Skip to main content

in het Panhuis, Marc H. Professor

Professor of Materials Science

  • Senior Researcher - Intelligent Polymer Research Institute 2006 -
  • Australian Institute for Innovative Materials 2008 -
  • Chief Investigator - ARC Centre for Electromaterials Science 2009 -
  • Early and Mid-Career Academic Mentor - Professional and Organisational Development Services 2011 -
  • Associate Editor - Royal Society of Chemistry 2013 -
  • Project Leader - Global Challenges - 3D printed fins for surfboards 2015 -
  • Professor of Materials Science - School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience 2018 -
  • Professor of Materials Science - School of Chemistry 2014 - 2018
  • Associate Dean International - Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health 2013 - 2016
  • ARC Future Fellow - School of Chemistry 2009 - 2013

Research Overview

  • Prof. in het Panhuis’ vision is to establish the University of Wollongong as a leading academic institution for research into 3D printed fins for surfboards, flex in surfboards, and hydrogels materials and their processing using Additive Manufacturing (3D/4D printing).

    His main research focus is to combine bio and synthetic polymers with carbon nanostructures, and/or conducting polymers via processing techniques such as additive fabrication into soft (wet and tough) materials for water treatment, soft robotics, bionics and tissue engineering applications. Since moving to the University of Wollongong in 2006, Prof. in het Panhuis has focussed his research on hydrogels (based on biopolymers such as gellan gum), their mechanical and electrical characterisation, and processing using Additive Manufacturing (3D/4D printing). More recent research has involved developing materials and processes for edible electronics, and fins for surfboards.

    Understanding the characteristics of materials and their importance in processing and materials fabrication has enabled his group to make a number of breakthroughs in: (i) the processing of conducting materials (including printing of devices), (ii) the synthesis of a new type of tough hydrogel (including 3D printing), (iii) the development of bio-inks for printing living cells, (iv) application of 4D printing to develop an autonomously functioning valve, (v) development of hydrogel materials for edible electronics and (vi) use of 3D printing in the development of fins for surfboards.

    3D Printed Fins for Surfboards is an innovative interdisciplinary research project proving that, compared to traditional manufacturing, 3D printing is a viable alternative to customise and rapidly propotype surfboard fins. The project brings together experienced experts and early career researchers from a diverse range of disciplines including materials science, human geography, engineering, biomechanics, 3D printing, computational fluid dynamics, the Internet-of-Things, data mining and surfing. This project owes its success to its truly interdisciplinary nature, see https://goo.gl/J1d5mB.


    The research conducted by in het Panhuis has received significant media attention. His ‘Hydrogel Scaffolds’ invention won the People’s Choice award on ABC TV’s The New Inventors in 2009. He was featured on BBC television for his work on 4D printing in 2015. Since 2016, his work on 3D printed fins for surfboards has been regularly appearing in the media, e.g. The Australian, 9NewsIllawarra, ABC radio and on Discovery Channel program Daily Planet (to name by a few). For more details see: https://goo.gl/QVga7q

     

    Since 2006, Prof. in het Panhuis has supervised 20 PhD, 6 MSc, 17 Honours and 8 visiting research students.

     

    Full CV can be downloaded here:
    https://goo.gl/tY7e1f

Available as Research Supervisor

Selected Publications

Investigator On

Impact Story

Available as Research Supervisor

Advisees

  • Graduate Advising Relationship

    Degree Research Title Advisee
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) Preparation, characterization and 3D Printing of Hydrogels for soft sensor devices Zainulabdeen, Khalid
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) 3D printed living electrodes Almossawi, Mohammed
    Doctor of Philosophy Edible 4D printed hydrogel devices Keller, Alexander
    Doctor of Philosophy Actuators, Sensors and Support for Robotic Hand. Tawk, Charbel
    Doctor of Philosophy Neural Interfacing to Soft Robotic Hand Montoya Gurrola, Gerardo

Web Of Science Researcher Id

  • D-2590-2012

Research Overview

  • Prof. in het Panhuis’ vision is to establish the University of Wollongong as a leading academic institution for research into 3D printed fins for surfboards, flex in surfboards, and hydrogels materials and their processing using Additive Manufacturing (3D/4D printing).

    His main research focus is to combine bio and synthetic polymers with carbon nanostructures, and/or conducting polymers via processing techniques such as additive fabrication into soft (wet and tough) materials for water treatment, soft robotics, bionics and tissue engineering applications. Since moving to the University of Wollongong in 2006, Prof. in het Panhuis has focussed his research on hydrogels (based on biopolymers such as gellan gum), their mechanical and electrical characterisation, and processing using Additive Manufacturing (3D/4D printing). More recent research has involved developing materials and processes for edible electronics, and fins for surfboards.

    Understanding the characteristics of materials and their importance in processing and materials fabrication has enabled his group to make a number of breakthroughs in: (i) the processing of conducting materials (including printing of devices), (ii) the synthesis of a new type of tough hydrogel (including 3D printing), (iii) the development of bio-inks for printing living cells, (iv) application of 4D printing to develop an autonomously functioning valve, (v) development of hydrogel materials for edible electronics and (vi) use of 3D printing in the development of fins for surfboards.

    3D Printed Fins for Surfboards is an innovative interdisciplinary research project proving that, compared to traditional manufacturing, 3D printing is a viable alternative to customise and rapidly propotype surfboard fins. The project brings together experienced experts and early career researchers from a diverse range of disciplines including materials science, human geography, engineering, biomechanics, 3D printing, computational fluid dynamics, the Internet-of-Things, data mining and surfing. This project owes its success to its truly interdisciplinary nature, see https://goo.gl/J1d5mB.


    The research conducted by in het Panhuis has received significant media attention. His ‘Hydrogel Scaffolds’ invention won the People’s Choice award on ABC TV’s The New Inventors in 2009. He was featured on BBC television for his work on 4D printing in 2015. Since 2016, his work on 3D printed fins for surfboards has been regularly appearing in the media, e.g. The Australian, 9NewsIllawarra, ABC radio and on Discovery Channel program Daily Planet (to name by a few). For more details see: https://goo.gl/QVga7q

     

    Since 2006, Prof. in het Panhuis has supervised 20 PhD, 6 MSc, 17 Honours and 8 visiting research students.

     

    Full CV can be downloaded here:
    https://goo.gl/tY7e1f

Selected Publications

Investigator On

Impact Story

Advisees

  • Graduate Advising Relationship

    Degree Research Title Advisee
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) Preparation, characterization and 3D Printing of Hydrogels for soft sensor devices Zainulabdeen, Khalid
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) 3D printed living electrodes Almossawi, Mohammed
    Doctor of Philosophy Edible 4D printed hydrogel devices Keller, Alexander
    Doctor of Philosophy Actuators, Sensors and Support for Robotic Hand. Tawk, Charbel
    Doctor of Philosophy Neural Interfacing to Soft Robotic Hand Montoya Gurrola, Gerardo

Web Of Science Researcher Id

  • D-2590-2012
uri icon

Visualisations

  Publication History
 

Research Areas