The Fellowship Scheme aims to support outstanding early-career researchers by providing five years of funding as well as a network of mentors.
Dr Dharmasena joined º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in 2019 as a EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow at Wolfson School and this new appointment will aid his research in triboelectrically powered super-smart textiles for remote health monitoring.
The aim is for these super-smart textiles to monitor body movements and remotely transmit sensor signals, while powering their own operations by absorbing energy from the natural motion of the wearer.
Around 15% of the global population suffer from disabilities and the lack of infrastructure and trained professionals in rehabilitation are global issues, intensified by the ongoing pandemic, significantly restricting healthcare access.
Through the funding from RAEng, he will be able to address key issues related to wearable health monitoring by creating innovative solutions through nanogenerator technology. His developments will help to increase access to remote and affordable rehabilitation care.
On his appointment, Dr Dharmasena said: “I am honoured to have received the prestigious Research Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering as it has been one of my aspirations since starting my PhD.
“This fellowship is a result of years of hard work that I conducted at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, and I want to acknowledge the wonderful support from the Wolfson School and º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, as well as my academic and industrial collaborators.”
More information on the RAEng Fellowship Scheme is available here.