2014
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA - Advisor: Prof. Ruben G. Carbonell
2020 OWSD Early Career Fellow - one of 23 women scientists globally
Professor
Dr. Nafisa Islam
Dept. of Chemical Engineering, BUET Campus, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
nafisaislam@che.buet.ac.bd
+880-2-9665650-80
chebuet.wixsite.com/nafisaislam
Biography
Dr. Nafisa Islam is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), where she leads the EMBER (Environmental, Materials, Biosensing, and Engineering Research) Group. A passionate educator and researcher, she has built a career at the intersection of biomaterial science, biosensing, and environmental engineering.
Her doctoral training at North Carolina State University centered on biomaterial synthesis, surface modification, and biosensor development - skills she has since applied to advancing research on sustainable biomaterials derived from waste sources, biological system modelling, and environmental remediation. She is particularly focused on creating green hydrogels and bioactive films from aquatic waste polymers, as well as developing fluidic devices for studying blood clotting and thrombogenesis.
In 2020, Dr. Islam was selected as one of only 23 women scientists worldwide for the prestigious OWSD Early Career Fellowship - the first BUET faculty member to receive this honor - with a USD 50,000 grant to develop hydrogels for accelerating diabetic wound healing.
Research Interests
Biomaterials & BiopolymersBiosensing & Surface FunctionalizationBiocompatible MaterialsEnvironmental ChemistryMicroplastics & PollutionHydrogel SynthesisBiological Process ModellingMicrofluidic DevicesThrombogenesis & Blood FlowWaste Valorization
Dr. Nafisa Islam leads research in biomaterial science, biosensing, and environmental engineering with a particular focus on sustainable bio-based systems, hydrogel design, and microfluidic devices.
Education
2011
M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
2006
B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka
Selected Publications
Development of Prototype Fluidic Devices for Real-Time Investigation of Thrombogenesis.
Biomedical Microdevices - Dec 2025.
A critical review of the emerging research on the detection and assessment of microplastics pollution in the coastal, marine, and urban Bangladesh.
Frontiers in Environmental Science and Engineering 16, 128.
Assessment of heavy metal contamination and health risk from indoor dust and air of informal waste recycling shops in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances.
DOI:10.1016/j.hazadv.2021.100250
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae as an Untapped Source of Fungal Chitosan for Antimicrobial Action.
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology.
DOI:10.1007/s12010-021-03639-0
Use of a Branched Linker for Enhanced Biosensing Properties in IgG Detection from Mixed CHO Cell Cultures.
Bioconjugate Chemistry 30.
DOI:10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00918
Detection and Quantification of Heavy Metals in Personal Care Products.
Proceedings of BUET-ChE Conference.
Honors & Awards
2020 OWSD Early Career Fellowship - Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World; one of only 23 women scientists globally selected in 2020 and the first BUET faculty member to receive this award.
RISE Internal Research Grant (2023) - Principal Investigator.
BUET Internal Research Grant (2022) - Joint PI with Prof. Shoeb Ahmed.
RISE Student Research Grants (2022, 2024) - Supervisor.
Student Team - AIChE Annual Conference Runners-Up (2020).
Student Team - BRIS Virtual Poster Competition Gold Award (2020).