Thashree Marimuthu

Thashree Marimuthu is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of the Witwatersrand's Faculty of Health Sciences. She leads research in the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) Research Unit and is an NRF Y-rated researcher. Her academic journey includes BSc, BSc Honours (University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006), and a PhD (2012, upgraded from MSc) in homogenous catalysis. She transitioned to pharmaceutical chemistry and health sciences to address healthcare challenges through drug delivery innovations.

Research Interests: Molecular engineering of precise systems, drug delivery systems, nanomedicine, and biomaterials. Her work focuses on hydrogels, nanoparticles, and biodegradable materials for wound healing, cancer therapy, and controlled drug release. Recent advancements include pH-responsive hydrogels and targeted SPIONs for lung cancer treatment.

Publications & Awards: Over 50 publications (14 as first author) in top journals like Carbohydrate Polymers and Cancers. Awards include the 2022 Friedel Sellschop Research Award and SAYAS Membership (2021). She co-invented a thermoresponsive hydrogel and contributed to over 40 national/international conferences.

Grants & Mentorship: Secured grants including SAMRC Self-Initiated Research (2022) and NRF grants (e.g., Molecular Engineering of Peptide Hydrogels). Supervised 3 PhD and 6 Master’s graduates. Recognized for mentoring (2013, 2019) and teaching excellence (2019 Phillip Tobias Award).

Labs/Teams: Co-leads the WADDP Unit and contributes to the CELENA X High Content Imaging Platform. Serves on the Controlled Release Society (CRS) South Africa executive committee.