Shaban B. Sulejman

• Postdoctoral Research Associate
• University of Melbourne
• sulejmans@unimelb.edu.au
• @/shaban-sulejman-878326199

Research Interests

• Nanophotonics
• Metasurfaces
• Imaging and Image Processing
• Biomedical Photonics

Education

• Bachelor of Science (Mathematical Physics) - The University of Melbourne (2017-2019)
• Master of Science (Physics) - The University of Melbourne (2020-2021)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Physics) - The University of Melbourne (2022-2025)

Achievements & Awards

• Fulbright Scholarship - Fulbright Australia (2024)
• Postgraduate Student Prize - Australian and New Zealand Optical Society (2024)
• Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship - International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE, 2023)
• Leader of the Year Award - TMOS (2023)
• Dr Alan Kenneth Head PhD International Research Award - University of Melbourne (2023)
• Ernst & Grace Matthaei Scholarship - University of Melbourne (2022)
• Dixson Scholarship in Experimental Physics - University of Melbourne (2022)
• N. D. Goldsworthy Scholarship for Physics - University of Melbourne (2020)

Themes

• Detect, Manipulate

Born and raised in Shepparton, Victoria, Shaban is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Melbourne. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Physics from the University of Melbourne in 2019, followed by a Master of Science in Physics in December 2021, under the supervision of Professor Ann Roberts and Professor Ken Crozier at the University of Melbourne. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physics in 2025 at the University of Melbourne under the supervision of Professor Ann Roberts, Professor Ken Crozier, Professor Andrey Sukhorukov and Dr Lukas Wesemann, earning a nomination for the 2026 Chancellor’s Prize for Excellence in the PhD Thesis.

Shaban’s research focuses on nanophotonics and meta-optics, with particular interest in biomedical and environmental sensing applications. Inspired by his experience in growing up in a rural community, his work aims to develop compact optical devices that can expand access to advanced diagnostics and sensing technology. His research has led to the development of metasurfaces for tunable all-optical image processing, single-pixel imaging, phase-contrast microscopy, nanoscale colour printing and optical feature recognition. He has contributed to several advances in metasurface research, with publications in leading journals including Nature Photonics, Nature Communications, Small and ACS Photonics.

Shaban’s work has been recognised through more than 30 competitive scholarships and awards from national and international organisations in optics and photonics. These include a Fulbright Scholarship, the ANZOS Postgraduate Student Prize, the SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship, the Dixson Scholarship in Experimental Physics, the TMOS Leader of the Year Award, the Ernst & Grace Matthaei Scholarship, the Dr Alan Kenneth Head PhD International Research Award, the N. D. Goldsworthy Scholarship for Physics, a Dafydd Lewis Trust Scholarship and a Lift Off Margaret Attwood Trust Education Scholarship.

Beyond research, Shaban is actively involved in community engagement and outreach, particularly in his hometown of Shepparton. He has represented the University of Melbourne and TMOS on numerous university events, schools and science roadshows. He has made various media appearances, led outreach initiatives, mentored students, held committee roles in student societies and served as a Faculty of Science ambassador. In his spare time, Shaban enjoys sport, bodybuilding and the gym, music and DJ’ing, travelling and cooking.

Current Projects

• Metasurfaces for all-optical feature recognition
• Metasurfaces for single-shot birefringence imaging