Ashutosh Shastry, PhD

Sensing System Architecture · Silicon Photonics · Concept-to-Pilot-Line · NPI & Design Controls Multi-Physics Integration · Microfabrication · Surface Engineering · Signal Chain Optimization · Optical Spectroscopy · Biosensing

San Jose, CA · ashutosh.shastry@gmail.com · linkedin.com/in/ashutosh-shastry

Summary

Twenty years building sensing systems, hardware platforms, and silicon-photonics fabrication chains from first principles, synthesizing chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, and chemistry. Two platforms taken from concept through clinical-stage validation and pilot-line design. Sixteen granted patents, fifteen-plus peer-reviewed publications (500+ citations), Edison Silver Medal: Game Changer in Medical Technology (2010, Corium MicroJet needle-free injector).

Highlights

• Built a silicon-photonics post-foundry process chain (etch, foundry transfer, surface engineering, laser dicing) for a point-of-care oral-fluid biosensor in a tabletop reader with disposable cartridge, through pre-pilot. Eight granted patents. (Evanostics)
• Proved the post-foundry surface-engineering chain transfers across silicon-photonics architectures, evanescent waveguide to ring resonator, in a wearable form factor. (SiPhox)
• Built a dissolving microneedle wearable drug-delivery platform from first principles through pilot-line design with Harro Höfliger for Pfizer, Novartis, and GSK programs. Phase 1 and Phase 1A clinical trials. Six granted patents. Contributed to IPO. (Corium MicroCor)
• Developed a piezo-driven, electronically controlled needle-free injector in a wearable patch-pump form factor. Edison Silver Medal: Game Changer in Medical Technology (2010, Corium MicroJet).
• Mapped and improved the full optical signal chain in a precision cavity-ring-down spectroscopy analyzer; led a 20+ person engineering team. (Picarro)
• Re-engineered an opto-mechanical-fluidic imaging system from first principles at Illumina Advanced Platforms; patents filed.

Roles at a glance

Picarro, Inc. · Senior Director of Engineering · May 2025 – February 2026 · Tabletop precision optical sensing instruments for environmental and industrial gas analysis.

Illumina, Inc. · Associate Director, Engineering, Advanced Platforms · 2022 – May 2025 · Floor-standing DNA sequencing platforms.

SiPhox Health · SVP Engineering · 2021 – 2022 · Wearable silicon-photonics ring-resonator biosensor (YC, Khosla).

Evanostics · CTO (2016–2021) / VP R&D (2014–2016) · 2014 – 2021 · Tabletop silicon-photonics oral-fluid diagnostic with disposable cartridge.

Corium International · Director of Engineering · 2007 – 2014 · Wearable drug delivery: MicroCor (dissolving microneedle patch) and MicroJet (piezo-driven needle-free injector).

Education

PhD, Bioengineering (Bio-MEMS / Impedance Sensing, EE focus), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

Postdoctoral Research Associate (2003–2007), Departments of Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle.

MTech & BTech, Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

Executive MBA, Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Patents and publications

Sixteen granted US patents and one filed (silicon photonics, surface engineering, micro/nano devices, medical devices); fifteen-plus peer-reviewed publications with 500+ citations, including Langmuir (400+ citations) and an Advanced Materials cover article.

Professional service

Senior Member, IEEE · SBIR/STTR Panel Reviewer for NSF and NIH · Former Industrial Advisory Board Member, UCLA Engineering and Semi-X Center at IIT Bombay · EPPIC Global, Former President then Board Member; built EPPIC partnerships with UCSF and Stanford · Technical Program Committee Member, IEEE Sensors Conference.