Vijayalakshmi Pandurangan | Material Science | Women Researcher Award

Dr. Vijayalakshmi Pandurangan | Material Science | Women Researcher Award

Assistant Professor | Vijay Arts and Science | India

Dr. Vijayalakshmi Pandurangan, Assistant Professor at Vijay Arts and Science College, India, is an emerging researcher in nanomaterials and photocatalytic chemistry with a growing body of impactful publications. Her research primarily focuses on the synthesis and application of nanocomposites for energy storage, photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, CO₂ reduction, and electrochemical water splitting. She has authored and co-authored over ten peer-reviewed journal papers in reputed international journals such as Ionics, Journal of Materials Research, ChemistrySelect, Microchemical Journal, Electrochimica Acta, and Langmuir. Her studies on multi-component nanocomposites (such as V₂O₅/g-C₃N₄/ZnO and TiO₂/g-C₃N₄/CuFe₂O₄ systems) have demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light, contributing to sustainable environmental remediation strategies. Dr. Vijayalakshmi Pandurangan’s research also extends to nanostructured electrode materials for supercapacitors and electrochemical sensors, with results published in high-impact journals (Impact Factor range: 0.9–13.1). Her collaborative works span interdisciplinary areas including environmental nanotechnology, materials chemistry, and biomedical nanoscaffolds. She has participated in several international and national conferences, presenting her findings on advanced photocatalytic systems and hybrid nanomaterials. Dr. Vijayalakshmi Pandurangan received the Visionary Research Scientist Award (2025) from the UNS Research Council for her contributions to nanoscience. Her research experience includes joint projects with CSIR-NEERI and a funded international research internship (NSTC, Taiwan). With 9 citations, 10 Scopus-indexed documents, and an h-index of 2, she continues to expand her academic footprint through innovative R&D in functional nanomaterials, renewable energy, and environmental sustainability, marking her as a promising scholar in applied nanotechnology.

Profiles: Scopus | ORCID | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Loop

Featured Publications

1. Sivalingam, A. M., Sureshkumar, D. D., & Pandurangan, V. (2025). Cerebellar pathology in forensic and clinical neuroscience. Ageing Research Reviews, 106, 102697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2025.102697

2. Anisree, S., Shanmugavelan, P., Vijayalakshmi, P., Kishore, R., & Srivastava, N. (2024). Synthesis, characterization and anticancer screening of novel phenylbenzylidene thiosemicarbazone derivatives. Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements, 199(4), 267–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/10426507.2024.2330935

3. Vijayalakshmi, P., Shanmugavelan, P., & Mareeswaran, P. M. (2024). Enhanced photocatalytic activity of V₂O₅/g-C₃N₄/ZnO nanocomposite for efficient degradation of amoxicillin, chlorpyrifos and methylene blue. Ionics, 30(12), 8741–8769. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-024-05782-0

4. Vijayalakshmi, P., Shanmugavelan, P., Anisree, S., & Mareeswaran, P. M. (2024). Enhanced visible-light Z-scheme photocatalytic degradation of amoxicillin, chlorpyrifos, and methylene blue by Bi₂O₃/g-C₃N₄/ZnO nanocomposite. Journal of Materials Research, 39(22), 3103–3125. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43578-024-01445-y

5. Vinothini, S., Yu, C.-L., Ramasamy, R., Surya, R., Solomon, R. V., Rajadurai, S., Pandurangan, V., Sakthinathan, S., Chen, C.-L., & Chiu, T.-W. (2025). Self-combustion glycine nitrate process prepared CuAlO₂ nanopowder catalyst applied into the carbendazim electrochemical assessment and computational prediction. Langmuir, 41(40), 27360–27380. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c03513

Prof. Dr. Javad Foroughi | Smart materials | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. Javad Foroughi | Smart materials | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. Javad Foroughi , University of New South Wales, Australia

Dr. Javad Foroughi 🧠 is a globally recognized expert in smart materials, serving as a Visiting Professor at the University of Essen 🇩🇪 and a Senior Research Fellow at UNSW 🇦🇺. He is a DECRA Fellow 🎓 of the Australian Research Council and renowned for pioneering torsional carbon nanotube artificial muscles 🧵, featured in Science (2011). With a PhD in Material Engineering from the University of Wollongong 🇦🇺, Dr. Foroughi’s innovative work spans artificial muscles, wearable tech 👕, and soft robotics 🤖. He has led multidisciplinary collaborations in biomedical innovation 🏥 and secured over $7M in competitive research grants 💰.

Professional Profile:

Scopus

Orcid

✅ Summary of Suitability for Best Researcher Award

Dr. Javad Foroughi is a world-class researcher at the forefront of smart materials, wearable technologies, and biomedical devices. With a research career spanning over two decades and institutions in Australia, Germany, the U.S., South Korea, and Iran, he has made outstanding contributions to polymer science, soft robotics, and artificial muscles. As a senior research fellow and leader at UNSW and IHMRI, his work has translated advanced material innovations into clinical and industrial applications. His achievements, including high-impact publications, multiple prestigious awards, and successful supervision of PhD candidates, make him a leading authority in his field and an ideal recipient for a Best Researcher Award.

🔹 Education & Experience

📘 Education:

  • 🎓 PhD in Material Engineering, University of Wollongong (2006–2009)

  • 🎓 BSc & MSc in Polymer Materials Science, Isfahan University of Technology, Iran (1991–1997)

💼 Employment/Experience:

  • 👨‍🏫 Visiting Professor, University of Essen, Germany (2020–Present)

  • 🧪 Senior Research Fellow, UNSW (2021–Present)

  • 🏥 Lead, Diagnostics & Therapeutics Program, IHMRI

  • 🧵 Senior Research Fellow, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, UOW (2016–2020)

  • 🔬 ARC DECRA Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (2013–2016)

  • 🌏 Visiting Fellow, Hanyang University (South Korea), University of Texas at Dallas (USA)

  • 👨‍🔬 Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Associate, UOW (2009–2011)

🔹 Professional Development

Dr. Foroughi’s professional journey reflects a deep commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary research 🌐. His collaborative leadership spans top institutions across Germany, Australia, South Korea, and the U.S. 🤝. He has supervised 15 PhD candidates 🎓 and mentored researchers in cutting-edge projects involving artificial muscles, biomedical devices 🦾, and smart textiles 👚. Through roles at UNSW, UOW, and IHMRI, he has played a central role in translating lab-scale innovations into real-world applications 💡. His research leadership has contributed to health monitoring systems, drug delivery devices 💊, and soft robotics, earning him a reputation as a pioneer in smart materials 🚀.

🔹 Research Focus 

Dr. Foroughi’s research focuses on smart materials with applications in soft robotics 🤖, artificial muscles 🧵, and wearable technology 👕. He explores advanced functional materials like carbon nanotubes and hydrogels to engineer responsive systems for biomedical devices 🏥, drug delivery 💊, and ventricular assist devices ❤️. His interdisciplinary work integrates polymer science 🧪, nanotechnology 🔬, and mechatronic engineering ⚙️, fostering innovation in next-gen electronics and healthcare. His collaborative efforts across academia and industry have produced high-impact publications 📚 and breakthrough technologies that are redefining possibilities in health monitoring and smart textile applications 📈.

🔹 Awards & Honors 

🏆 Major Awards & Recognitions:

  • 🥇 ARC DECRA Fellowship (2013–2016)

  • 🧠 Emerging Research Fellow, IHMRI

  • 📘 Top Cited Paper, Advanced Materials Technologies (2020–2021)

  • ✍️ Editor’s Choice Article, MDPI Fibers (2019)

  • 🌟 Best of Advanced Materials Technologies (2020)

  • 🧵 IEEE Award for “Smart Fabrics and Networked Clothing” (2017)

  • 🧬 Asia Nanotech Camp Fellowship (2009, Taiwan)

  • 🥇 Winner, UOW Pitch Competition – Nerve Reconstruction (2014)

  • 🥇 Gold Award, R&D 100 – Artificial Muscles from Fishing Line (2015)

  • 🏅 Commercialisation Training Scheme Scholar, UOW

  • 🎓 Australian Research Scholarship for Advanced Materials (2008)

  • 🥈 Finalist, Trailblazer Award, UOW (2008)

  • 🥇 First Rank, BSc in Polymers Department, Isfahan University

Publication Top Notes:

  • Title: Advanced Energy Harvesters and Energy Storage for Powering Wearable and Implantable Medical Devices
    Citations: 21

  • Title: Highly stretchable nanocomposite piezofibers: a step forward into practical applications in biomedical devices
    Citations: 3

  • Title: Contactless vital sign monitoring systems: a comprehensive survey of remote health sensing for heart rate and respiration in internet of things and sleep applications
    Citations: 1

  • Title: Manufacturing Ulvan Biopolymer for Wound Dressings
    Citations: 3

  • Title: Ab initio calculations of structural, electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of delafossite SMoO₂ (S = Na, K, Rb, Cs) for spintronics
    Citations: 1