Gayathri Danasamy Naidu

Dr. Gayathri Danasamy Naidu serves as Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School (Research) in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Technology Sydney. With expertise spanning chemical process engineering and environmental systems, she leads research initiatives focused on sustainable water treatment and resource recovery technologies. Her academic journey includes bachelor's and master's degrees from University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur and Imperial College London, followed by a PhD in Environmental Engineering from UTS.

Dr. Naidu's research concentrates on the three Rs of water systems - remediation, reuse and recovery - with particular emphasis on extracting critical minerals like lithium, rubidium, and rare earth elements from seawater and wastewater streams. Her work integrates nanomaterial synthesis, membrane technology development, and solar-powered treatment processes to create sustainable solutions for the global water industry. She has pioneered approaches using capacitive deionization, membrane distillation, and metal-organic frameworks for selective mineral recovery.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on membrane-based separation technologies for critical mineral extraction, particularly lithium and rare earth elements from complex brine sources. Her research demonstrates consistent innovation in electrode design, membrane modification, and process optimization to enhance selectivity and efficiency. The work spans fundamental materials development to practical implementation in real-world water sources including seawater, desalination brine, and acid mine drainage.

• International Johnson and Johnson WiSTEM Fellowship
• ARC DECRA Fellowship
• UTS Chancellor's Research Fellowship
• Women in Stem for 2021

Dr. Naidu has secured over two million dollars in external research funding over the past three years, supporting her work on critical minerals and renewable energy applications. She actively supervises PhD and MSc students while mentoring early career researchers including Chancellor's Postdocs. Her research team has achieved significant milestones including patent filings (IP Australia, patent no. 2024903308) and industry translation with NEOM Energy and Water Co. She serves on the editorial boards of Desalination Journal and Chemical Engineering Journal, and previously held leadership roles on the Membrane Society of Australasia board (2021-2023).