Melanie MacGregor

APrf Melanie MacGregor

School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science

College of Health

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

Dr Melanie Macgregor is a Santos-UCL Research Fellow at the future Industries Institute.
She was educated in France where she obtained her Master of Chemical Engineer in 2009. She completed her PhD in Minerals and Materials Engineering in the colloid and nanostructure research group of the Ian Wark Research Institute. In 2013, was awarded the Ian Wark Medal for her PhD thesis on dynamic wetting phenomena.
She is a material scientist who explore the effects of surface chemistry and nanoscale topography on the interaction between (bio)materials and their environment. Until January 2014 she worked on the making of smart nanocomposite hydrogels. She then joined the Mawson Institute, where she  developed biomaterials and nanocomposites for biomedical applications using both wet chemistry and plasma based methods. Now a member of the FII, Melanie focuses on developing bioengineered platforms capable to guide cell growth and differentiation, and selective cell capture devices for diagnostic purposes.
In this field, she has led since 2014 several externally, internally and industry funded projects as principal chief investigator (Channel 7 Children Research Foundation grant, UniSA Research Theme Investment Scheme project, New adventure fund Project). In 2017, her collaborative research work was further funded through a CRC-P project in partnership with SMR automotive, Flinders Medical center, and Prohealth care, aiming to industrialise biomedical devices for the non invasive diagnosis of bladder cancer.
In 2018, her fundamental work on wetting phenomena at the nanoscale was funded by an ARC discovery project in collaboration with QUT and the Max Plank Institute for Polymer research in Germany.
Melanie is an enthusiastic ambassador of diversity in the STEM sector and reaches out to promote science and STEM career pathways to the younger generations. Her community engagement extends through participation to public events such as Science Alive! or For the love of Science, media interview, social media, and the organisation lab tour and on site visits for schools.
The quality of her research, innovation and science communication have been recognised through several awards, including the 2016 Engineers Australia John A. Brodie Medal for achievement in Chemical Engineering , the 2017 Winnovation awards in the Engineering category, and a 2018 SA Young Tall Poppy Science Award. In 2019, she was also selected to participate to the SuperStar Of STEM program hosted by Sience Technology Australia.

Year Citation
2025 Schofield, J., Gorman, A., Antonello, A., Couceiro, F., Leterme, S., Macgregor, M., . . . Werner, A. D. (2025). Archaeological and systemic context for the plastic age: Theorising the formation of contemporary and future archaeological records. Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, 3, 1-11.
DOI
2025 Wotton, A., Delcheva, I., Gascooke, J., Springer, D., Mills, S., Ernst, A., . . . Prifti, H. (2025). Are you being served? An examination of chemical risks posed by compostable single-use food service items. Environmental Science-Advances, online(12), 1-13.
DOI
2024 Delcheva, I., Weinfurter, A., Hui, K. W., Gheorghiu, A., Tran, T. T. D., Vasilev, K., . . . MacGregor, M. N. (2024). Hydrophobic coatings with charge permeability via plasma deposition of long-chain perfluorocarbons. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 7(13), 5326-5337.
DOI
2024 Hurtado, C., Andreoli, T., Le Brun, A. P., MacGregor, M., Darwish, N., & Ciampi, S. (2024). Galinstan liquid metal electrical contacts for monolayer-modified silicon surfaces. Langmuir, 40(1), 201-210.
DOI
2024 Belotti, M., Hurtado, C., Kelly, S., Macgregor, M., Darwish, N., & Ciampi, S. (2024). Toward the electrostatic catalysis of nucleophilic substitutions: a surface chemistry study of the Menshutkin reaction. Langmuir, 40(50), 26633-26639.
DOI
2023 Gheorghiu, A., Chhasatia, R., Delcheva, I., Hui, K. W., de Eulate, E. A., & MacGregor, M. (2023). Nanoscale steric hindrance guides size-selective adsorption of gold nanoparticles into titanium nanowells. Nano-Structures & Nano-Objects, 34(100966), 1-10.
DOI
2023 Pidhatika, B., & MacGregor, M. (2023). Surface "Click" reaction between acetylene-decorated polymeric platform and azide-decorated compounds. Surface Review and Letters, 30(3, article no. 2350016), 1-12.
DOI
2022 González García, L. E., MacGregor, M., Cavallaro, A., Koynov, K., & Vasilev, K. (2022). Plasma polymer barrier layers to control the release kinetics from dissolvable microneedle patches. Plasma Processes and Polymers, 19(12, article no. 2200099), 1-8.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2022 González García, L. E., Macgregor, M. N., Visalakshan, R. M., Lazarian, A., Cavallaro, A. A., Morsbach, S., . . . Vasilev, K. (2022). Nanoparticles surface chemistry influence on protein corona composition and inflammatory responses. Nanomaterials, 12(4, article no. 682), 1-19.
DOI Scopus75 WoS64
2022 Li, T., Peiris, C., Dief, E. M., MacGregor, M., Ciampi, S., & Darwish, N. (2022). Effect of electric fields on silicon-based monolayers. Langmuir, 38(9), 2986-2992.
DOI
2022 Marsden, H., Basu, S., Striolo, A., & MacGregor, M. (2022). Advances of nanotechnologies for hydraulic fracturing of coal seam gas reservoirs: potential applications and some limitations in Australia. International Journal of Coal Science and Technology, 9(1, article no. 27), 1-18.
DOI
2022 Chan, K. M., Gleadle, J. M., O'Callaghan, M., Vasilev, K., & MacGregor, M. (2022). Prostate cancer detection: a systematic review of urinary biosensors. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, 25(1), 39-46.
DOI Scopus27 WoS32 Europe PMC15
2021 MacGregor, M., Safizadeh Shirazi, H., Chan, K. M., Ostrikov, K., McNicholas, K., Jay, A., . . . Vasilev, K. (2021). Cancer cell detection device for the diagnosis of bladder cancer from urine. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 171(112699), 12 pages.
DOI Scopus38 WoS32 Europe PMC24
2021 Chan, K. M., Gleadle, J. M., Gregory, P. A., Phillips, C. A., Safizadeh Shirazi, H., Whiteley, A., . . . Macgregor, M. (2021). Selective microfluidic capture and detection of prostate cancer cells from urine without digital rectal examination. Cancers, 13(21, article no. 5544), 5544-1-5544-17.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC8
2021 Chan, K. M., Gleadle, J., Li, J., Michl, T. D., Vasilev, K., & MacGregor, M. (2021). Improving hexaminolevulinate enabled cancer cell detection in liquid biopsy immunosensors. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1-13.
DOI Scopus6 WoS6 Europe PMC3
2021 Gheorghiu, A. A., Muguet, I., Chakiris, J., Chan, K. M., Priest, C., & Macgregor, M. (2021). Plasma deposited polyoxazoline films integration into spiral microfluidics for the targeted capture of size selected cells. Frontiers in Chemistry, 9(690781), 1-11.
DOI
2021 Alvarez de Eulate, E., Gheorghiu, A., Amoura, C., Whiteley, A., Priest, C., & MacGregor, M. N. (2021). Plasma deposited polyoxazoline thin films for the biofunctionalization of electrochemical sensors. Advanced Materials Technologies, 6(8, article no. 2001292), 1-13.
DOI
2021 Ostrikov, K., Kashani, M. N., Vasilev, K., & MacGregor, M. N. (2021). Fluid flow dependency in immunoselective cell capture via liquid biopsy. Langmuir, 37(42), 12388-12396.
DOI
2020 Chan, K. M., Gleadle, J., Vasilev, K., & Macgregor, M. (2020). Probing hexaminolevulinate mediated PpIX fluorescence in cancer cell suspensions in the presence of chemical adjuvants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(8, article no. 2963), 1-16.
DOI
2020 Chan, K. M., Gleadle, J., Li, J., Vasilev, K., & MacGregor, M. (2020). Shedding light on bladder cancer diagnosis in urine. Diagnostics, 10(6, article no. 383), 1-20.
DOI Scopus18 Europe PMC15
2020 Chan, K. M., Amoura, C., Whiteley, A., Rouget, J., Safizadeh Shirazi, H., Cavallaro, A., . . . MacGregor, M. (2020). Functional nanothin films plasma-deposited from 2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline for biosensor applications. Biointerphases, 15(5, article no. 051005), 1-13.
DOI Scopus15 WoS13 Europe PMC6
2020 Shirazi, H. S., Chan, K. M., Rouget, J., Ostrikov, K., McNicholas, K., Li, J., . . . MacGregor, M. (2020). Plasma enabled devices for the selective capture and photodynamic identification of prostate cancer cells.. Biointerphases, 15(3), 031002.
DOI Scopus11 WoS10 Europe PMC8
2019 McNicholas, K., MacGregor, M. N., & Gleadle, J. M. (2019). In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present-why do cancers fluoresce with 5-aminolaevulinic acid?. British Journal of Cancer, 121(8), 1-9.
DOI Scopus63 WoS56 Europe PMC45
2019 Chan, K. M., Vasilev, K., Shirazi, H. S., McNicholas, K., Li, J., Gleadle, J., & MacGregor, M. (2019). Biosensor device for the photo-specific detection of immuno-captured bladder cancer cells using hexaminolevulinate: an ex-vivo study. Photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy, 28, 238-247.
DOI Scopus19 WoS18 Europe PMC14
2019 Garcia, L. E. G., MacGregor, M. N., Visalakshan, R. M., Ninan, N., Cavallaro, A. A., Trinidad, A. D., . . . Vasilev, K. (2019). Self-sterilizing antibacterial silver-loaded microneedles. Chemical Communications, 55(2), 171-174.
DOI Scopus75 WoS77 Europe PMC47
2019 Visalakshan, R. M., Cavallaro, A. A., MacGregor, M. N., Lawrence, E. P., Koynov, K., Hayball, J. D., & Vasilev, K. (2019). Nanotopography-induced unfolding of fibrinogen modulates leukocyte binding and activation. Advanced Functional Materials, 29(14), 1807453-1-1807453-12.
DOI Scopus43 WoS44
2019 Vasilev, K., & MacGregor, M. (2019). Advanced biomedical devices facilitated by plasma deposited polyoxazoline coatings. Biostatistics and biometrics open access journal, 2(3), 1-5.
DOI
2019 Hopp, I., MacGregor, M. N., Doherty, K., Visalakshan, R. M., Vasilev, K., Williams, R. L., & Murray, P. (2019). Plasma polymer coatings to direct the differentiation of mouse kidney-derived stem cells into podocyte and proximal tubule-like cells. ACS biomaterials science & engineering, 5(6), 2834-2845.
DOI
2019 Al Bataineh, S. A., Cavallaro, A. A., Michelmore, A., Macgregor, M. N., Whittle, J. D., & Vasilev, K. (2019). Deposition of 2-oxazoline-based plasma polymer coatings using atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet. Plasma processes and polymers, 16(10, article no. e1900104), 1-11.
DOI Scopus15 WoS15
2019 Ostrikov, K., Michl, T., MacGregor, M., & Vasilev, K. (2019). Bladder cancer cell capture: elucidating the effect of sample storage conditions on capturing bladder cancer cells via surface immobilized epcam antibody. ACS applied bio materials, 2(9), 3730-3736.
DOI
2019 MacGregor, M. (2019). Back cover. Chemical communications, 55(2), 258.
DOI
2019 MacGregor, M., Sinha, U., Visalakshan, R. M., Cavallaro, A., & Vasilev, K. (2019). Preserving the reactivity of coatings plasma deposited from oxazoline precursors − an in depth study. Plasma processes and polymers, 16(2, article no. e1800130), 1-12.
DOI Scopus24 WoS20
2019 Macgregor, M., & Vasilev, K. (2019). Perspective on plasma polymers for applied biomaterials nanoengineering and the recent rise of oxazolines. Materials, 12(1, article no. 191), 1-18.
DOI
2019 Al Bataineh, S. A., Cavallaro, A. A., Michelmore, A., Macgregor, M. N., Whittle, J. D., & Vasilev, K. (2019). Cover picture: plasma process. Polym. 10/2019. Plasma Processes and Polymers, 16(10), 1.
DOI
2018 Vasilev, K., & Ramiasa MacGregor, M. (2018). Nanoengineered plasma polymer films for biomedical applications. Advanced materials letters, 9(1), 42-52.
DOI
2018 Taheri, S., Ruiz, J. C., Michelmore, A., Macgregor, M., Förch, R., Majewski, P., & Vasilev, K. (2018). Binding of nanoparticles to aminated plasma polymer surfaces is controlled by primary amine density and solution pH. Journal of physical chemistry C, 122(26), 14986-14995.
DOI
2018 Visalakshan, R. M., Macgregor, M. N., Cavallaro, A. A., Sasidharan, S., Bachhuka, A., Mierczynska-Vasilev, A. M., . . . Vasilev, K. (2018). Creating nano-engineered biomaterials with well-defined surface descriptors. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 1(6), 2796-2807.
DOI Scopus36 WoS34
2017 Macgregor, M., Williams, R., Downes, J., Bachhuka, A., & Vasilev, K. (2017). The role of controlled surface topography and chemistry on mouse embryonic stem cell attachment, growth and self-renewal. Materials, 10(9), 1081-1-1081-13.
DOI Scopus25 WoS24 Europe PMC12
2017 Macgregor-Ramiasa, M., McNicholas, K., Ostrikov, K., Li, J., Michael, M., Gleadle, J. M., & Vasilev, K. (2017). A platform for selective immuno-capture of cancer cells from urine. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 96, 373-380.
DOI Scopus53 WoS50 Europe PMC30
2017 MacGregor-Ramiasa, M., Hopp, I., Bachhuka, A., Murray, P., & Vasilev, K. (2017). Surface nanotopography guides kidney-derived stem cell differentiation into podocytes. Acta Biomaterialia, 56, 171-180.
DOI Scopus28 WoS27 Europe PMC15
2017 Gonzalez Garcia, L. E., MacGregor Ramiasa, M., Visalakshan, R. M., & Vasilev, K. (2017). Protein interactions with nanoengineered polyoxazoline surfaces generated via plasma deposition. Langmuir, 33(29), 7322-7331.
DOI
2017 Macgregor Ramiasa, M. N., & Vasilev, K. (2017). Questions and answers on the wettability of nano-engineered surfaces. Advanced materials interfaces, 4(16, article no. 1700381), 1-24.
DOI
2017 MacGregor, M. N., Michelmore, A., Safizadeh Shirazi, H., Whittle, J., & Vasilev, K. (2017). Secrets of plasma-deposited polyoxazoline functionality lie in the plasma phase. Chemistry of materials, 29(19), 8047-8051.
DOI
2017 Vasilev, K., & MacGregor Ramiasa, M. (2017). Nanoengineered interfaces, coatings, and structures by plasma techniques. Nanomaterials, 7(12, article no. 449), 1-3.
DOI
2016 Wong, W. W. H., Rudd, S., Ostrikov, K., Ramiasa MacGregor, M., Subbiah, J., & Vasilev, K. (2016). Plasma deposition of organic polymer films for solar cell applications. Organic Electronics: physics, materials, applications, 32, 78-82.
DOI Scopus14
2016 Ramiasa MacGregor, M., Mierczynska, A., Sedev, R., & Vasilev, K. (2016). Tuning and predicting the wetting of nanoengineered material surface. Nanoscale, 8(8), 4635-4642.
DOI
2016 Ostrikov, K., Macgregor Ramiasa, M. N., Cavallaro, A., Ostrikov, K. K., & Vasilev, K. (2016). Bactericidal effects of plasma-modified surface chemistry of silicon nanograss. Journal of physics D: applied physics, 49(30), 1-9.
DOI Scopus23 WoS21
2016 Vasilev, K., & Ramiasa MacGregor, M. (2016). Plasma nanoengineering and nanofabrication. Nanomaterials, 6(7), 1-3.
DOI
2016 Ostrikov, K., Macgregor Ramiasa, M. N., Cavallaro, A. A., Jacob, M., & Vasilev, K. (2016). A comparative assessment of nanoparticulate and metallic silver coated dressings. Recent Patents on Materials Science, 9(1), 50-57.
DOI Scopus5
2016 Cavallaro, A. A., Macgregor Ramiasa, M. N., & Vasilev, K. (2016). Antibiofouling properties of plasma-deposited oxazoline-based thin films. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 8(10), 6354-6362.
DOI Scopus78 WoS72 Europe PMC27
2016 Chowdhury, N., MacGregor-Ramiasa, M., Zilm, P., Majewski, P., & Vasilev, K. (2016). ‘Chocolate’ silver nanoparticles: synthesis, antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 482, 151-158.
DOI Scopus93 WoS78 Europe PMC36
2015 Ramiasa, M., Cavallaro, A., Mierczynska, A., Christo, S., Gleadle, J., Hayball, J., & Vasilev, K. (2015). Plasma polymerised polyoxazoline thin films for biomedical applications. Chemical Communications, 51(20), 4279-4282.
DOI Scopus92 WoS86 Europe PMC39
2015 Macgregor Ramiasa, M. N., Cavallaro, A. A., & Vasilev, K. (2015). Properties and reactivity of polyoxazoline plasma polymer films. Journal of materials chemistry B, 3(30), 6327-6337.
DOI Scopus80 WoS71
2015 MacGregor Ramiasa, M., Abrahamsson, C., Röding, M., & Nydén, M. (2015). Magnetic alignment of nontronite dispersions. Applied clay science, 116-117, 167-174.
DOI
2013 Ramiasa, M., Ralston, J., Fetzer, R., & Sedev, R. V. (2013). The influence of topography on dynamic wetting. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 206, 275-293.
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2013 Ramiasa, M., Ralston, J., Fetzer, R., Sedev, R. V., Fopp Spori, D. M., Morhard, C., . . . Spatz, J. P. (2013). Contact line motion on nanorough surfaces: a thermally activated process. Journal of the American chemical society, 135(19), 7159-7171.
DOI
2012 Ramiasa, M., Ralston, J., Fetzer, R., & Sedev, R. (2012). Nanoroughness impact on liquid-liquid displacement. Journal of physical chemistry C, 116(20), 10934-10943.
DOI
2011 Ramiasa, M., Ralston, J., Fetzer, R., & Sedev, R. (2011). Contact line friction in liquid - liquid displacement on hydrophobic surfaces. Journal of physical chemistry C, 115(50), 24975-24986.
DOI
2009 Fetzer, R., Ramiasa, M., & Ralston, J. (2009). Dynamics of Liquid-Liquid Displacement. Langmuir, 25(14), 8069-8074.
DOI

Year Citation
2017 Macgregor, M., Vasilev, K., Gleadle, J., & Li, J. (2017). AU2017901350, Bladder cancer detection device and method.
2017 Cavallaro, A. A., Macgregor Ramiasa, M. N., & Vasilev, K. A. (2017). AU2015903578, Plasma polymerised oxazoline coatings and uses thereof.

  • CRC-P Industrialisation of a Novel Diagnostic Biosensor for Bladder Cancer, SMR Automotive Australia Pty Ltd, 01/04/2017 - 30/06/2020

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2021 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr EDWARD HUI

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