Dr Umeka Nayanathara is a postdoctoral researcher in the Molecular Imaging and Theranostics laboratory. She is a materials chemist specialising in polymer chemistry, with expertise in designing sophisticated polymers and polymeric nanoparticles for biomedical applications, with a particular focus on addressing real-world challenges in drug delivery. Her current research focuses on designing stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoparticles for mRNA delivery.

Dr Nayanathara completed her PhD in Chemistry in December 2023 at the University of Melbourne under the supervision of Prof. Georgina Such. Her doctoral research explored the impact of core polymer architectures of pH-responsive nanoparticles on intercellular drug delivery. She has extensive experience in polymer synthesis, organic synthesis, nanomaterial characterisation, and is proficient in various in vitro experimental techniques.

Dr Nayanathara holds an adjunct postdoctoral fellow position at the Functional Materials Lab at the University of Melbourne.