People
Director
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Global Innovation Chair Professor and Director
Prof. Vinu is the Global Innovation Chair and Director of the Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials at the University of Newcastle, a position he has held since October 2017.
T: +61 2 4921 8669
Centre staff and researchers
Jyothica Verma
Executive Assistant
A postgraduate student of Masters of Business Administration (Global) at The University of Newcastle, Jyothica Verma is the Administrative Assistant in GICAN with experience in management and administrative work. Reporting directly to Prof. Ajayan Vinu she also offers support to current GICAN staff and students
Professor Thava Palanisami
Professor
Dr. Thava Palanisami completed his PhD on the Risk assessment and Remediation of mixed contaminants in 2010, at the University of South Australia. Over the past ten years, Thava’s mixed contaminant (PAHs & metals) research has led him towards a new research theme - contaminant transformation products (CTPs). Recently, his research focus is on adding new dimensions in the risk assessment and remediation of emerging contaminants such as microplastics and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). With an emphasis on plastics as an emerging contaminant, Thava’s team initiated plastics research at The University of Newcastle in 2015. Their principal aim was to develop fundamental knowledge on the ageing and weathering of microplastics in the environment to improve the accuracy of ecological and human health risk assessment and develop solutions.
T: +61 2 4033 9411
Dr Jae-Hun Yang
Research Fellow and Lab Coordinator
Dr Jae-Hun Yang’s research interests lie in nanoporous materials and 2D nanohybrids between layered inorganics and organics or bio-molecules or inorganics as heterogeneous catalysts (especially photocatalysts), drug delivery carriers, nano-filler in polymer nanocomposites for green energy and environmental application and bio-medical application.
T: +61 2 4033 9632
Dr Gurwinder Singh
Research Fellow
Dr. Gurwinder’s research interest is mainly focused on converting waste products such as biomass, e-waste and industrial wastes into highly functional nanomaterials that can be used in different energy and environmental applications.
Dr Kavitha Ramadass
Research Fellow
Dr Kavitha Ramadass received her PhD degree in 2011 from the Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation at the University of South Australia. She worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia. Her research interests focus on the design of multifunctional nanoporous materials for energy and environmental applications. She was awarded the International Postgraduate Scholarship (IPRS) award for PhD Studies, and the Research Encouragement award by IUMRS-ICAM held at Kyoto, Japan in 2017.
T: +61 2 4033 9604
Dr Logeshwaran Panneerselvan
Research Fellow
Dr. Logeshwaran has over ten years of research expertise in Environmental Microbiology. During his Ph.D. research, he isolated a bacterial enzyme capable of detoxifying organophosphorus compounds (nerve agent pesticides) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). He specializes in novel bioremediation technology using microbial enzymes, molecular toxicology, metabolomics, proteomics, molecular modeling, and metagenomics. He has extensive experience in organic and inorganic compound analysis in particular emerging priority pollutants such as PFAS, PAHs, and Microplastics
T: +61 2 4913 8739
Dr Sharon Wong
Research Fellow
Dr Sharon Wong is a biomedical scientist with more than ten years experience in airway epithelial biology and chronic respiratory disease. She completed her PhD under the supervision of A/Prof Maria Sukkar and A/Prof Matt Padula (UTS), investigating the role of alarmin, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and matricellular protein, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) in chronic airways disease. She joined Molecular and Integrative Cystic Fibrosis (MICF) research lab at UNSW as a postdoctoral research fellow, where her research focussed on establishing patient-derived airway and gut cell models and organoids for disease modelling, preclinical testing of drug response and biobanking. At GICAN, she will advance the development of nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery in cancer.
Dr Sathish Clastinrusselraj Indirathankam
Research Associate
Dr Sathish’s research expertise is in the area of material science, nanomaterials, high-pressure studies, superconductivity and magnetism. He is interested mainly in the synthesis of novel materials, studying their structural, electronic, magnetic and superconducting properties. Recently he moved into design and development of multifunctional nanoporous materials such as mesoporous carbon nitrides, hybrid inorganic materials, metal carbonitrides for energy storage, sensors, CO2 capture and conversion, catalysis and environmental applications.
Dr Gurudas Mane
Research Fellow
Dr. Gurudas Mane received his Ph.D. from Hokkaido University and the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan. Following his Ph.D., he joined the Max Planck Institute in Germany as a postdoctoral fellow, where he worked on the synthesis of tunable Janus nanoparticles. He was awarded the INSPIRE Faculty Award by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. His research interests focus on the designing of nanoporous materials for CO2 capture & conversion, photocatalytic H2 generation, chemical sensing applications.
Dr Yong Zhao
Lecturer | DECRA Fellow
Dr Zhao earned his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Wollongong in 2019 under the supervision of Prof. Gordon Wallace. He then completed postdoctoral research at the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, and the University of Toronto (2019–2022). Prior to joining GICAN, he was a Research Scientist at the CSIRO Energy Centre, where he established the electrocatalysis laboratory and led research on integrated CO₂ capture and electrolysis. His research focuses on the electrochemical conversion and engineering of small molecules (e.g., CO₂, CO, O₂, N₂, H₂), with emphasis on developing energy-efficient catalysts, electrode interfaces, and integrated reaction systems. His team aims to tackle key challenges in the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals using renewable electricity, water, and carbon- or nitrogen-based feedstocks.
Dr Geetika Bhagwat
Research Associate
Geetika is currently investigating the role of plastic-associated microbial biofilms in altering the biological and physicochemical interactions of MPs in the marine environment and the possible implications to human health. She has employed a metagenomics approach to identify the structure and functions of plastic-associated microbial biofilms on various types of consumer plastics to investigate the possible environmental ramifications of the microbial genes enriched on plastics. Her future research seeks to investigate the leaching of contaminants from MPs in the human gut environment (in-vitro) and explore the associated cytotoxicity to understand the human health risks of MP ingestion.
Dr Muhammad Ibrar Ahmed
Research Associate
Dr. Ibrar is experienced in the field of advanced materials for photo/electrochemical energy conversion and storage. He is committed to finding innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing energy challenges. With a deep understanding of the principles of electrochemistry and catalysis, he has developed a wide range of materials and processes that can be used to improve the efficiency, performance, and durability of energy conversion and storage systems.
T: +6145099378
Dr Arun Vijay Baskar
Research Associate
Dr. Arun Vijay Baskar received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at The University of Newcastle, Australia. Before his doctorate, he finished his masters in Nano Science and Technology at the Anna University Trichy, India. His research interest is on the development of advanced porous materials and their functionalization. The materials he has worked on are used in applications such as supercapacitors and battery.
Dr. Rohan Bahadur
Research Associate
Rohan Bahadur completed his Ph.D. from University of Newcastle in 2023. Prior to his Ph.D., he worked at IIT Bombay, India. His research interest revolves around functional 2D materials (Borocarbonitride, Carbon Nitride, Graphene, TMDs, MXenes and Xenes), their hybrids, and 0D derivatives for energy, biomedical, and environmental applications.
Dr. Mohammed Fawaz Palakkat Alihassan
Research Associate
Completed the PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at The University of Newcastle, Australia. Fawaz completed his integrated bachelor’s & master’s degree from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India in 2017. His main research focus is on developing novel nanomaterials as electrocatalysts/photocatalyst for electro/photo-chemical energy storage and conversion devices.
Dr Nithinraj P.D.
Research Associate
Completed the PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at The University of Newcastle, Australia. Nithinraj completed his integrated Bachelors & Masters from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India. His research interest broadly lies in Material science and Electrochemistry. He has been working in the field of energy storage and conversion devices.
Research students
Jefrin Marykala Davidraj
PhD Student
Jefrin Marykala Davidraj completed her Master’s degree in organic chemistry from Vels University, India. She joined GICAN in 2019 as a visiting researcher and currently pursuing her Ph.D. in material science under the guidance of Prof. Jiabao Yi. Her current research interest is focused on the synthesis of mesoporous carbon nitride using SBA-1 as a template and administer it for energy storage and conversion applications.
Ahmad Tabish
PhD Student
Ahmad received a MS in Chemical Engineering in 2017 from The Petroleum Institute Research Center of ADNOC as an ADNOC fellow, Abu Dhabi, UAE where he worked on synthesis of self-healing anti corrosion coatings based on nano-materials for oil/gas industry. He holds a Bachelors degree (2014) in Chemical Engineering from the Aligarh Muslim University, India. He also visited as an undergrad Winter Research Scholar at The Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland in 2013 on project related to risks in coal mining industry.
After his MS he worked at the Khalifa University's Research Center in UAE from 2017-2019 on projects related to metal recovery from wastes etc.
Presently he is pursuing his PhD at GICAN and working on finding novel pathways for synthesis of Mesoporous Silica.
Zhixuan Li
PhD Student
Zhixuan Li is a PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Ajayan Vinu and A/Prof. Jiabao Yi. She completed her bachelor's in chemistry at University of Science and Technology of China, and master's in chemical engineering at Monash University. Currently, Zhixuan Li is working on the development of nanocarbon materials for energy and environmental applications.
Bhavya Jitendrabhai
PhD Student
Bhavya is currently pursuing his PhD on the topic of carbon storage in sugarcane agro-industrial systems. His work focusses on developing a multi-functional biochar from agricultural wastes to achieve carbon sequestration, soil fertility and a reduction of pollutant leaching. His area of interest also includes environmental science, soil science, agriculture, and circular economy.
Vibin Perumalsamy
PhD Student
Vibin completed Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering) at College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai and Master of Materials Science and Engineering with Distinction at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He joined back at GICAN to pursue his PhD on the topic of reconciling carbon sequestration through the nanostabilisation of biowastes under the guidance of A/Prof. Jiabao Yi. His work focuses on to stabilise carbon in biowastes using nanomaterials and then to enhance the long-term carbon sequestration in soil. His area of interest also includes electrochemical energy storage applications such as Batteries and Supercapacitors.
Chenxi Yu
PhD Student
Chenxi Yu is a doctoral candidate at Global Innovation center for advanced nanomaterials (GICAN) in Materials Science under the supervision of A/Prof. Jiabao Yi. His main focus is on synthesis of nanoparticles, semiconductors and magnetic materials by thermal decomposition process and photocatalysis for hydrogen production etc.
Ayush Kumar
PhD Student
Ayush Kumar started his Doctoral journey under the guidance of Prof. Ajayan Vinu in 2023 at Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN). His current research is majorly focusing on the development of novel mesoporous heterogenous acid catalyst for the synthesis of paracetamol. Previously, Ayush worked on development of various nanomaterials like MOFs, nanoparticles (gold & chitosan), liposomes in various biomedical applications at INMAS, DRDO, New Delhi, India under the mentorship of Dr. Rashi Mathur (Scientist F).
Yitong Cao
PhD Student
Yitong Cao is a PhD student under the supervision of A/Prof. Jiabao Yi and Prof. Ajayan Vinu. His research is mainly focused on the fabrication of iron oxide magnetic nanocomposite and microplastic separation and decomposition in wastewater. He received his Masters’ degree in 2021 at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He used to work on the improvement and optimization of physical mechanical properties for elastomers reinforced with graphene.
Chaojie Cao
PhD Student
Chaojie Cao, a Ph.D. candidate in Materials Science at the University of Newcastle, specializes in the synthesis of nanoparticles, semiconductors, and magnetic materials using thermal decomposition processes and photocatalysis for hydrogen production. Additionally, he explores the properties of novel materials and develops innovative characterization techniques. Throughout his graduate studies, Chaojie has been committed to discovering and developing materials with potential applications in industries such as energy, medicine, and electronics. He is passionate about his research, believing that it will significantly impact these fields. He believes that these collaborations not only advance his own research but also contribute to the growth of the entire field.
Reshma Arokia Gigi
PhD Student
Reshma Arokia Gigi completed her Master of Technology in nanotechnology from Noorul Islam University, India. Currently she is pursuing her Ph.D. in material science and engineering under the guidance of Prof. Ajayan Vinu. Her current research interest is focused on synthesis of nanoporous carbon materials from various biomass sources for the application of CO2 capture.
Mohd Arish Usman
PhD Student
Arish received his master's degree in Chemical Engineering in 2019 from the reputed Aligarh Muslim University, India. Afterward, he joined Manipal University Jaipur as Junior Research Fellow in the Chemical Engineering Dept. from 2019-2022 and worked on projects related to static and dynamic adsorption of anionic dyes using polyethyleneimine based porous monoliths, oil/water separation, and, most importantly, encapsulation of carrier molecules into Janus hollow silica microspheres with hydrophobic pore internals.
Vishnumaya Narayanan
PhD Student
Vishnumaya Narayanan is pursuing her doctoral studies at GICAN under the supervision of Prof. Ajayan Vinu. She completed her Master’s degree in Physics from Mangalore University, India. Her research mainly focuses on the applications of biomass-derived nanoporous carbons in CO2 capture.
Vinay Naral
PhD Student
Vinay Naral is a PhD student at GICAN under the supervision of Prof. Ajayan Vinu. His main interest relies on designing nanoporous materials for CO2 conversion via Thermo/Photo/Thermo-Photocatalytic routes. During his master’s degree at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) Bangalore, he gained the experience on silica-based materials for CO2 capture and conversion.
Rexie Selvarajan Rani
PhD Student
Having obtained her master’s degree in chemistry from Manonmanian Sundaranar University, Rexie stepped into GICAN in 2023, she is pursuing her PhD in material science under the guidance of Prof . Vinu. Her ongoing research interests are single metal atom catalysis, biomass conversion, mixed precursor synthesis.
Ajanya Maria Ruban
PhD Student
Ajanya Maria Ruban is a PhD student at GICAN, under the guidance of Prof. Ajayan Vinu. She joined GICAN in 2019 as a visiting researcher after completing her Master’s in chemistry from Vels Institute of Science and Technology, India. In GICAN, Ajanya’s main research focus is on transformation of industrial green waste into nanoporous biocarbon’s for carbon capture and energy storage applications.
Arun Chandra Manivannan
PhD Student
Arun has embarked on a Ph.D under the expert guidance of Ass Prof. Thava Palanisami, after successfully obtaining a master's degree in microbiology in 2022. Arun's research endeavors are primarily focused on material valorization for proactively mitigating the escalating issue of fiber waste and combatting the consequential emissions across diverse environmental settings. This ambitious objective aims to significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with the fiber industries, thereby fostering a state of carbon neutrality. Arun's work leverages the remarkable capabilities of microbial agents to effectively address the pressing environmental crisis caused by fibers.
Harleen Kaur
PhD Student
Harleen has completed her Master’s in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Guru Nanak Dev University, India. Later, joined GICAN in 2023 as a Ph.D. student in Material Science Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Ajayan Vinu. She is currently working on carbon clay composites for different applications from biomass.
Haryni Jayaradhika Raghuraman Rengarajan
PhD Student
Haryni has completed her Masters in Botany from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India in the year 2021. She was working as a Junior scientist at a microalgae-based industry in India. She is now doing her PhD with the guidance of Dr Thava Palanisami on the production of high value products from microalgae.
Akila Ravindran
PhD Student
Akila obtained her Master’s degree in Microbiology in 2019 and worked as a Junior Researcher in India for four years. Her research expertise is mainly in the exploration of secondary metabolites and exopolysaccharides from biofilm bacteria. During her time at CSIR-CECRI, India, she also gained expertise in electrochemistry and bioremediation of industrial effluents. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in Biological Sciences with an Industry Funded Scholarship under the guidance of Dr Thava Palanisami. Her current work focuses on elucidating the interactions of biopolymers with various environmental matrices.
Rana Sami UI Haq
PhD Student
Rana is pursuing his doctorate degree in Materials Science and Engineering at GICAN under the supervision of Prof. Jiabao Yi. He completed his Bachelor's in Materials Engineering from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology and his master’s degree from Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg. Before joining the PhD programme, he worked as a Senior Design Officer at the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP). His current research mainly focuses on designing MOF-based electrocatalysts for energy applications.
Mukul M Morey
PhD Student
Mukul Morey is currently pursuing PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Newcastle, NSW and working as a Research Assistant at GICAN. He has completed his Graduation (Bachelors of Technology) in Fibres and Textiles Processing Technology from Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. (UDCT). His Current research interests are Synthesis of 2D materials and their Hybrids, (Borophene, Graphene, Carbon Nitride, MoS2, etc.) and Synthesis of Biomass derived porous Carbonaceous materials and their Hybrids/ hetrostructures for Energy storage and Generation Applications.
Kevin Hwang
PhD Student
Euiho Hwang is a Ph.D. student under the supervision of Professor Ajayan Vinu, specializing in anode and electrode materials for secondary batteries. His research focuses on the synthesis of various low-dimensional nanomaterials and their applications in electrochemical energy storage and electrocatalysis.
Visiting researchers
Prof Eun Bum Cho
Visiting Researcher
Prof. Eun-Bum Cho received his B.Sc. (1994) and Ph.D. degrees (2002) from Seoul National University. He started his research career in nanoparticle synthesis at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT). Since 2010, he has been working as a faculty member of Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech). In 2017, he gained research experience at UPenn as a sabbatical visiting professor. Since 2021, he has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Director of the Institute for Applied Chemistry at SeoulTech. He has published over 100 scientific publications including patents. His research interests mainly focus on functional mesoporous materials, block copolymer self-assembly, and nanocomposites for various energy and bio-applications. Please visit my website: https://sites.google.com/view/lamp2010
Dr Rama Rao Karri
Visiting Researcher
Dr. Rama Rao Karri is working as an Associate Professor in the Chemical and Energy Engineering Department at the Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), Brunei Darussalam. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Process Control) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Master’s from IIT Kanpur, and Bachelor’s from Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam. He has worked as a Post-Doctoral research fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, for about six years and has over 20 years of working experience in Academics, Industry, and Research. He has led the water resources cluster team at UTB (2015-2017), which focused on Water-Energy Nexus, Smart Water, and Environmental Management. His research activities are mainly focused on the development of modelling methods for systems with inherent uncertainties in multidisciplinary fields. He has experience working in multidisciplinary fields and has expertise in various evolutionary optimization techniques and process modelling. As of 15 Jun 2025, He has published 270 research articles in reputed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings with a combined Impact factor of 1050.17 and an h-index of 53 (Scopus-citations: 8200+) and 56 (Google Scholar-citations: 9500+). Among 153 journal publications, 129 articles (84%) were published in Q1 with an average impact factor of 9.
Dr Arpita Tiwari
Visiting Researcher
Dr. Arpita Pandey Tiwari is a visiting academic (Research and Collaboration )at GICAN, University of Newcastle. She is an Associate Professor at D.Y. Patil Education Society (Deemed to be University), Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Her research focuses on the functionalization of nanomaterials such as gold nanoparticles, magnetic nanomaterials, and carbon quantum dots for antimicrobial, drug delivery, biosensing, targeted therapy and other biomedical applications. Dr. Tiwari actively bridges academia and industry, driving innovation in affordable healthcare technologies, particularly for early cancer detection. She is also deeply involved in institutional leadership and national research initiatives in India.
Dr Mohan Rasu
Visiting Researcher
Dr. Mohan Rasu is a Research Associate in Dr. Thava Palanisami’s group at the Global Innovative Center for Advanced nanomaterials (GICAN), The University of Newcastle, Australia. He obtained his Ph.D in Alagappa university, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India in 2021. He has been awarded internship program under DST-SPARC project and worked in Tiajin University, China for a period of one month. Currently, his interests are to Poly – β – Hydroxybutyrate production by bacteria using waste sources.
Raji Kandaiah
Researcher
Dr Raji Kandaiah expertise in the field of Microbiology and Microplastics Research. Her Ph.D. research focused on the upscaling the production of microbial mediated protein hydrolysates from agroindustry wastes for feed additives and plant nutrient management. Currently, she is at the forefront of microplastics research, performing environmental forensics targeting nano-microplastics various environmental matrices such as soil, water, and biological samples. In addition, her research is focussing on exploring sustainable remediation technologies for microplastics removal. She is performing additional role as Biodegradation Testing Officer at our NATA ISO-accredited facility at EPIC
Aleena Parayil Antony
Visiting Student
Aleena Parayil Antony is a visiting Ph.D. student at GICAN under the guidance of Prof. Ajayan Vinu. After completing her Masters' in Physics from Assumption college, Changanacherry, Kerala, India she joined as a Ph.D. candidate at Bishop Moore College, Mavelikara, affiliated to Kerala University, India. Her current research interest is on developing nanoporous boron carbon nitride materials as electrode material for Energy storage devices.
Ayona Kuruppum Parambil Jose
Visiting Student
Ayona Kuruppum Parambil Jose is a visiting PhD student at GICAN under the supervision of Prof. Ajayan Vinu. She had completed her master's degree in physics from Assumption College (Autonomous), Changanacherry and Master of Philosophy in Physics from St. Teresa's College (Autonomous), Ernakulam, Kerala, India. Currently she is pursuing her PhD at Bishop Moore College Mavelikara, affiliated to Kerala University. Her present work is on Carbon Nitrides for Photocatalysis applications.
Jibi Kunjumon
Visiting Student
Jibi Kunjumon is a Visiting Ph.D. student at GICAN, under the guidance of Prof. Ajayan Vinu. After completing her Master's in Physics from Bishop Moore College, Mavelikara, Kerala, India, she joined for Master of Philosophy in Physics from St. Berchmans College, Changanassery, Kerala, India. Jibi joined for the PhD programme in Bishop Moore College, Kerala, India affiliated to University of Kerala in 2022 and her current research focusses on carbon nitride coated porous carbon for CO2 capture applications.
Yue Chu
Visiting Student
Yue Chu holds a Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Anhui University of Technology and is currently pursuing a Master's degree at Central South University. As a visiting student at GICAN, Yue will be conducting research for one year. Her research focuses on utilizing red mud for CO2 mineralization, with the aim of contributing to solutions for global climate change and enhancing industrial waste management.
Xuan Zheng
Visiting Student
Xuan is currently in the sixth year of a joint master's and PhD programme at Huazhong Agricultural University, China. She joined GICAN in 2024 as a visiting student under the supervision of Prof. Jiabao Yi. Her research focuses on overcoming challenges in CO₂ mineralisation, with an emphasis on enhancing CO₂ storage and generating high-value-added products from waste.
Masters Students
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GICAN Affiliates
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.