Dr. Nandika Bandara

• CFS (Certified Food Scientist), Institute of Food Technologists / International Food Science Certification Council
• PhD (Food Science & Bioresource Technology), University of Alberta, Canada
• MSc (Food Science & Technology), University of Alberta, Canada
• BSc (Agriculture), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

• FOOD 3010 Food Process I
• FOOD 7240 Special Topics in Food Science

Research interests

Dr. Bandara's Canada Research Chair program in Food Proteins and Bioproducts aims to advance the fundamental knowledge that will shape the food, materials, and bioproducts industries’ ability to create value-added protein products and advanced technologies to meet growing demands for sustainable protein products.
To achieve this overarching objective, the “Food Proteins and Bioproducts lab” is currently working on:

• Integrating material science and nanotechnology to develop protein and other biopolymer-based nanostructures and nanodelivery systems for efficient delivery of bioactive compounds/drug molecules;
• Exploring novel and sustainable protein extraction and processing technologies for developing functionally enhanced value-added protein ingredients from Canadian grown crops, livestock, alternate proteins sources, and byproduct streams;
• Exploring renewable biopolymers as a building block for bioproducts and biomaterials applications (food packaging, biomedical materials, adhesives, bioplastics);
• Investigating the effect of novel food processing methods on food proteins and their structure-function activity using advanced characterization techniques.

Current research projects

• Innovations in protein-lipid conjugation and novel technologies for developing protein-based nanodelivery systems to improve the delivery mechanism, efficacy, and bioavailability of bioactives
• Renewable feather keratin-based advanced functional materials: nano-reinforced, biomimetically modified keratin polymer blends as a wound-healing material
• Renewable polymer-based active food packaging materials
• Deep eutectic solvents (DES), natural deep eutectic solvents (NDES), and reverse micelles (RM) as a novel, sustainable extraction technologies for developing functionally superior protein ingredients

Publications

• ORCiD
• Google Scholar

Food Proteins and Bioproducts Lab

Awards:

• Outstanding Volunteer Service Award of the Food Chemistry Division at Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) - 2019/2020
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) Program finalist - 2019
• Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship - 2018
• Agricultural Institute of Canada Foundations' (AICF) Karl C Iverson Agricultural Scholarship - 2016
• MITACS Accelerate Graduate Scholarship - 2015
• Queen Elizabeth II Doctoral Graduate Scholarship - 2015
• American Oil Chemist Society Honored Student Award - 2015
• Graduate Student Teaching Award of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research/ Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta - 2015
• Alberta Innovates Technology Futures Graduate Student Doctoral Scholarship

Affiliations:

• Adjunct Professor in Food Bioscience - Dalhousie University
• Associate Editor - Food Chemistry Journal
• Editorial Board Member - Food Research International
• Chair Designate - Food Chemistry Division, Institute of Food Technologists
• Member - American Oil Chemist Society
• Member - American Chemical Society
• Member - Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology