Dr. Sankaran works in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering with a research emphasis in Agricultural Automation Engineering. Her research focus is on sensor technologies for crop phenotype monitoring to support plant breeding, crop plant research, and precision agriculture applications. Her work involves development and integration of opto-electronic, biological, and chemical sensor technologies for non-invasive, rapid, continuous monitoring of plant responses to environment, abiotic and biotic stressors, and other applications.

Research Interests

• Automated system development for agricultural applications.
• Proximal and remote sensing (unmanned aerial vehicle and satellite) technologies for phenomics applications.
• Biomarkers-based sensing techniques.

My Research in the News

• A new way to quantify dairy cows’ quality of life. The Lewiston Tribune.
• WSU researchers devising new way to quantify quality of life for dairy cows. CAHNRS News.
• Undergraduate researchers call WSU their summer home. WSU Insider.
• Summer research brings undergraduates from across the nation. WSU Insider.
• University welcomes 81 students from 23 states for summer research. WSU Insider.
• WSU hosts summer undergraduate researchers from across the United States. WSU Insider.
• Excellence across CAHNRS honored in ’22 Faculty and Staff Awards. CAHNRS News.
• WSU summer undergraduate research featured at virtual symposia. WSU Insider.
• Who you gonna call? Rotbusters! Sensors sniff out plant diseases. ASABE Resource Magazine.