Biography
Dr. Uthpala Pushpakumara, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales School of Clinical Medicine and a member of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. She is a microbial ecologist and bioinformatician specializing in large-scale microbiome data analysis. Dr. Pushpakumara earned her PhD from the University of Melbourne, Australia, where her research focused on unraveling host-microbial interactions using omics and...view more
Dr. Uthpala Pushpakumara, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales School of Clinical Medicine and a member of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. She is a microbial ecologist and bioinformatician specializing in large-scale microbiome data analysis. Dr. Pushpakumara earned her PhD from the University of Melbourne, Australia, where her research focused on unraveling host-microbial interactions using omics and microbial network analysis techniques. Her work bridges computational approaches and clinical applications, advancing the understanding of microbiome dynamics in health and disease.
My Grants
- 2024 Gastrointestinal Manifestations of CF Program (Basic Science Projects) program (2025-2027): Malignancy pathways of colorectal cancer in cystic fibrosis
- Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) Paediatric Research Grant (2024-2025): Artificial Intelligence using Gut Microbiome Multi-omics to Predict Clinical Outcomes in Children with Cystic Fibrosis
My Qualifications
2019-2023: PhD in Microbial Ecology , The University of Melbourne, Australia
2013-2017: BSc (Hons) in Microbiology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
My Research Activities
Probiotics and the EARly Life Effects on Intestinal Bacteria and Inflammation in Children with Cystic Fibrosis
A double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial investigating the effects of probiotics in children with cystic fibrosis. My role involves microbial data analysis, statistical modelling, and interpretation of microbiome outcomes.
Artificial Intelligence Using Gut Microbiome Multi-omics to Predict Clinical Outcomes in Children with Cystic Fibrosis
A collaborative project with the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering focused on developing a clinically supervised artificial intelligence framework to predict clinical and growth outcomes in cystic fibrosis. The study integrates inflammatory markers with metagenomic, metabolomic, and proteomic data. I am extensively involved in multivariate data analysis and feature generation to support AI model development.
Modulation of the Gut–Brain Axis in Prenatal Opioid Exposure
A collaborative research project with the School of Psychology, UNSW, investigating gut–brain axis modulation to improve long-term outcomes following prenatal opioid exposure. My role involves metagenomic data processing and analysis.
SCREEN-CF Study
A study evaluating whether cystic fibrosis patients with colorectal neoplasia exhibit distinct stool biomarker profiles compared to CF patients without neoplasia. My role includes microbial taxonomic and functional profiling.
Publications
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0424-3697