Two more graduates join IPRI's 'international family'

Dec 22, 2006

Two new PhD students graduated from the University of Wollongong's Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI) last week, bringing the total number of IPRI graduates to 49 since 1990.

Both have taken up important roles in the institute and overseas.

Dr Yanzhe (Richard) Wu from China completed a Bachelor of Biochemistry degree at Anhui University and then travelled to Australia to complete a Master of Information and Communication Technology at UOW.

After completion, he carried out PhD studies into the use of intelligent polymers for the Cochlear Ear Implant. He helped develop new sensing technologies and low power actuators to assist the surgeon during implantation and also developed a new controlled release technology that might be used to release nerve growth factors to improve the efficiency of the device.

These studies were carried out in collaboration with those at the Cooperative Research Centre for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Innovation. Dr Yanzhe is now employed by Dublin City University as part of a European Union Framework program and is now working on development of wearable sensing technologies in order to be able to spend half his time at Wollongong on collaborative activities.

Dr Orawan Ngamna originally came to Australia to study for a Master degree sponsored by her employer Unilever Thai Holdings Ltd - one of the largest consumer goods producers in the world. Upon successful completion of her studies, she was offered a PhD scholarship to continue her research. Dr Ngamna pioneered the development of techniques for production of conducting polymer nanoparticles (1,000 times less than the diameter of a human hair).

Incredibly, she developed techniques that enable these particles to be produced to exactly the same size and at high concentrations. In fact, concentrations high enough that they could be used for ink jet printing -- making accessible a mass production technique for the production of new chemical and biological sensors.

Dr Ngamna has now returned to Thailand to resume employment with Unilever in the home care development department. She was promoted to a higher position immediately after graduation and said the skills she has learnt from her PhD studies have become 'benefit tools' to help her attain the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity.