Dr Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan has always been inspired by the thought that research should improve people’s lives.
“I’ve always been driven by the idea that research should have a tangible impact,” he says. “For me, that means creating devices that enhance the quality of life, especially for underserved communities.”
An electronics engineer with a master’s degree in optics and photonics and a PhD in flexible electronics, Dhanabalan has spent a decade developing low-cost, impactful technologies. After completing his PhD in flexible electronics in India, Dhanabalan received a prestigious Conicyt-Fondecyt postdoctoral fellowship as a principal investigator at the University of Chile, where he spent three years developing high-temperature flexible substrates and flexible antennas for wearable medical applications.
This led to a collaboration and subsequent research fellowship at RMIT University, where he pioneered wearable patches – small, flexible devices monitoring vital signs like ECG and heart rate. These devices, designed for continuous remote monitoring, showed particular promise for underserved communities such as rural and Indigenous populations who lack easy access to healthcare facilities.
Flexible electronics for transformative healthcare solutions
Now at La Trobe University, Dhanabalan serves as Associate Director (Research) in the Centre for Technology Infusion and holds an ARC Industry Fellowship within the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. He leads the Soft Electronics, Materials and Sensors Research Group (SEMS), focusing on creating advanced soft electronics and sensors.
Dhanabalan’s work will contribute to better wearable and point-of-care technologies, offering low-cost solutions for real-world healthcare challenges.
“Many people in remote areas don’t have the resources or ability to visit a doctor frequently,” he says. “By enabling continuous health monitoring, we can detect potential issues early and provide better outcomes.”
The smart mattress solution
Dhanabalan’s innovative spirit has led him to secure ARC Industry Fellowship – in collaboration with industry partner Sleeptite and RMIT University – to develop an intelligent mattress using printed flexible sensors. The mattress is a discreet and effective way for caregivers to monitor elderly patients, particularly those at risk of falls or with cognitive impairments.
"A significant concern in aged care is residents getting out of bed at night and potentially forgetting to return," Dhanabalan says. "Our smart mattress system can detect this and trigger an alert if someone doesn’t return to bed within a set timeframe, enabling caregivers to provide timely assistance and potentially prevent accidents."
Beyond fall prevention, smart mattress technology is being further developed to monitor sleep patterns and key health indicators, offering valuable insights into a patient’s overall wellbeing. This advancement will be a key focus of his ARC Industry Fellowship.
We need strong industry collaborations to bring these technologies to market. Research alone isn’t enough – we have to work with companies that can scale these solutions and make them widely available.
SHE: Revolutionising women’s health
At La Trobe, Dhanabalan also leads the SHE (Smart Healthcare for Women Empowerment) project. This project focuses on developing biosensors that can be integrated into menstrual pads and detect critical disease biomarkers, including hormone levels, markers for anaemia and even sexually transmitted infections directly from menstrual blood. This innovative approach eliminates the need for invasive blood tests, offering women a convenient and private way to monitor their health from home.
"Women, particularly those in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, often encounter numerous barriers to accessing adequate health care. The SHE initiative aims to provide them with an affordable, non-invasive and empowering tool to proactively manage their health," Dhanabalan says.
SHE is a collaborative effort involving national and global research partners, including teams from Australia (RMIT University and the University of Sydney), India and Zambia. The ultimate goal is to create smart menstrual pads with modular biosensor technology that can transmit real-time health data to a mobile app, placing health management directly in the hands of women.
A global impact through industry partnerships
As Dhanabalan builds his team at SEMS, he is focused on translating laboratory innovations into commercially viable products. His work has already led to patents and ongoing discussions with industry partners about commercialisation. The versatile nature of his flexible electronic materials and printing techniques holds significant potential beyond medicine, including fields like agriculture, food processing and environmental monitoring.
“We need strong industry collaborations to bring these technologies to market,” Dhanabalan says. “Research alone isn’t enough. We have to work with companies that can scale these solutions and make them widely available.”
Dr Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan and industry partner Dr Andrew Tucker, Director of Research & Development, Sleeptite, presented ‘Smart Mattress for Aged-care applications’ as part of the 2025 La Trobe Industry Innovation event series.
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