Almar Postma

Dr. Almar Postma is a Senior Research Scientist and Team Leader in Polymer Chemistry at CSIRO. His roles include leading research in RAFT polymerization and its applications in nanobiomedicine, electroactive materials, and waste plastic depolymerization. He holds an honorary fellowship at the University of Melbourne and has been affiliated with CSIRO since 1997.

Education:

• PhD in Polymer Chemistry, University of New South Wales (2005)
• BSc (Hons) in Chemistry, University of Surrey, UK (1997)

Research Focus: Postma’s work centers on radical polymerization mechanisms, high-throughput polymer synthesis, and catalytic depolymerization. He pioneers applications in drug delivery systems and flow chemistry automation using Chemspeed technology. His research bridges fundamental polymer science with industrial and biomedical innovations.

Awards & Recognition:

• CSIRO Medal (2003) for groundbreaking contributions to RAFT technology
• Julius Career Award (2018-2021)
• OCE Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2017)

Grants & Contributions: Lead the OCE-PDF grant (2014-2017). His work has driven strategic partnerships, including the Engineered Polymer/DuPont Alliance (2003). He advises on polymer synthesis automation and waste plastic recycling initiatives.

Labs/Teams: Head of the Polymer Chemistry team at CSIRO, advancing projects in flow polymerization and nanomedicine applications.