Mohan Edirisinghe


Mohan Jayantha Edirisinghe is a biomaterials engineer who is the Bonfield Chair of Biomaterials in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London. Edirisinghe studies new materials forming methodologies, with a focus on the development of new biostructures. He was appointed an Order of the British Empire in the 2021 New Year Honours for his services to Biomedical Engineering.

Early life and education

Edirisinghe was born in Sri Lanka. He was educated at the St [Thomas College, Mount Lavinia]. He studied at the University of Moratuwa in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, in a joint course between the British Council and University of Leeds. He eventually moved to Leeds for his postgraduate studies, where he completed a doctorate on alloy additions and how they impact the properties of cast iron and then a Doctor of Science degree was awarded for his materials research in 2000 by the University of Leeds.

Research and career

Edirisinghe works on materials forming and manufacturing for healthcare and drug delivery. He has developed complex nanofibres that can be used to generate antimicrobial filters, and nanobubbles that facilitate new modes of drug delivery. He developed electrohydrodyanmic printing methods for biomedical applications. In 2010, Edirisinghe's inventions led to AtoCap, a spin-out company who focus on the encapsulation of generic drugs into a complex capsule. He has studied the protein composition of milk, and identified that casein, which contributes 80% of the protein in dairy milk, has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Edirisinghe demonstrated that it could be incorporated into biodegradable plastic bandages to accelerate wound healing.
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Edirisinghe worked with the Royal Academy of Engineering to create new respirator masks. His antiviral masks were developed and also worked on air filters that could be used in care homes, schools and on public transport.

Awards and honours

Selected publications

  • C J Luo; M Nangrejo, M Edirisinghe. "A novel method of selecting solvents for polymer electrospinning". Polymer. 51 : 1654-1662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2010.01.031
'''* The full list of publications can be accessed .'''