Megan Lord

Professor Megan Lord is a distinguished academic and research leader at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), holding the position of Professor and Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow in the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering. She serves as Associate Dean Research for the Faculty of Engineering at UNSW Sydney. Her expertise spans biomaterials, nanomaterials, and their applications in drug delivery and tissue repair, with particular focus on cell-biomaterial interactions and extracellular matrix molecules.

Megan attained her Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering, Master of Biomedical Engineering, and First class Honours degree in Chemical Engineering from UNSW Sydney. Her educational background provides a strong foundation for her interdisciplinary research that bridges engineering, biology, and medicine.

Professor Lord's research centers on the design of biomaterials and nanomaterials to direct cell responses, biophysical analyses of protein and cell interactions with biomaterials, extracellular matrix molecule biochemistry, and in vitro and in vivo models of blood vessels. Her work is particularly recognized for engineering cell-biomaterial interactions for applications in drug delivery and tissue repair, underpinned by expertise in matrix biology and biophysics of molecular interactions. She has established herself as a leader in developing models to study biomaterial interactions with cells that replicate the cell surface in vivo, enabling the design of biomaterials for controlled cellular interactions.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on endothelial glycocalyx interactions with nanomaterials, vascular tissue engineering using silk scaffolds functionalized with extracellular matrix proteins like perlecan, and innovative approaches to nanomaterial design for enhanced drug delivery. Her work demonstrates a progression toward increasingly sophisticated biomimetic systems that replicate natural biological processes while addressing clinical challenges in vascular medicine and cancer treatment.

• UNSW Faculty of Engineering Excellence in Leadership award (2024)
• Australian Council of Graduate Research Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Leadership (2024)
• UNSW Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Research Leadership (2023)
• Barry Preston Award from the Matrix Biology Society of Australia and New Zealand (2022)
• NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2014)

Professor Lord has mentored 22 PhD/MPhil and 140 Engineering Honours candidates to completion, demonstrating exceptional commitment to developing the next generation of researchers. Her research has been supported by multiple national grants including an ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (2010-2012) and an ARC Future Fellowship (2022-2026). She serves as founding Academic Director of both the Australian Graduate School of Engineering Industry PhD Program and the Molecular Surface Interaction Laboratory within the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, UNSW Sydney, creating significant research infrastructure and training opportunities.