Dr Prabhuraj Venkatraman

Senior Lecturer - Technical Textiles and Sustainable Fashion and Doctoral College Department Lead

Dr Prabhuraj Venkatraman

Senior Lecturer - Technical Textiles and Sustainable Fashion and Doctoral College Department Lead

Email: p.venkatraman@mmu.ac.uk

Telephone: 0161 247 6581

Academic and professional qualifications

I am a Textile Technologist and a Chartered Fellow of the Textile Institute (CText FTI). I am interested in technical Textiles, focusing on designing and developing functional and performance apparel. In addition, I have a specific interest in developing sustainable fashion and textiles using natural materials (such as Ugandan bark cloth) and herbal-based dyes for antimicrobial and hygiene textiles. I recently completed a Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) project with the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India, to develop friendly antimicrobial textiles. The project meets the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal, SDG 3.0 Good Health and Well-being and SDG 12.0 Responsible consumption and production. The project accomplished these SDGs by utilising local resources to embed an environmentally friendly approach in developing antimicrobial textiles designed to be used by the local rural community. 

I have worked in the industry for four years to develop technical textiles using nonwoven fabrics (breathable viral barrier surgical gowns, nano-silver wound dressing, cleansing and antibacterial wipes, splash-resistant protective apparel, and activated charcoal masks), including textile testing, product development and garment manufacturing.

I also worked with colleagues from Science and Engineering on impact-resistant materials for absorbing medium impact for sportswear using the 'impact attenuation kit 'developed at MMU to determine the energy absorption characteristics of materials and impact duration and Tekscan pressure sensors to monitor impact dispersion.

My other area of research includes evaluating compression base layer garments for sportswear using Tekscan pressure sensors. Using fabric characteristics from FAST (Fabric Assurance by Simple Testing), a 3-D simulation model could be developed with the aid of a V-stitcher, which predicts the pressure the compression garment applies.

I am also passionate about developing sustainable and environmentally friendly methods for denim finishing, focusing on the impact of durable water-repellent finishes for denim wear on the environment. I worked extensively on carbon dioxide laser for patterning and etching denim fabrics and various textile components and characterising the performance of treated substrates using FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). My research outputs have been returned for the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), demonstrating high-quality research that influences academic and industry practice and develops innovative thinking. 

I maintain research collaboration both at the national and international levels. I am interested in quality control and textile testing in apparel production, evaluation of high-performance textiles, new product development in outdoor sports apparel and technical textiles for functional clothing. In addition, I have many years of experience in medical textiles, where I evaluated the effectiveness of compression bandages for venous leg ulcers. I have experience in physically testing fibres, yarns, fabrics, and composites used to design and develop technical textiles.

I have taught several academic units related to fashion product development, technical textiles, and functional apparel for UG and PG students. In addition, he supervises research students for their MPhil, PhD, and MSc research projects at MMU. I have successfully supervised five PhD students and four Masters by Research student (supervisor). I currently supervise three PhD students.

 Key skills:
• Material characterisation – durability, comfort, aesthetics [fibre, yarns, and fabrics/composites] in the textile laboratory
• Colour characterisation of fabrics/yarns using a colour Spectrophotometer.
• Product analysis, ageing and Life cycle analysis [LCA] of materials in the textile industry
• Evaluation of the performance of medical and hygiene textiles (anti-microbial assessments) - in vitro
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of survey data using SPSS
• Wearer trials and monitoring of garment performance (sportswear) using motion analysis
• Thorough knowledge of standards used in the industry [British Standards, AATCC, and ISO]

Undergraduate teaching

International Markets

Sustainable Product Innovation BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising

Fashion Cultures/Contextualising practice 3 BA(Hons) Fashion Promotion/Fashion Art Direction

Research Project - BA (Hons) All Routes

Product Awareness - BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising

Product Development - Degree apprenticeship programme

Postgraduate teaching

Sustainable Fashion - Masters programme (2023)

Perform (2016) 

Postgraduate research supervision

MSc - by Research

  1. An evaluation of base layer compression garments for sportswear (Masters by Research)
  2. The potential, the performance and the behaviour of auxetic textile materials for competitive aquatic sports (Masters by Research)
  3. Fashion up cycling in the UK womenswear industry (Masters by Research)
  4. Investigation of Insect Bite Hypersensitivity (IBH) in equids and research into the concept of smart textile delivery systems to treat the condition (Masters by Research)
  5. Sustainable bark cloth for use in antimicrobial wound care applications (Masters by Research - first supervisor)

MSc - Taught program projects

  1. Effect of water repellent finishes for denim and its performance
  2. Evaluation of global sourcing strategies adopted by the apparel industry: Fast fashion
  3. An investigation into consumers' perceptions of custom denim products and the effects of customisation on product longevity

MPhil / PhD research

  1. The use of trend forecasting in contemporary fashion design, marketing, and retailing environments (PhD – principal supervisor)
  2. Development of a conceptual framework with a smart database for fabric sewability (PhD – principal supervisor)
  3. Towards the design of sports compression garments with controlled pressure (PhD project)
  4. Application of auxetic material for impact response sports apparel (PhD supervision – second supervisor)
  5. Finite element modelling of auxetic materials for sports applications (PhD supervision – second supervisor)
  6. Development of smart textiles to neutralize non-ionizing radiation for the electro-sensitive population (completed PhD project - principal supervisor)
  7. Implications of smart activewear garments in high pollution urban environments: Improving citizen locomotion and connectivity with smart city infrastructures – LUDeC PhD studentship (PhD – principal supervisor)
  8. Antibacterial finishing of horse blankets for treating insect bite hypersensitivity in equines (PhD – principal supervisor)
  9. Transforming fashion sustainably: convertible and reversible apparel based on modularity (PhD - first supervisor)

External examiner roles

PhD external examiner overseas Avinashlingam University, Coimbatore, India (2016)

PhD external examiner for University of Manchester (2019)

Masters by Research external examiner for Cranfield University (2020)

PhD external examiner, RMIT Australia (2021)

Projects and initiatives

  • Evaluation and simulation of compression base layer garments for sportswear using body scanning technology and pressure sensors
  • Design and development of impact-resistant materials for rugby tops
  • Durable water-repellent finishes and their impact on the environment
  • Smart biosensors for monitoring health using compression garments
  • The outcomes from the projects are disseminated regularly via conferences, research forum, monographs, and journals. Efforts have been made to collaborate with the industry and academic professionals with a multi-disciplinary team that promotes the development of novel products and enhances the quality of life.

Media appearances or involvement

Prizes and awards

  • PhD in Medical Textiles (2005) [awarded PhD scholarship]
  • MSc in Technical Textiles (2001)
  • B.Tech in Textile Technology (1999)
  • Chartered Fellow of the Textile Institute, CText FTI (2017)
  • Postgraduate Certificate (PGC) in Academic Practice (2012)

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

Project bid reviewer – served as an internal reviewer (MMU) for Technology Strategy Board (TSB) project proposal

Editiorial Board membership

• Associate Editor for Journal of Textile Engineering and Fashion Technology

Membership of professional associations

  • Chartered Fellow of the Textile Institute, Manchester, UK – CText FTI.
  • Senior Member of AATCC (American Association of Textile Colorists and Chemists) – an association of textile, apparel, and material professionals. 
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
  • Member of Denim Club India.

Ugandan Barkcloth project

An interdisciplinary research team from the Manchester Fashion Institute (MFI) from Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Met. University, [MMU] and Istituto Marangoni, London, has evaluated performance and the use of Ugandan bark cloth recognised by UNESCO.

This research investigated bark cloth’s potential as an eco-fashion fabric and addresses some of the practical as well as aesthetic - garment making considerations. The project was supported with the internal QR funding from the research cluster at MFI via MSARC (Manchester School of Art Research Centre) for conference dissemination.

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Videos

A GCRF project with Institute of Chemcial Technolgy, Mumbai India

This collaborative project between the Department of Fibres and Textile Processing Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India and Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, U.K., focuses on developing a unique combination of herbal nano-emulsions and their application on organic cotton fabrics.

This project was funded by Global Challenges Research Fund, from Manchester School of Art Research Centre, MSARC, MMU, UK and meets the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.0) Good health and well-being; (SDG 12.0) Responsible consumption and production. 

This project demonstrates that herbal finished organic cotton textiles can be produced locally, supporting the local community, improving hygiene and well-being, that is sustainable and beneficial to the community.

Research

Research Interests

Academic collaborations

Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey

Cranfield University, U.K

University of Essex, U.K

Istituto of Marangoni, London, U.K

University of Manchester, U.K

Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India 

Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, India

Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, India

Invited Papers

Recently delivered invited lectures:  

  1. Venkatraman, P.D., (2023), Recent advances, sustainable developments and challenges in medical textiles post covid-19 pandemic, an invited plenary medal lecture, The 16th Textile Bioengineering and Informatics Symposium, [TBIS], August 22-25, 2023, Theme: Textile Digitization, Sustainability, and Health.
  2. Venkatraman, P.D., (2022) Bio-functional textiles for hygiene and medical applications using eco-friendly methods, Invited medal lecture, 15th Textile Bioengineering and Informatics Symposium (TBIS), Theme: Sustainability of Textile Industry in Post Pandemic Era, Sep 5-8th 2022 (online)
  3. Venkatraman, P.D., (2022) Sustainability in the Fashion and Textile Industry: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions, Invited lecture – Faculty Development programme, Vellore Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai, India. 14th July 2022 (online) 
  4. Venkatraman, P.D., (2022) The impact of textiles and fashion industry on society and environment, and the need for the circular economy. Online lecture – National University of Singapore, Singapore, 10th Mar 2022
  5. Venkatraman, P.D (2021) Development of bio-functional textiles for medical and hygiene applications using environmentally friendly methods, international e-conference on Sustainable Growth in Textiles, organized by Uttar Pradesh Textile Technology Institute, Kanpur, India. 19-21 Aug 2021. https://sgtuptti.in/ 
  6. Venkatraman P.D. and Rahatekar S.S., (2021) Development of natural biopolymers with antimicrobial properties for activewear applications, Fashion and Climate Symposium, organised by Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester 9-10th Sep 2021 https://fashioninstitute.mmu.ac.uk/news/item/?id=14409
  7. Venkatraman P.D. (2021) The effect of textiles and fashion industry on society and environment, and eco-friendly methods and materials to reduce the impact, invited technical webinar organised by Institution of Engineers, Coimbatore, in association with the Department of Textile Technology, Kumaraguru College of Technology, India 27th Oct 2021 https://ieicoimbatore.com/index.html 

Expert reviewer for journals and publishers

Served as a peer reviewer for the following publications.

  • Textile Research Journal
  • Cellulose
  • Journal of Industrial Textiles
  • Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management·
  • Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
  • Journal of Sports Sciences
  • Materials from MDPI
  • Sensors from MDPI
  • International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education
  • Fibers and Textiles in Eastern Europe
  • Book review for Bloomsbury Publications and CRC Taylor and Francis

Grants

Digital Health: 'Socksess' - Smart Sensing Socks for Monitoring Diabetic Feet and Preventing Ulceration

Books

Hayes, SG., Venkatraman, PD., 2015. 'Materials and Technology for Sportswear and Performance Apparel', CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group.

Venkatraman, P., Tyler, D., Chen, Z., 2014. 'Evaluation of Pressure Measurement Systems for Compression Garments', LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.

Venkatraman, PD., 2010. 'A study on the outcomes and effectiveness of venous leg ulcer treatment', VDM Verlag, Saarbrucken, Germany.

Book Chapters

Venkatraman, PD., Butler, JA., Britten, NS., 2023. 'Advances in medical textiles'. In Functional and Technical Textiles, pp. 31-70, Elsevier.

Brubacher, K., Apeagyei, P., Venkatraman, P., Tyler, D., Brownridge, A., 2018. 'Predicting Pressures Applied by Sports Compression Garments Using Virtual Fit Technology'. In Espinosa, HG., Rowlands, DR., Shepherd, J., Thiel, DV. (eds.) Proceedings, Volume 2, ISEA 2018 The 12th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association, MDPI.

Venkatraman, P., 2015. 'Evaluating the Performance of Fabrics for Sportswear'. In Materials and Technology for Sportswear and Performance Apparel, pp. 261-288, CRC Press.

Venkatraman, P., 2015. 'Fibres for Sportswear'. In Materials and Technology for Sportswear and Performance Apparel, pp. 23-52, CRC Press.

Praburaj, DV., Anand, SC., Dean, C., Nettleton, R., 2006. 'CONDUCTING CLINICAL TRIALS IN WOUNDCARE'. In Medical Textiles and Biomaterials for Healthcare, pp. 310-319, Elsevier.

Venkatraman, PD., Anand, SC., Dean, C., Nettleton, R., 2005. 'A method to evaluate the effectiveness of woundcare for venous leg ulcer treatment'. In Medical Textiles and Biomaterials for Healthcare, Elsevier.

Venkatraman, PD., Anand, SC., Dean, C., Nettleton, R., 2004. 'Health related quality of life tools for venous ulcerated patients'. In Trends in Woundcare, Quay Books, MA Healthcare Ltd.

Journal Articles

Nivedhitha, DM., Jeyanthi, S., Venkatraman, P., Viswapriyan, AS., Guru Nishaanth, S., Manoranjith, S., 2023. 'Polyvinylidene Fluoride as an advanced polymer for multifunctional applications- a review', Materials Today: Proceedings.

Brubacher, K., Tyler, D., Apeagyei, P., Venkatraman, P., Brownridge, AM., 2023. 'Evaluation of the Accuracy and Practicability of Predicting Compression Garment Pressure Using Virtual Fit Technology', Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 41 (2), pp. 107-124.

Scott, K., Butler, JA., Spurgin, K., Venkatraman, PD., 2022. 'Restorative fashion: Collaborative research, benign design and the healing powers of the mutuba tree', Journal of Applied Arts and Health, 13 (3), pp. 357-372.

Venkatraman, PD., Sayed, U., Parte, S., Korgaonkar, S., 2022. 'Novel antimicrobial finishing of organic cotton fabrics using nano-emulsions derived from Karanja and Gokhru plants', TEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL, 18.

Venkatraman, PD., 2022. 'Carbon Dioxide Laser as a Sustainable Method for Producing a Pattern on Denim Fabric: Evaluation of Colour and Durability', Advance Research in Textile Engineering, 7 (1).

Lu, H., Butler, JA., Britten, NS., Venkatraman, PD., Rahatekar, SS., 2021. 'Natural Antimicrobial Nano Composite Fibres Manufactured from a Combination of Alginate and Oregano Essential Oil', Nanomaterials, 11 (8).

Venkatraman, PD., Sayed, U., Parte, S., Korgaonkar, S., 2021. 'Development of Advanced Textile Finishes Using Nano-Emulsions from Herbal Extracts for Organic Cotton Fabrics', Coatings, 11 (8).

Zare, M., Ghomi, ER., Venkatraman, PD., Ramakrishna, S., 2021. 'Silicone-based biomaterials for biomedical applications: Antimicrobial strategies and 3D printing technologies', JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, 138 (38), 18.

Venkatraman, PD., Sayed, U., Parte, S., Korgaonkar, S., 2021. 'Consumer Perception of Environmentally Friendly Antimicrobial Textiles: a case study from India', International Journal of Advanced Science and Engineering, 7 (3), pp. 1782-1793.

Imam, S., Driscoll, H., Winwood, K., Venkatraman, P., Allen, T., 2020. 'Efficacy of Density in Predicting the Protective Properties of Padded Clothing in Rugby', Proceedings, 49 (1), pp. 38-38.

McManus, C., Venkatraman, PD., Sandercock, G., 2020. 'The measurement of interface pressure applied by sports compression garments: A comparative study of two portable devices', Measurement, 156, pp. 107592-107592.

Venkatraman, PD., Scott, K., Liauw, C., 2019. 'Environmentally friendly and sustainable bark cloth for garment applications: Evaluation of fabric properties and apparel development', Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 23, pp. e00136-e00136.

Venkatraman, PD., Liauw, CM., 2019. 'Use of a carbon dioxide laser for environmentally beneficial generation of distressed/faded effects on indigo dyed denim fabric: Evaluation of colour change, fibre morphology, degradation and textile properties', OPTICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY, 111, pp. 701-713.

Venkatraman, PD., Anand, SC., Dean, C., Nettleton, R., El Sawi, A., Afify, S., 2005. 'Pilot study investigating the feasibility of an ulcer-specific quality of life questionnaire', Phlebology, 20 (1), pp. 14-27.

Anand, SC., Dean, C., Nettleton, R., Praburaj, DV., 2003. 'Health-related quality of life tools for venous-ulcerated patients', British Journal of Nursing, 12 (1), pp. 48-59.

Venkatraman, P., Anand, S., Dean, C., Nettleton, R., 2002. 'Clinical trials in wound care. II: Achieving statistical significance.', J Wound Care, 11 (4), pp. 156-160.

Venkatraman, P., Anand, S., Dean, C., Nettleton, R., 2002. 'Clinical trials in wound care I: the advantages and limitations of different clinical trial designs.', J Wound Care, 11 (3), pp. 91-94.

Conference Papers

Venkatraman, P., Sayed, U., Korgaonkar, S., Parte, S., 2023. 'Evaluation of Antimicrobial properties of Denim fabric finished with plant-based Nano-emulsions', The 92nd Textile Institute World Conference, University of Huddersfield, 4/7/2023 - 6/7/2023.

Scott, K., Venkatraman, P., Butler, J., Spurgin, K., 2021. 'Restorative fashion: The healing powers of the mutuba tree', Curative Things: Medicine/Fashion/Art, Leeds, 12/2/2021 - 12/2/2021, in https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8212378b78ee28640e681f/t/60265521458ce826068bc01d/1613124899438/Curative+Things+Abstract+Booklet.pdf.

Venkatraman, P., Rahatekar, S., 2020. 'The recent development of cellulose fibres with curcumin for medical applications', INTERNATIONAL VIRTUAL CONFERENCE ON ADVANCEMENTS IN BIO POLYMER AND ITS NANO STRUCTURE IN WOUND HEALING, Virtual Conference, 28/12/2020 - 29/12/2020, in https://www.kct.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/MHRD_SPARC_International-Conference_December-20-16-12-2020.pdf.

Presentations

Venkatraman, P., 2019. 'Sustainable Textiles and materials for fashion industry', Vincent Building, Lecture Theatre, Cranfield University.

Office Location

Room C2.42
Cavendish Building

Office Hours

Mon 9.00 - 4.00 pm; Wed 9.00 - 4.30 pm; and Thu 9.00 - 5.00 pm