My Expertise
My expertise is in unravelling the pathogenesis of emerging viral ingections by using cutting-edge sequencing and other technologies. Our work is mostly focussed on pathogenic RNA viruses. We use dengue virus as a model for acute infections and the Hepatitis C virus as a model for chronic infections to test our hypotheses. We use a range of techniques such as next and third generation sequencing, advanced immunological assays, mathematical modelling, phylogenetics, machine learning and clinical metagenomics to improve diagnosis, prevention, treatment and outcome prediction of infections.
Keywords
Fields of Research (FoR)
Infectious diseases, Clinical microbiology, Sequence analysisSEO tags
Biography
As a Senior Lecturer in Pathology at UNSW, I am an educator and a researcher focussing on neglected tropical diseases and emerging viral infections.
I am the chairperson of Human Research Ethics Committee (B) of UNSW, and a member of the higher degree research review panel at Kirby Institute. I am also the Secretary of the Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology. My other administrative roles include being an editorial board member or an...view more
As a Senior Lecturer in Pathology at UNSW, I am an educator and a researcher focussing on neglected tropical diseases and emerging viral infections.
I am the chairperson of Human Research Ethics Committee (B) of UNSW, and a member of the higher degree research review panel at Kirby Institute. I am also the Secretary of the Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology. My other administrative roles include being an editorial board member or an associate editor for BMC Infectious Diseases, Cochrane Clinical Answers, Systematic Reviews, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases and Frontiers in Education, and a Cochrane author affiliated to the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group. I am a clinician trained in Internal Medicine and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom. As an educator, I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy of United Kingdom and my teaching portfolio can be accessed here.
My research program is affiliated to the Viral Immunology Systems Program of Kirby Institute and supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council. Current projects focus on emerging viral (Dengue, Zika, Hepatitis C, SARS-nCoV-2), and other tropical infections (Q fever and Rickettsial infections, leptospirosis, malaria). Our work extends from basic laboratory research to clinical research and translation, and evidence synthesis to improve the diagnosis and treatment of tropical infections.
My Grants
Investigator Initiated Research grant, Seqirus Australia (Industry grant), Prevalence of missed Q fever in Australia, 2021-2022
H2Seq: Viral genomics for public health interventions in HIV and HCV - Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), 2021 - 2026
NHMRC Investigator grant (Emerging Leader 1 category), 2020 - 2024
SOMS Early Career Research support grant 2018 -2019
Research Infrastructure Support Scheme (3 grants) , UNSW 2017, 2018
My Qualifications
MBBS MRCP(UK) MD PhD FHEA FRCP
My Awards
- Paper of the Month, September 2022, School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW
- Paper of the Month, December 2020, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW
- Award for Adaptability and Innovation in Pathology teaching, 2020, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW
- Paper of the Month, January 2020, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW
- University award for teaching excellence (early career and rising star), UNSW Sydney, 2019
- Robert Dixon award for the best presentation (Hepatitis) at the annual workshop of the Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research. Canungra, QLD, Australia 2019
- Award for teaching excellence (early career staff), Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney 2018
- University International Postgraduate Research Award / Scholarship for PhD studies, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 2014 – 2017
- Top-up scholarship for PhD studies, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney. 2014-2017
- Robert Dixon award for the best oral presentation at the annual workshop of the Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research. Barossa Valley, SA, Australia 2017
- Paper of the Month, October 2016, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW
- Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference Scholarship. Gold coast, Australia. 2016
- New Investigator Scholarship, 5th International symposium on hepatitis care in substance users. Oslo, Norway. 2016
- Victorian infectious diseases reference laboratory (VIDRL) educational grant (Hepatitis). Awarded at the annual workshop of the Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research. Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia 2015
- Training fellowship. Cochrane infectious diseases group. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom. 2014
- Excellence award for the most outstanding junior researcher of Sri Lanka awarded by the Committee of Vice-chancellors and Directors (CVCD). 2012
- Award for scientific publications by the President of Sri Lanka 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- University Research Award for best researcher in Faculty of Medicine, 2014. University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
My Research Activities
Vulnerability to severe dengue infection, Next generation sequencing, molecular epidemiology and evolutionary analysis of RNA viruses, Host immunity against RNA virus infections
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
Areas of supervision
Honours, ILP and PhD students
Currently supervising
Completed Supervisions - PhD
1. Dr. Nasir Riaz (joint primary supervisor), Single molecule whole genome sequencing of the Hepatitis C (HCV) virus and its applications, Kirby Institute, UNSW, 2017 -2020.
2. Dr. Arunasingam Abayasingam (joint primary supervisor), Neutralizing antibody responses in acute hepatitis C and SARS-nCoV-2 infection, School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW, 2017- 2021
Current Students - PhD
1. Dr. Hossain Sazzad (secondary supervisor), Dynamics of hepatitis C transmission in NSW prisons, Kirby Institute, UNSW, 2018-2021
2. Dr. Braulio Valencia Arroyo (joint primary supervisor), Influence of host immunogenetics in determining the disease phenotype in influenza, Ross river virus, Epstein Barr virus and dengue virus infections, Kirby Institute, UNSW, 2018-2021
3. Mr. Anurag Adhikari (secondary supervisor), Identification of protective anti-HCV antibodies in subjects that clear infection to inform vaccine design, School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW, 2018 – 2021
4. Ms. Samaneh Moallemi (primary supervisor), Biomarkers for severe dengue infection, School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW, 2020 – 2024
5. Mr Ahnsul Kabir (joint primary supervisor), Molecular diagnostics for viral infections. School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW, 2021 – 2024
6. Dr. Sachith Maduranga (primary supervisor), Molecular epidemiology of dengue infection. School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW, 2022 - 2025
My Engagement
Associate Editor - Systematic Reviews (Journal), Cochrane Clinical Answers, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Editorial Board Member - BMC Infectious Diseases
Review Editor - Frontiers in Education
Secretary - Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology
Fellow - Higher Education Academy, United Kingdom
Fellow - Royal College of Physicians, London, United Kingdom
My Teaching
Please see myEducation portfolio for the full teaching profile
Co-convener
1. PATH3205 - Molecular basis of disease, Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences
2. PATH3206 - Cancer Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences
Pathology teaching and assessments
1. MD/MBBS - Phase 1, 2 and 3
2. PATH2201 - Processes of Disease
3. PATH3205 - Molecular Basis of Disease
4. PATH3206 - Cancer Pathology
5. PATH3207 - Musculoskeletal Diseases
Location
Publications
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2189-9177