As a woman scientist in STEM, Dr. Geetha Manivasagam started her research in her mid-30s and worked in various interdisciplinary areas. She completed her Master’s of Science and MPhil in crystallography and biophysics, but during the Ph.D. work, she shifted her focus towards biomaterial engineering for improving the quality of life in patients receiving implants.
She is currently the Director of Center for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), an interdisciplinary research facility to mobilize and materialize translational research. Considering her contributions in the field of Biomaterials, she was invited to be a part of a national initiative for preparing a road map for bioimplants in coordination with IIT ,DMRL, IISC, and Tata Health Care. Recently, she was invited by Springer Nature to be a member of the editorial team of the journal Invitro Model. She had been recognised as No. 1 scientist in Materials Science by MHRD from 2009-2019 and listed in the Top 2 % of scientists in the country in Materials Science as per the analysis performed by Stanford University.
Dr. Manivasagam’s Fulbirght-Nehru Fellowship work comprises developing a smart multimodal polymer-based bone-implant fortified with growth factors and anti-microbial agents for the controlled release of compounds as the conventional treatment modalities for treating bone infection are getting saturated with diminishing efficacy. This work is a novel approach with practical translational potential that can curb bone bacterial infection which is a global threat and aid rapid regeneration of bone.