معرفی
Dr. Nandika Bandara serves as Associate Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Food Proteins and Bioproducts at the University of Manitoba's Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences within the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. Her research program focuses on advancing sustainable protein technologies for food, materials, and bioproduct applications through integration of material science and nanotechnology.
Education:
- CFS (Certified Food Scientist), Institute of Food Technologists / International Food Science Certification Council
- PhD (Food Science & Bioresource Technology), University of Alberta, Canada
- MSc (Food Science & Technology), University of Alberta, Canada
- BSc (Agriculture), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Dr. Bandara's research explores protein and biopolymer-based nanostructures for bioactive delivery, sustainable protein extraction from Canadian crops and byproducts, and renewable biopolymers for food packaging and biomedical materials. Her lab investigates novel processing technologies' effects on protein structure-function relationships using advanced characterization techniques. Current projects include protein-lipid conjugation for nanodelivery systems, feather keratin-based wound-healing materials, and deep eutectic solvents for protein extraction.
Her publication record demonstrates strong focus on plant protein valorization, nanodelivery systems, and functional materials. Key trends include development of electrospun nanofibers, protein-based packaging films reinforced with nanocellulose, and metabolomics approaches for bioactive compound analysis in Canadian berries. The research bridges fundamental protein chemistry with industrial applications in sustainable food systems.
Awards and Honors:
- Outstanding Volunteer Service Award of the Food Chemistry Division at Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) - 2019/2020
- Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) Program finalist - 2019
- Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship - 2018
- Agricultural Institute of Canada Foundations' (AICF) Karl C Iverson Agricultural Scholarship - 2016
- MITACS Accelerate Graduate Scholarship - 2015
- Queen Elizabeth II Doctoral Graduate Scholarship - 2015
- American Oil Chemist Society Honored Student Award - 2015
- Graduate Student Teaching Award of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research/ Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta - 2015
- Alberta Innovates Technology Futures Graduate Student Doctoral Scholarship
Dr. Bandara actively supervises graduate students through the University of Manitoba's Food and Human Nutritional Sciences program and holds an adjunct professorship at Dalhousie University. She serves as Associate Editor for Food Chemistry Journal and on the editorial board of Food Research International. Her research is supported by her Canada Research Chair position and industry partnerships focused on Canadian agricultural innovation.
She directs the Food Proteins and Bioproducts Lab at the Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research, which specializes in protein characterization, nanomaterial development, and sustainable extraction technologies. The lab collaborates with researchers across Canada and internationally to translate fundamental discoveries into industrial applications for food, packaging, and biomedical sectors.
