Divya Prasad, Ph.D. is a research scientist in the eco-remediation group at the Materials Discovery Research Institute. Her work centers on the advanced synthesis and characterization of novel porous materials with tunable architectures and functionalities for sustainability-driven applications spanning carbon management, catalysis, hydrogen generation, and environmental remediation. She supports high-throughput experimentation by developing reproducible MOF synthesis workflows and rapid screening approaches to accelerate materials down-selection and performance evaluation. In parallel, Prasad leads efforts to translate MOF literature into a structured, searchable database to enable data-driven materials discovery and inform experimental design.

Prasad previously held postdoctoral appointments researching industry-funded projects in carbon management and resource recovery. Her prior research spans thermochemical CO₂ utilization, electrochemical CO₂ capture and mineralization using silicates, and sustainable urea synthesis from waste nitrates. She also serves as a board member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s EFRC-MUSE program. Prasad brings deep expertise in functional material synthesis and advanced catalyst characterization, with applications spanning catalysis, hydrogen generation, and environmental remediation. She has hands-on experience in evaluating optical, structural, and catalytic properties of materials using heterogeneous and electrocatalysis‑relevant techniques. She joined the Materials Discovery team in 2025.

Prasad holds a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from Bangalore University, India and a Ph.D in Chemistry from the Centre for Nano and Material Sciences at JAIN University in India. Following her Ph.D., she served as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of California, Berkeley, and Cornell University.