Sia Domkundwar

Exploring skin health through science, sustainability, and human experience.

I am an IB student in Pune interested in the many ways skin connects biology, health, identity, consumption, and the environment. My work includes developing a low-cost wearable for monitoring changes in skin condition, researching the plastic footprint of personal-care routines, and creating practical resources for burn and acid-injury survivors. Through GlowBack, I also explore how everyday beauty choices can be connected to measurable environmental action.

Across these projects, I combine experimentation, data analysis, interviews, scientific writing, and accessible communication to investigate overlooked problems and translate what I learn into useful tools. My research has received national and international recognition, including acceptance for publication in Springer conference proceedings. Beyond this work, I lead school and community initiatives and have trained in Kathak and ballet for more than a decade.

Select Recognition

A selection of institutions, competitions, and publications that have recognized, published, or featured my work.

John Locke Global Essay Prize - Shortlisted, Economics

Shortlisted from 100,227 contestants across 183 countries, placing among the top 17.5% globally in the Economics category.

Immerse Education - Scholar’s Laureate Award

Awarded the Scholar’s Laureate distinction for academic essay writing in an international student competition.

CREST Gold Award - DermaBand

Awarded CREST’s Gold level for DermaBand, an independently assessed research project on wearable pH and skin-conductance sensing.

CREST Gold Award - Sustainability Research

Awarded CREST Gold for original research estimating plastic use from personal skincare routines and examining its implications for waste and sustainability.