VOTE FOR
ABHISHEK APPAJI
Candidate for IEEE SPS Member at Large
IEEE Senior Member and Professional Member, Eta Chapter
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Online voting will be open from 17th October 2025 to 4th December 2025
Abhishek Mahesh Appaji
Associate Professor of Medical Electronics Engineering
B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India
Abhishek Mahesh Appaji
Associate Professor of Medical Electronics Engineering
B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India
Executive Director, BMSreenivasiah Innovators Guild Foundation, BMSCE, Bengaluru, India
Position Statement
Position Statement
Dear Fellow IEEE Signal Processing Society Members,
Welcome! At IEEE, innovation and service drive all that we do. As an educator, innovator, and dedicated IEEE volunteer, I aim to serve as Member-at-Large on the IEEE Signal Processing Society Board of Governors to amplify global engagement, foster diversity, and translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact.
If elected, I will focus on three strategic priorities:
Inclusive Global Outreach: Expand SPS engagement across underrepresented regions, empowering young professionals, women, and students through inclusive programs, which I pioneered in India and Region 10. I aim to scale such outreach globally to ignite interest in the signal processing society.
Industry-Academia Synergy: Leveraging my unique blend of academic expertise and industry insights, I will work on translational research drawing from my leadership in various initiatives, ensuring our work not only advances science but also directly benefits society.
Promote and enhance volunteering: I will leverage my extensive experience in IEEE volunteering across Societies and Regions to support the Signal Processing Society’s volunteer ecosystem. My focus will be on cultivating a valued and empowered volunteer culture by recognizing contributions and fostering agile leadership through inclusive engagement, so they will be equipped to serve both the Society and the broader technical community.
With early career research accomplishments, leadership across multiple IEEE committees, and a proven record of delivering results, I bring the technical expertise and governance experience to meaningfully represent SPS members.
My vision for SPS is one of innovation, transparency, and inclusive growth. As your Member-at-Large, I will leverage my comprehensive experience to ensure the Board's decisions foster cutting-edge research, nurture emerging talent, and expand the societal impact of signal processing worldwide. Together, let us shape a globally connected, technically vibrant, and socially impactful future for the Signal Processing Society. I respectfully seek your vote and support.
Bio
Bio
Dr. Abhishek Appaji is an interdisciplinary innovator, educator, and globally recognized IEEE leader who brings a unique blend of academic depth and industry insight to the Signal Processing Society. As an Associate Professor of Medical Electronics Engineering at B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India, and a Guest Faculty member at Maastricht University, the Netherlands, he advances global engineering education. Concurrently, as Director of the BIG Foundation, he drives innovation through academia-industry partnerships and startup incubation.
Within IEEE SPS, Dr. Appaji serves as Chair of the Bangalore Chapter—one of the largest globally—where he spearheaded high-impact initiatives like the SPS K–12 STEM on Wheels program to underserved communities, delivering hands-on AI and DSP experiences and has led SPS Seasonal Schools and SPS Forums, built strategic industry-academia collaborations, and promoted Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI)-focused programs, resulting in a 50% membership increase. As Local Organizing Chair for ICASSP 2025, General Chair of ICASSP 2025 Satellite series, and Associate Editor of the IEEE SPS Newsletter, he connects global researchers, pioneers, and thought leaders through content, community, and conferences. His broader IEEE roles span Treasurer of IEEE Education Society, Member of the MGA Chapter Operations Support Committee, and active contributor to IEEE DataPort and the Conference Application Review & Finance Committees.
Recognized with the IEEE MGA, India Council, and Region 10 Young Professionals Achievement Awards, IEEE STEM Champion Award, and Bangalore Section Outstanding Volunteer Award, among others, Dr. Appaji blends visionary leadership with grassroots impact. With multiple publications in high-impact-factor journals, a MedTech patent, and multiple national and international funded projects, he champions biomedical Signal Processing, Artificial Intelligence, and inclusive innovation.
Driven by a mission to use signal processing and technology for societal benefit, Dr. Appaji brings strategic governance and community empowerment to the future of IEEE Signal Processing Society.
Why vote for me?
Why vote for me?
SPS Volunteering Contribution
I am serving as Ambassador for IEEE SPS in 2025. I was the Local Organizing Chair for ICASSP 2025, the Society's flagship conference. My leadership roles within the IEEE SPS Bangalore Chapter include serving as Chair from 2024-2025 and Vice Chair from 2022-2023. Additionally, I have contributed as an Associate Editor for the IEEE SPS Newsletter from 2021-2025 , and as a Member of the Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee for IEEE SPS from 2021-2022. Major event/initiative fundings received from past 5 years for SPS Forum, SPS Seasonal School and K12 Programme.
Other IEEE Volunteering Contribution
Over the past decade, I have actively served in a spectrum of impactful volunteer roles within IEEE, spanning Society-level, MGA, Region 10, and Section capacities. My journey began with youth engagement as Vice Chair (2016) and Chair (2017–2019) of the IEEE Young Professionals Bangalore Section, evolving into governance and strategic leadership across multiple domains. I currently serve as Treasurer for the IEEE Education Society (2025–2026) and contribute to pre-university and academic development through IEEE EAB and STEM Champions (2023–2025). I am a member of both the IEEE Conference Application Review Committee and the IEEE Conference Finance Committee (2024–2025), offering oversight for conference viability and fiscal integrity.
As a Member of the IEEE MGA Chapter Operations Committee (2025), I support global chapter vitality, complemented by my role on the IEEE DataPort Steering Committee (2025) and the IEEE HT Project Monitoring Subcommittee (2025). Regionally, I served as Treasurer for the IEEE Bangalore Section (2022–2024) and held leadership in the IEEE Computer Society Bangalore Chapter as Treasurer (2021–2023) and Vice Chair (2023–2024), helping it become one of the world’s largest chapters. My contributions also include volunteer service on the Region 10 Chapters and Section Subcommittee (2021–2024), IEEE TEMS India (Treasurer, 2021–2023), and as Chair of SIGHT Bangalore (2021–2023). I’ve shaped technical and humanitarian engagement as part of the IEEE TEMS Conference & Events Committee (2023), the IEEE YP Climate & Sustainability Task Force (2023), and the IEEE HAC Events Subcommittee (2020–2021). Earlier in my volunteer journey, I served as Execom Member of the IEEE Bangalore Section (2018–2021) and built youth engagement pipelines as Vice Chair and Chair of the IEEE YP Bangalore Section.
Apart from this, I have played vital role in various OU Sponsored flagship conferences including R10 HTC, TENCON, ICWITE, CONECCT, etc.
Academic Contribution
Over the span of more than a decade, I have cultivated a rich academic and research trajectory that bridges interdisciplinary innovation with global education. I currently serve as Associate Professor of Medical Electronics Engineering at B.M.S. College of Engineering (BMSCE), Bengaluru, India, a position I earned through out-of-turn promotion in November 2021. Since May 2020, I have concurrently held the role of Guest Faculty at Maastricht University, Netherlands, contributing to international academic exchange. From August 2022 to December 2024, I led strategic innovation as Head of R&D at BMSCE, following my tenure as Institutional Coordinator for R&D from March 2020 to July 2022, where I spearheaded research programs and industry collaboration. My foundational teaching experience was shaped through my role as Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Electronics at BMSCE (Sept 2010–Oct 2021), paralleled by service as Visiting Faculty in Electronics & Communications at B.M.S. Evening College of Engineering (Jun 2011–Jun 2015). Complementing my academic roles, I contributed to cutting-edge biomedical research as a Research Associate for the Intracranial Pressure Sensor project at the Indian Institute of Science (Jul 2011–Jul 2012), fostering interdisciplinary exploration at the intersection of bioengineering and clinical application.
Research Contribution
With a strong interdisciplinary foundation in biomedical engineering and artificial intelligence, I have led and contributed to 15 major funded projects by governments and industries, advancing translational MedTech solutions and academia-industry collaborations. My work has resulted in over multiple publications across high-impact peer-reviewed journals and international conferences, shaping the discourse in signal processing, bioengineering, and inclusive technology.
As an inventor, my MedTech technologies, exemplify the transition of research from lab to clinic. I consistently strive to develop solutions that are both technologically sound and socially impactful, guided by a vision to make healthcare smarter, accessible, and equitable.
Industry/Entrepreneurship Contribution
As Executive Director of the BIG Foundation, a not for profit Company in India (since 2023), I’ve been committed to nurturing startups and helping early-stage ventures bring their innovations to market.
Alongside this, my personal journey in biomedical signal processing has focused on developing scalable, AI-driven solutions that make healthcare more accessible. I led the development of the Smart Eye Kiosk, now deployed in over 20 rural health centers to support mental health screening, and the Smart Bed, a contactless vital monitoring system powered by AI in collaboration with Turtle Shell Technologies, currently augmented in more than 500 hospitals. My efforts in translational research led to the granting of Indian Patent for an indigenous digital portable X-ray device, contributing to localized innovation in diagnostics. After winning MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in 2017, I founded Glucotek Inc, an Australia-based startup where I served as CTO. We designed an infrared-based wearable device for continuous glucose monitoring, tailored especially for pregnant mothers, that provided real-time data and nutritional insights via smartphone integration. Glucotek later merged into a larger healthcare ecosystem. These experiences reflect my dedication to advancing inclusive, impactful healthcare through innovation and collaboration of academia and industry.
Ethics
In all roles I’ve held within IEEE and beyond, I have consistently upheld ethical principles rooted in fairness, inclusion, and transparency. I stand for professionalism and integrity in every interaction and decision I make—whether steering chapter initiatives, supporting emerging technologies, or representing SPS globally. My goal is to foster trust, mutual respect, and shared accountability that will strengthen our community, uphold the highest standards of our profession, and ensure that our collective impact reaches beyond the technical sphere into society at large.
The opinions expressed on this website are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of the IEEE.
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