Balaji Prabhakar is a faculty member in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University. His research interests are in computer networks – notably, in designing algorithms for the Internet and for Data Centers. Recently, he has been interested in Societal Networks: networks vital for society's functioning, such as transportation, electricity and recycling systems. He has been involved in developing and deploying incentive mechanisms to move commuters to off-peak times so that congestion, fuel and pollution costs are reduced.

He has been a Terman Fellow at Stanford University, and a Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He has received the CAREER award from the US National Science Foundation, the Erlang Prize, and the Rollo Davidson Prize, and delivered the Lunteren Lectures. He is the recipient of the inaugural IEEE Innovation in Societal Infrastructure Award, which recognizes "significant technological achievements and contributions to the establishment, development and proliferation of innovative societal infrastructure systems." He serves on the Advisory Board of the Future Urban Mobility Initiative of the World Economic Forum. He is a co-recipient of several best paper awards.