Bangladeshi Scientist Develops Smart Pill To Revolutionize Gut Health Monitoring4 min read
A Bangladeshi scientist is leading a groundbreaking medical innovation that could transform how gut health, emotions, and neurological conditions are monitored – without any invasive procedures. Dr. Yasser Khan, an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), has developed an AI-powered ingestible smart pill, which could be a game-changer in precision health reportedly.
A Pill That Acts as a Window Into the Brain –
Often referred to as the “second brain,” the gut contains around 100 million neurons, playing a crucial role in emotions and overall health. While this number is significantly lower than the 85 billion neurons in the brain, the gut-brain connection remains vital.
Dr. Khan’s tiny ingestible device, comparable in size to a pencil lead or a few grains of rice, is designed to travel through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract after being swallowed. Along its journey, it captures key biological data, including gases, chemicals, and neural activity, providing unprecedented insights into gut and brain health.
By analyzing gut activity, the pill could help predict brain function and potential neurological conditions – offering a non-invasive alternative to brain implants. The device is designed to be safely excreted from the body and is smaller than the FDA-approved maximum size for ingestible medical devices.
Equipped with advanced sensors, the smart pill tracks markers for conditions such as gastritis, neurochemical imbalances, and even neurodegenerative diseases. A wearable coil placed on the stomach generates a magnetic field, enabling real-time location tracking through a mobile app.
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Moving Toward Human Trials –
Although still in the early phases of development, the smart pill has already demonstrated promising results in lab settings. Dr. Khan’s research team has successfully tested it in benchtop experiments and is currently conducting animal trials using rat models to measure both gut and brain activity.
If everything proceeds as planned, human trials could begin within the next five years. The pill has a wide range of potential applications, from diagnosing gastric cancer to monitoring mental health and even delivering targeted drug treatments.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Dr. Khan’s vision is his commitment to affordability. He aims to make the basic version of the smart pill available for as little as $10, ensuring that cutting-edge medical technology remains accessible worldwide.
Making Healthcare More Accessible –
Dr. Khan envisions a future where advanced medical devices are affordable and accessible, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. His team is currently working on multiple versions of the pill: a low-cost model for tracking gastritis, which could be sold for a few thousand taka, while more advanced versions with enhanced capabilities would be priced higher for clinical use.
His pioneering work has gained significant recognition, earning him the prestigious 2024 Packard Fellowship, a highly selective award given to early-career scientists conducting transformative research. Other notable figures, including 2024 Nobel Prize winner David Baker, have also been recipients of this fellowship.
Dr. Khan’s accomplishments extend beyond this honor. He has also received the 2025 Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award and the 2023 Google Research Award, further solidifying his position as a leader in innovative medical technology.
Beyond the Smart Pill: Advancing Wearables and Brain Implants –
The smart pill is just one of many groundbreaking projects in Dr. Khan’s research lab. His team is also working on wearable devices that monitor mental states by detecting chemicals like cortisol in sweat. These wearables, designed to resemble a bandaid, could help individuals manage mental health conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder.
In collaboration with the US National Institute of Health (NIH), Dr. Khan’s lab has a team of nearly 100 researchers focused on advancing wearable technology to the next stage of development.
Another pioneering project in his lab involves brain implants designed to measure neurochemicals instead of just neural activity. Unlike conventional implants that track electrical activity in the brain, these devices provide deeper insights into neurochemical regulation, which could be instrumental in treating conditions like epilepsy.
A Journey from Bangladesh to Global Innovation –
Dr. Khan’s remarkable academic and professional journey began in Chittagong, Bangladesh. He pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas, followed by a Master’s at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. He then earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley, before conducting postdoctoral research in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University.
Since joining USC as an Assistant Professor in 2022, he has built a diverse research team of 24 scientists from various parts of the world, including three Ph.D. students from Bangladesh. His goal is to push the boundaries of medical technology, ultimately making affordable and effective healthcare solutions accessible worldwide.
As his team works toward commercializing the smart pill, Dr. Khan envisions a future where anyone can walk into a pharmacy, purchase a smart pill, and receive a full health analysis – without ever needing to visit a hospital.
While the path ahead requires further research and testing, his work is already shaping the future of healthcare, turning science fiction into reality.
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