Keynote Lectures

Keynote Lectures (KYL)

A special feature of highlighted presentations offers added value to the technical program. Lectures are dedicated to topics of fundamental interest for scientists and engineers in surface engineering. Presentations are individual and not “classic“ day-to-day R&D business. Discussion of new developments and trends of relevance to ICMCTF, both in materials science and in methodology, in a pioneering state, with long-term impact. Selected critical reviews in a field of relevance to ICMCTF. Recognition of colleagues with pioneering and lasting impact on ICMCTF.

Krasimir Vasilev; College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Australia

“Nanoengineered Materials and Coatings for Medicine and Beyond”

Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 1:00 p.m.

In this keynote talk, I will give an overview of recent progress from my lab on the development of plasma polymer-facilitated nanoengineered surfaces and materials that benefit many areas of application. Over the years, we developed a range of plasma-based methods with allow us to control that entire spectrum of material surface properties, including chemical, physical, mechanical, and topographical. The main focus of our research is the design and surface modification of novel medical devices and biomaterials for applications in areas such as tissue engineering, controlling inflammation and infections, drug delivery, and medical diagnostics. However, our surface modification technologies are not limited to medicine. We have demonstrated the utility of nanoengineered plasma polymers for solving problems in other areas such as environmental science and remediation, water treatment and even wine making. I will present the engineering and chemical concepts underpinning “plasma nanoengineering” and give a range of examples of applications of the technology in various fields, including commercial applications.

Biography

Professor Vasilev Completed a PhD in Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Mainz, Germany) in 2005. He is currently a Matthew Flinders Professor, NHMRC Leadership Fellow, and the Director of the Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University. Professor Vasilev has attracted in excess of 25M dollars in research funding from Government competitive grants and Industry, published more than 330 papers, > 15,000 citations, and H-index=68 (m-index>3). He has been awarded several prestigious Research Fellowships from ARC, NHMRC, and the Humboldt Foundation, and other awards such as the John A. Brodie Medal from Engineered Australis for achievements in Chemical Engineering.