DrManjula Silva

Manjula Silva is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Materials at Imperial College. She joined the department in 2012 after moving to UK. Prior to this, Manjula obtained B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Colombo. Following her degree, she worked in the same department for a year and then moved to the Open University of Sri Lanka. While studying for the MSc in Polymer Science and Technology from the University of Moratuwa, she joined the Department of Chemical Engineering. Following her MSc, she joined Prof Laleen Karunanayaka at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura working on a research under Industry-University partnership where she gained experience in rubbers and antioxidants. During this period, she was also a part of the team for curriculum development for MSc in polymer science degree. Later she joined Industrial Technology Institute (Former Ceylon Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) as a research officer developing an accredited testing facility while conducting some research and supervising undergraduate/postgraduate students. She joined the University of Moratuwa as a Lecturer in 2006 before she moved to UK in 2012. Following her PhD in Polymer Engineering from the Brunel University she joined the Department of Materials, Imperial College London. She obtained MEd in Learning and Teaching from the Imperial College London.

Some of her research interests involve Natural Rubber Latex and its properties, processing and characterisation of polymers and composites, bio based and biodegradable materials for sustainable development and their evaluation for applications such as food and cosmetic packaging, recycling/upcycling of plastics for construction industry. Furthermore her research interests expands to engineering education and assessment and feedback areas.

Membership of Professional Bodies

Society for Research into Higher Education

Women's Engineering Society

Higher Education Academy

Society of Plastic Engineers

Sri Lanka Association of Advancement of Science

Institute of Chemistry Ceylon