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Assoc Prof Toan Dinh

Assoc Prof Toan Dinh
Name Toan Dinh
Position Associate Professor (Mechanical Engineering)
Section School of Engineering
Office B420
Location Springfield Campus
Phone +61 7 3470 4420
Extension 4420
Email
Qualifications BEngMecht HANU , MScMecht HANU , PhD Griffith
Homepage https://dinh-lab.com
The views expressed on staff homepages may not reflect the views of the University.

Biography

Assoc Prof Toan Dinh is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). His research interests include MEMS/NEMS, physics of semiconductors, sensors, and wearable electronics. He has published over 100 high-impact journal articles, including Science Advances, Nature Communications, and many other Nature indexed papers. He has secured over $4M funding through various distinguished fellowships and competitive research grants, including ARC DECRA and ARC Discovery Projects. His contributions are recognised by several awards, including the 2024 Young Tall Poppy Award (AIPS), the 2024 Excellence Award for Research (UniSQ), the 2021 Excellence Award for Early Career Research (UniSQ), and the 2020 Rising Star Researcher Award (The Australian), to name a few.

Research Career


  • Microelectromechanical Systems (Mems) ( 401705 )
  • Manufacturing Engineering ( 401400 )
  • Mechanical Engineering ( 401700 )
  • Functional Materials ( 401605 )
  • Materials Engineering ( 401600 )
  • Microtechnology ( 401410 )
  • Medical Biotechnology Diagnostics (incl. Biosensors) ( 320602 )
  • Medical Biotechnology ( 320600 )

Research areas:
• Micro/nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS)
• Physics of semiconductors
• Sensors for harsh environments
• Soft actuators and robotics
• Stretchable and wearable electronics
• Biosensors and bioelectronics
• Energy harvesting (light, mechanical & thermal) and self-powered sensors

Current research:
His group's research aims to enhance the understanding of semiconductor and nanomaterial properties and design new structures for use in sensors with higher sensing performance. Another research objective of the group is to transform these rigid materials into flexible and wearable sensors that can adapt to the curvature of the skin, enabling the monitoring of human health with greater accuracy.

Research awards (selected):
• 2024, Excellence Award for Research, University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)
• 2024, Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Award
• 2021, Research Excellence award for Early Career Research (ECR), UniSQ
• 2020, ARC DECRA award
• 2020, Top 40 Australian young researchers, The Australian
• 2020, Research Excellence award for ECR, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, UniSQ
• 2020, Highly Commended for Research Excellence award for ECR, UniSQ
• 2019, Micromachines Outstanding Reviewer Awards
• 2019, Finalist, Fresh Science Queensland
• 2019, Publon Top 1% Reviewers in Cross-Field
• 2018-2020, Griffith University Postdoctoral Fellowship
• 2018, Australian Nanotechnology Network Overseas Travel Fellowships
• 2018, Best paper award in 5th Int. Conf. on Sustainable Design and Manufacturing (co-author).
• 2016, Best paper award in Int. Conf. on Nanotechnology Nanomaterials in Energy (co-author).
• 2016, Best paper award in Int. Conf. on BioSensors, BioElectronics, BioMedical Devices, BioMEMS/NEMS and Applications (first author)

Research projects (selected):
• 2025-2027, Lead Chief Investigator, 'Quantum and wearable sensor technology for injury prevention in youth athletes', funded by DESI, $832,411
• 2024-2026, Chief Investigator, 'Additive Green Electronics', funded by DESI, $130,000
• 2024-2026, Lead Chief Investigator, 'Thermal engineering in semiconductor heterojunction for space transducers', funded by Australian Research Council (ARC), ARC Discovery Projects $471,767
• 2022-2023, Chief Investigator, 'Versatile Physical Property Measurement System for South-East Queensland', funded by Australian Research Council (ARC), ARC LIEF $586,779
• 2022-2025, Chief Investigator, 'Nano optoelectronic coupling: towards an ultrasensitive sensing technology', funded by Australian Research Council (ARC), Discovery Project $585,000
• 2021-2024, Sole Investigator, 'High-performance sensor technology for corrosive environments', funded by Australian Research Council (ARC), DECRA Project $440,675
• 2021-2022, Chief Investigator, 'Energy efficient wireless sensor network for real-time flood monitoring', funded by DFAT/CSIRO (Aus4Innovation) $400,000
• 2019-2020, Chief Investigator, 'Superior Sensor Network (SSN) for Harsh Environments', funded by Foundation for Australia-Japan Studies $144,573
• 2018-2020, Sole Investigator, 'Ultra-sensitive Sensing Technology Utilising Nano SiC/Si Heterostructures', GU Postdoctoral Fellowship $242,000
• 2019, Sole Investigator, 'Opto-thermotronic phenomena in SiC nanofilms for high-performance temperature-sensing nanodevices', GU New Researcher Grant $10,400
• 2018, Sole Investigator, 'Micro/nano resonators and resonant sensors', Australian Nanotechnology Network Overseas Travel Fellowship $8,000
• 2017, Lead Chief Investigator, 'Development and characterization of self-sensing SiC micro/nano resonators', Griffith/Simon Fraser University Collaboration Grant $13,600

HDR position openings:
• If you are interested in pursuing a PhD/MSCR with Prof. Dinh’s research group, please send your CV to Toan.Dinh@usq.edu.au.


Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia (FIEAust)
Member of the Australian Nanotechnology Network


  • Centre for Future Materials (CFM)
  • Centre for Health, Informatics and Economic Research (CHIER)

Teaching


MEC1201 - Engineering Materials
MEC3203 - Materials Technology


15 Years


Strand Leader, Materials and Manufacturing

Supervision


  • Microelectromechanical Systems (Mems) ( 401705 )
  • Manufacturing Engineering ( 401400 )
  • Mechanical Engineering ( 401700 )
  • Functional Materials ( 401605 )
  • Materials Engineering ( 401600 )
  • Microtechnology ( 401410 )
  • Medical Biotechnology Diagnostics (incl. Biosensors) ( 320602 )
  • Medical Biotechnology ( 320600 )