Snr. Prof. K. M. Nalin de Silva (PhD, FRSC)

Senior Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo

Professor K. M. Nalin de Silva is the Chair Senior Professor of Chemistry and Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. He earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cambridge as a Commonwealth Scholar and has built an outstanding career in chemistry, nanotechnology, and advanced materials research. His research focuses on water purification using advanced materials, nanotechnology in smart and healthcare textiles, anti-cancer drug delivery, and transdermal therapeutic systems. He has secured major competitive research funding from national and international agencies, including the National Research Council (NRC), National Science Foundation (NSF), the Royal Society (UK), and EPSRC–UCL collaborations. He also leads an active research group and has supervised many postgraduate and undergraduate researchers while publishing widely in high-impact international journals. Professor de Silva is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and has received numerous honors, including multiple Presidential Awards for Scientific Publications, the NRC Merit Award for Research Excellence, and the National Science Foundation Research Award. Named Sri Lanka’s Young Scientist of the Year early in his career, he continues to contribute to research, innovation, and scientific leadership in Sri Lanka and beyond.

Research Interests