Edna Chow and Daniel Maneval Early Career Chair in Biomedical Engineering Maral Mousavi.
Maral Mousavi, Edna Chow and Daniel Maneval Early Career Chair in Biomedical Engineering and assistant professor in USC’s Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Royce W. Murray Young Investigator Award from the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry (SEAC). The annual award recognizes one early-career scientist from around the world who is within 10 years of earning their Ph.D. The honor celebrates outstanding research and service in the field of electroanalytical chemistry. The award will be presented at the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry, to be held in March 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
The award is named for the late Dr. Royce W. Murray, a renowned professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was known for his pioneering research, mentorship, and lifelong dedication to advancing electrochemistry.
Mousavi said she was honored to be the first faculty member to bring this prestigious early-career award to USC.
“I am deeply grateful to the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry for recognizing the importance of advancing electrochemical sensing technologies to address real-world health challenges. I share this recognition with my students, colleagues, and collaborators whose dedication makes our research possible,” Mousavi said.
Mousavi’s research interests span point-of-care diagnostics, electrochemical sensors, wearable devices, neural probes and tools for precision medicine. She leads USC’s Medical and Analytical Device Laboratory (MADLAB), which develops integrated electrochemical sensors for at-home and point-of-care testing, with a focus on addressing health disparities through accessible and affordable technologies.
Mousavi joined the Alfred E. Mann Department at USC in 2019, following a postdoctoral appointment at Harvard University. She also holds appointments in Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at USC. Mousavi completed her Ph.D. studies at the University of Minnesota and her B.S. studies at Sharif University of Technology.
Mousavi’s research has been recognized through numerous awards, including the 3M Nontenured Faculty Award, a Research Award from the Powell Foundation, and the Grand Prize of the Maseeh Entrepreneurship Prize Competition (MEPC).
In 2022, Mousavi was awarded a $2.3 million NIH Director’s New Innovator Award to develop nanosensors for the nervous system, with potential applications in the understanding and treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Published on November 3rd, 2025
Last updated on November 3rd, 2025
