Dr Alamelu Suriya Subramanian

Dr Alamelu Suriya Subramanian is a materials scientist whose work sits at the translational interface of polymer engineering, advanced manufacturing, and dental regenerative technologies. With formal training in Materials Science and Engineering, including a PhD from Nanyang Technological University, she brings deep expertise in polymer formulation and synthesis, polymer and composites processing, surface modification, photopolymerization and additive manufacturing platforms. 

Before joining the National Dental Centre Singapore, Dr Subramanian built a strong industry- and application-facing research portfolio across A*STAR, NTU’s Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, and TE Connectivity. Her prior work spanned adhesives, aerospace composites, photosensitive nanofiller and resin technologies, stimuli-responsive 3D and 4D printable polymers, high-temperature polymers, encapsulation for shelf life stability, accelerated aging and material-integrity testing for demanding engineering environments. This combination of academic, industrial, and translational experience positions her uniquely to advance dental materials from laboratory concepts toward manufacturable and clinically relevant devices.

In her current role as a Research Fellow in the Craniofacial Tissue Regeneration Laboratory of Dr Hemant Unadkat at the National Dental Centre Singapore, Dr Subramanian serves as the laboratory’s in-house materials science specialist. Her work focuses on developing robust moulding and replication strategies for micro- and nano-injection moulding of dental and craniofacial devices, with particular emphasis on scalable fabrication, process reproducibility, polymer selection, nanoimprint lithography, and manufacturing workflows compatible with ISO 13485 and MDR-oriented translation. Her efforts are central to converting biologically active surface architectures and regenerative material concepts into reproducible device platforms that can be manufactured at clinically meaningful scale.

A major thrust of her current research is the upscaling of biodegradable polymer film processing and nanoimprint-based fabrication for craniomaxillofacial tissue regeneration. By integrating polymer processing science with precision micro- and nanoscale surface engineering, she is helping establish the fabrication backbone required for next-generation dental membranes, regenerative scaffolds, and implant-associated devices. Her work addresses one of the most important bottlenecks in translational biomaterials research: the movement from elegant laboratory prototypes to validated, repeatable, quality-controlled manufacturing processes.

In parallel, Dr Subramanian is developing self-healing polymer systems for dental defect filling and restorative applications. This work explores how polymer chemistry, filler design, crack-bridging behaviour, and intrinsic or extrinsic healing mechanisms can be engineered to improve the durability of dental filler resins and reduce failure caused by microcracking, fatigue, and interfacial breakdown. Her current project on self-healing in dental filler resins directly aligns with the need for smarter restorative materials that can withstand the mechanical, chemical, and biological stresses of the oral environment.

Through this work, Dr Subramanian bridges materials discovery, manufacturing science, and clinical translation. Her long-term vision is to create scalable, regulatory-conscious, and functionally advanced polymeric dental devices that move beyond passive restoration toward adaptive, durable, and regenerative solutions for oral and craniofacial health.

• PhD (Materials Science and Engineering) 2019
• M.Eng. (Materials Science and Engineering) 2008
• B.Eng. (Materials Engineering) 2005

1. Subramanian A.S.; Hu ‘M’. X., Heterogeneous photosensitizers: Super-efficient dual functional polydopamine nanohybrid for epoxy photopolymerization, Polymer 2022, 243, 124558.
2. Ng C. S., Subramanian, A.S.; Su P., Zinc oxide nanoparticles as additives for improved dimensional accuracy in vat photopolymerization. Additive Manufacturing 2022, 59(Part A), 103118.
3. Andreu A., Su P., Kim J.-H., Ng C. S., Kim S., Kim., Lee J., Noh J., Subramanian A.S., Yoon Y. J., 4D printing materials for vat photopolymerization, Additive Manufacturing 2021, 44,102024.
4. Subramanian A.S.; Lau W.C.; Goh D. C.W.; Sriramulu D.; Pramono S.; Peng E.; Moo J. G.S.; Kobayshi H.; Wu Y.; Sondjaja R.; Su P.-C., Morphological Effect of Nanostructured silica in Digital Light Projection Printed Polymer Parts, ACS Applied Nano Materials 2021, 4, 4522–4531
5. Chong, H.M. & Wu, Z.A. & Ng, S.P. & Subramanian, Alamelu & Liu, Tong & Feih, Stefanie. Influence of double vacuum debulking process on co-cured soft-patch carbon fibre composite repairs. Composites Part B: Engineering 2019, 168. 367-374.10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.03.051
6. Chong H.M., Liu S.L., Subramanian A.S., Ng S.P., Tay S.W., Wang S.Q., Feih S., Out-of-autoclave scarf repair of interlayer toughened carbon fibre composites using double vacuum debulking of patch. Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing 2018, 107, 224-234.
7. Wiria F.E.; Tham C.L.; Subramanian A.S.; Tey J.N.; Qi X.; Cheng C.K.; Salam B., Improving surface quality of polyethylene terephthalate film for large area flexible electronic applications. Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry 2016, 20, (7), 1895-1902.
8. Subramanian A.S.; Tey J.N.; Zhang L.Y.; Ng B.H.; Roy S.; Wei J.; Hu ‘M’. X., Synergistic bond strengthening in epoxy adhesives using polydopamine/MWCNT hybrids. Polymer 2016, 82, 285-294.
9. Pandita S.D.; Yuan X.; Manan M.A.; Lau C.H.; Subramanian A.S.; Wei J,Evaluation of jute/glass hybrid composite sandwich: Water resistance, impact properties and life cycle assessment. Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 2013, 33, (1), 14-25. 
10. Zhong Z.; Chen F.; Subramanian A.S.; Lim J.; Highfield J.; Gedanken A., Assembly of Au colloids into liner and spherical aggregates and effect of ultrasound irradiation on structure. Journal of Materials Chemistry 2006, 16, 489-495.
11. .Zhong Z.; Subramanian A.S.; Highfield J.; Carpenter K.; Gedanken A., From Discrete Particles to Spherical Aggregates: A Simple Approach to the Self Assembly of Au Colloids. Chemistry-A European Journal 2005, 11, (5), 1473-1478.