Arjav Shah is a PhD-MBA candidate in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering and the Sloan School of Management. Growing up in Surat, India, the country’s textile capital, Arjav developed an interest in health and water-related issues. As an undergraduate, he studied chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

At MIT, Arjav combines principles from nanofluidics, polymer physics, and materials science for his research supported by the Legatum and MathWorks Fellowships. He is leading the commercialization efforts for hydroGel, which uses sustainable hydrogel microparticles for the removal of heavy metals like lead and emerging contaminants like PFAS from water, offering a more sustainable and cost-effective solution for industrial water treatment. Supported by the Kavanaugh Fellowship, Arjav will support the technology scale-up and business development, preparing for a strong launch.

Beyond research, Arjav enjoys Indian classical music, nature, and playing cricket and tennis. He is passionate about effective science communication and is involved with the MIT Communication Lab and MIT Science Policy Review.