized with many national awards.
In his term as an Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair, which lasts up to twelve years, Goel plans to investigate opportunities for commercialization in the Canadian market.
Each new product he creates is informed by a real-world challenge, and many of the same challenges Goel encountered among under-serviced communities in India are also faced by Northern communities in Manitoba. By exploring solutions together, Goel believes he can help to accelerate the real-world benefits of smart technologies for a more resilient and healthy future for all Manitobans.
Goel was drawn to UM because of its research expertise and existing infrastructure.
“I was attracted to the University of Manitoba because of its hugely accomplished network of globally renowned experts and partners with lots of high-tech infrastructure already in place,” says Goel. “I am confident we can build a one-of-a-kind transdisciplinary research program with global impact over the next eight years.”
The Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada program provides $1 million per chair per year for eight years, with an extension at $500,000 for an additional four years. Each Chair will receive $4 million in infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).
Sanket Goel is one of five Goldenberg Research Chairs coming to UM, whose combined programs represent a significant $79 million boost to Manitoba’s innovation sector.
Learn more about Sanket Goel on the SenSys Lab webpage or the other Goldenberg Chairs on UM Today.
For nearly 150 years, UM has transformed lives through groundbreaking research and homegrown innovation. We push the boundaries of knowledge and do the hard work here in Manitoba to move our community and the world forward. With a spirit of determination and discovery, we are shaping a better future for our province and beyond.
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