After obtaining her Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 1993, Dr. Surya Mallapragada obtained her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University in 1996.

Dr. Mallapragada’s research programme is focused on designing polymeric biomaterials and bioinspired materials. The current focus areas are: Smart Polymers for Gene Delivery, Polymers for Vaccine Delivery, Bioinspired Nanocomposites, Nanoparticles for Co-localisation of Multiple Enzymes, and Neural Tissue Engineering and Control of Stem Cell Differentiation.

She has published widely in well-known journals. The most recent ones include “Protein-Mediated Synthesis of Superparamagnetic Magnetite Nanocrystals”, “Cobalt Ferrite Nanocrystals: Outperforming Magneto tactic Bacteria”, and “Dual-Role Self-Assembling Nanoplexes for Efficient Gene Transfection and Sustained Gene Delivery”.

Dr. Mallapragada has won many honours and awards. Among them are the Distinguished Service Award, Food – Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division, AIChE, 2009; Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering, 2009; Fellow, American Association for Advancement of Science, 2008; Mid-Career Excellence in Research Award – ISU Foundation, 2007; Big 12 Rising Star Award, 2007; Fellow, AIMBE, 2006; Global Indus Technovator Award, 2003; and named by MIT’s Technology Review Magazine as one of the World’s Top 100 Young Innovators, 2002.