Polymer Upcycling: From Materials and Processes to Industrial Applications

Dr. Pooria Pasbakhsh holds degrees in Material Science and Engineering, Metallurgy and Material Selection, and a PhD in Polymer Composites. With over 17 years of international research and industrial experience, he is a multidisciplinary materials scientist and Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. His work integrates chemistry, geology, and philosophy to develop sustainable bioplastics reinforced with Halloysite Nanotubes, creating smart nanocomposites with self-healing and antimicrobial properties. He has engineered active packaging solutions and transient materials, and currently leads circular economy projects on subsea infrastructure upcycling and carbon-sequestering hemp construction materials. Recognized among the “World’s Top 2% Scientists since 2020, his impact spans materials, polymers, and chemistry.

Dr. Massoud Sofi is a Research Fellow in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering at the University of Melbourne and serves as the Chief Investigator (CI) for four CRC-P Projects funded by the Australian Federal Government. He is also a CI for the Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Research Project focused on the Transformation of Reclaimed Waste Resources to Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy (TREMS). His research interests include sustainable construction materials, concrete mix selection, concrete technology and performance, as well as in-situ health diagnostics and monitoring of civil infrastructure. Dr. Sofi obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne, Australia, in 2013. Since then, he has held various academic roles within the Department of Infrastructure Engineering and currently teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Dr. Coralie Jehanno obtained her Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry in 2019 from the University of the Basque Country, Spain, in co-tutelle with the University of Warwick, UK. Her thesis was awarded a prize by the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) for the best thesis in polymer chemistry for the year 2019. After completing her Ph.D., she co-founded the POLYKEY start-up company with colleague Andere Basterretxea, where they leverage some of the technologies developed during their doctoral research. Since 2020, Coralie has been successfully combining an academic career with her entrepreneurial endeavors. In 2021, she received a "Juan de la Cierva" fellowship, allowing her to join a research group University of the Basque Country as a postdoctoral researcher while also serving as the Scientific Director of her start-up. Coralie has strong expertise in plastic recycling, organocatalysis, and the synthesis of sustainable polymers.