Calum Drummond

Professor Calum Drummond

Deputy Vice-Chancellor R & I & Vice-Pres

Details

Open to

  • Masters Research or PhD student supervision

About

Professor Calum Drummond AO, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation and Vice-President

The primary goal of the role is to nurture and grow the research and innovation ecosystem to provide an environment that supports a highly productive research workforce and orchestrates well-articulated research translation pathways to better deliver impact outside the academic community. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation is responsible for the following areas:

1. Research Strategy and Services
2. School of Graduate Research
3. Research Partnerships and Translation
4. Research Capability, including the eight Enabling Impact Platforms (EIPs). (https://www.rmit.edu.au/research/our-research/enabling-impact-platforms)

Areas of support include research partnerships and translation, grants and research contracts, funding opportunities, researcher capability development, research training, research ethics and integrity, intellectual property and commercialisation.

Professor Drummond has a strong interest and passion for the commercialisation of research outcomes. He joined RMIT University in 2014 from CSIRO where he was Group Executive for Manufacturing, Materials and Minerals comprising 1300 researchers and research support staff and an annual budget of $250 million. Immediately prior to this CSIRO Group Executive appointment, he was Chief of CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering (CMSE), CSIRO’s largest division. Prior to becoming a Chief, Calum was seconded from CSIRO to be the inaugural Vice President Research at CAP-XX, an Intel portfolio company. CAP-XX develops supercapacitors for consumer electronic products. In 2006, CAP-XX listed on the London AIM.

Calum is an Adjunct Professor in Chemical Engineering at The University of Queensland. He has previously held an Adjunct Professorial Fellowship in Chemistry at The University of Melbourne and an Adjunct Professorship in Chemistry at The University of Sydney. He is a Fellow of the Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership Program run by St James Ethics Centre and a Fellow of the Williamson Community Leadership Program run by Leadership Victoria.

Awards

The outstanding calibre of Calum's research has been recognised through the following awards:

AE Alexander Lectureship from the Australasian Colloid and Interface Society (2024)
Honorary Lifetime Alumni Membership of Cooperative Research Australia, issued by Cooperative Research Australia (2022)
Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Industry–Research Collaboration, issued by Cooperative Research Australia (2022)
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of his contributions to chemistry and materials science research, commercialisation initiatives, and mentoring, issued by Commonwealth of Australia (2019)
Australian Academy of Science (AAS) Ian Wark Medal for making outstanding contributions to Australia’s economic advancement through the application of science (2018)
Fullbright Senior Scholarship (2016)
The Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation (2015)
The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) H.G. Smith Memorial Medal (2015)
CSIRO Fellow designation (CSIRO’s highest award for exceptional scientists) (2013)
CSIRO Medal for Business Excellence (2011)
Distinguished Lecturer Award from The Colloid and Surface Chemistry Division of the Japanese Chemical Society (2011)
The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Physical Chemistry Division Medal (2006)
Frost and Sullivan (USA) Excellence in Communication and Information Technologies Award (2006; awarded to CAP-XX)
World Economic Forum Global Technology Pioneer (2005; awarded to CAP-XX)
The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Green Chemistry Challenge Award (2005)
The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Industrial Chemistry Division RK Murphy Medal (2004)
CSIRO Medal for Outstanding Research Achievement (2004)
Australian Research Council (ARC) Federation Fellowship (2003–2010)
The University of Melbourne David Syme Research Prize (2002)
The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Applied Research Award (2002)
Distinguished Paper Award of The Soap and Detergent Association (USA) and The American Oil Chemists Society (2001)
The University of Melbourne Grimwade Prize in Industrial Chemistry (1995)
ARC Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship (1990–1993)
The University of Melbourne Rothmans Foundation Fellowship (1990; declined)
The inaugural R.J.W. Le Févre Memorial Prize from the Australian Academy of Science (1989)
The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Rennie Memorial Medal (1989)

Supervisor projects

  • Modelling the stability of biomolecules in ionic liquids
  • 6 May 2024
  • External Stimulation of Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering
  • 28 Feb 2024
  • Developing organ-targeted lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery
  • 22 Feb 2024
  • Protein solubility and stability in ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents
  • 22 Jan 2024
  • An integrated target specific inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase, Phosphodiesterase-5 and Amyloid- aggregation for Alzheimer's disease through phytotherapeutic approach
  • 4 Jan 2024
  • Design and Synthesis of few smart Nanomaterials and their Applications
  • 2 Jan 2024
  • Developing organ-targeted lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery
  • 20 Nov 2023
  • Dual drug loaded lipid nano carriers to treat retinal disease.

  • 24 Jul 2023
  • Organ targeting lipid nanoparticles
  • 20 Mar 2023
  • Lyotropic liquid crystalline nanomaterials for encapsulation and delivery of SiRNA
  • 15 Mar 2023
  • Developing novel ALOX5 mRNA nanoparticles to treat incurable non-small cell lung cancer
  • 24 Feb 2022
  • Interactions of small molecules and salts with biomembranes
  • 25 Oct 2021
  • Self-assembled lipid nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapeutics
  • 7 Apr 2021
  • Elucidating the Effect of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticle Structure on Cellular Uptake Efficiency and Pathways for siRNA Delivery
  • 9 Mar 2021
  • Designing Protic Ionic Liquids to be Compatible with Biomolecules
  • 2 Oct 2020
  • Biocompatible Ionic Liquids as Designer Solvents for Non-lamellar Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticles
  • 9 Jun 2020
  • Designer Solvents for Understanding Protein Stability
  • 16 Jan 2020
  • Development and Application of Novel pH-responsive Lipid Nanoparticles for Anticancer and Antifungal Drug Delivery
  • 18 Oct 2018
  • Novel Multifunctional Cationic Lipid Hybrids for Therapeutic Applications in Cancer - Synthesis, Formulation, Characterization, and in vitro Drug Delivery
  • 10 Sep 2018
  • Investigation Of The Effect Of Protic Ionic Liquid-Water Solvents On Globular Proteins And Cell Stability
  • 24 Nov 2016
  • Structure - Property Relationships for Protic Ionic Liquids and Their Mixtures
  • 7 Mar 2016
  • Molecular Insights into Amyloid Toxicity Using Model Lipid Membranes
  • 2 Mar 2015
  • Model Biomimetic Lipid Membranes for Encapsulation and Controlled Release of Bioactive Molecules in Bicontinuous Cubic Phases
  • 2 Mar 2015

Teaching interests

Supervisor interests
Nanomaterials, Drug-delivery vehicles, Medical-imaging agents, Ionic liquids, Multifunctional materials, Colloid and surface science

Research interests

Professor Drummond is an active researcher with interests in the area of advanced materials, including application to energy storage and biomedical products. He has been an author of over 300 publications, including four invited book chapters, over 270 refereed journal papers, 12 granted patents (families) and patent application filings, and 54 major commercial-in-confidence CSIRO reports for companies. His refereed journal papers have received more than 20,000 citations.

Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural), Other Chemical Sciences, Other Physical Sciences, Nanotechnology, Condensed Matter Physics, Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry
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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.