David J. Neivandt is a Professor of Chemical and Biomedical engineering at the University of Maine. He completed his BSc. (Hons) and Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Subsequently he served as an Oppenheimer Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, England before commencing at the University of Maine in 2001. Trained as an interfacial chemist, his research spans many areas. During his time at the University of Maine he has investigated wet-end retention chemistry, in addition to energy reduction through chemical means, in the pulp and paper industry, carbon nanofiber production from lignin, the creation of biodegradable grease resistant coatings, the functionalization of sensor surfaces for neurotoxin detection, non-classical transport mechanisms of signal peptideless proteins, peripheral nerve repair via biodegradable neural conduit implants, controlled gelation of polymers for drug delivery, surface modification of colloidal systems for rheological optimization, and materials systems development employing low value, biodegradable feedstocks.