Prof. Muthupandian Ashokkumar obtained his Bachelor of Science (1982) and Master (1984) degrees from Madurai- Kamaraj University. In 1989 he obtained his PhD from University of Madras, India. Ashokkumar is currently a professor in the School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne. Within the school, he is the group leader of the sonochemistry research group. His research group has been exploring various industrial applications of ultrasound. In collaboration with Food Science Australia, they have also been investigating the use of ultrasound in food processing applications. The sonochemistry research group has also been exploring the use of ultrasound for synthesizing targeted drug delivery agents. In addition, they use ultrasound to generate efficient catalytic materials for wastewater treatment using alternative energy resources such as solar energy. Ashokkumar is receiver of a number of awards including Grimwade Prize in Industrial Chemistry.