Karthik Shekhar, an assistant professor at UC Berkeley, has received the prestigious 2026 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award for his groundbreaking research in bioelectricity.
Karthik Shekhar, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, has been honored with the 2026 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. This accolade includes a $100,000 unrestricted research grant from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, and Shekhar is one of only 17 scholars nationwide to receive this prestigious recognition.
The Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award is designed to acknowledge early-career faculty who have established an independent body of scholarship while demonstrating a strong commitment to education. Shekhar’s award-winning work, titled “The Chemical Physics of Bioelectricity: From Ion Channels to Emergent Excitability,” explores the intersection of neuroscience and biophysics.
In his research, Shekhar utilizes single-cell genomic approaches and computational modeling to investigate the development of the visual system and the communication between neurons. These insights are crucial for understanding the molecular triggers behind neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma.
Shekhar’s academic journey began in India, where he was born in Mumbai. He earned both his Bachelor of Technology (BTech) and Master of Technology (MTech) in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay in 2008. His exceptional academic performance earned him the Institute Silver Medal and the Best Master’s Thesis Award. Following his studies in India, he moved to the United States to complete his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In addition to his research accomplishments, Shekhar has made a significant impact as an educator at Berkeley. He has previously received the Donald Sterling Noyce Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, which highlights his ability to make complex subjects, such as chemical kinetics, accessible to students.
A member of the selection committee praised Shekhar’s teaching skills, stating, “I was struck by how successful he has been in the instruction of CBE 142. He has created a learning environment where students feel both challenged and supported.”
The Camille Dreyfus award adds to a series of accolades Shekhar has received in 2026, including his selection as a Sloan Research Fellow in February. The $100,000 grant will provide five years of flexible funding, enabling him to expand his lab’s exploration of neural diversity while continuing to mentor the next generation of engineers at Berkeley.
According to The American Bazaar, Shekhar’s achievements reflect a commitment to advancing both scientific research and education, making him a valuable asset to the academic community.