Nilmini Dissanayake

Dr. Nilmini Dissanayake is a Researcher at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation (CNMI) within the University of Cambridge's Department of Architecture. Her work focuses on sustainable materials and composites, particularly in the EU Horizon-funded WOODCIRCLES project to enhance wood circularity in construction. She holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of flax composites and has contributed to projects at the University of Exeter and NPL, including durability studies of natural fibre composites. She is a Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Scientist, and Fellow of IOM3, actively involved in professional groups like the Natural Materials Group and Bioladies Network.

Her research emphasizes environmental impact quantification, data quality in LCA frameworks, and recycled material traceability. She has led projects on composite sustainability and moisture effects on material properties using advanced techniques like DMA and TTSP modeling. Awards include the Daphne Jackson Fellowship (2018) and recognition through her IOM3 roles and charterships.

Dr. Dissanayake collaborates with industry and academia to address gaps in composite material lifecycle analysis and promote circular economy practices. Her work bridges material science, environmental engineering, and sustainable construction practices, contributing to both academic discourse and practical applications in green building materials.