My Expertise
Dr. Abu Sina is an internationally recognised leader in biomarker discovery, translational nanobiotechnologies, molecular diagnostics, and nanobiosensing for early cancer detection and monitoring from liquid biopsies. His research program has pioneered the development and translation of advanced nanotechnologies for the trace-level detection of biomarkers in liquid biopsies, revolutionizing non-invasive approaches to cancer diagnostics.
Dr. Sina is one of the inventors of the Methylscape Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) test, published in Nature Communications (2018). This breakthrough technology enables the detection of multiple cancers in under 10 minutes and has been licensed to the US-based company aiGENE. It has garnered global recognition and was selected as one of CNN and BioSpace Magazine’s Top 10 Scientific Discoveries of 2018.
His expertise extends to the development of nanotechnology-based platforms for single-cell, single-molecule, and single-extracellular vesicle (EV) analysis, enabling trace-level detection of molecular alterations at the earliest stages of disease. His work has been prominently published in ACS Nano (2020), Advanced Sensor Research (2023), Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2024) for single-cell analysis, Nature Communications (2021) for single-molecule detection, and Advanced Science (2023) for single-EV profiling.
Dr. Sina's pioneering research has attracted widespread media attention, with appearances and interviews on major national outlets including 7 News, 9 News, Channel 10, and ABC News in Australia, as well as CTV News Canada, CBS News Canada, Fox News USA, and CNN USA internationally. His groundbreaking innovations have been highlighted in over 400 newspaper and magazine articles, including Forbes, The Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine, CNN, The Telegraph, New York Post, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, and Courier Mail. Dr. Sina’s contributions are reshaping the landscape of non-invasive cancer diagnostics and accelerating pathways for clinical translation.
Fields of Research (FoR)
Cancer diagnosis, Liquid biopsies, Medical biotechnology, Nanobiotechnology, Agricultural biotechnology diagnostics (incl. biosensors), Environmental biotechnologySEO tags
Biography
Dr. Abu Sina is a Senior Lecturer and Group Leader of Sina Lab at the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney. Prior to this role, he served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Personalized Nanomedicine and a Theme Leader at the Center for Materials Space-Tectonics (CeMaSTec), both part of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology (AIBN) at The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. His...view more
Dr. Abu Sina is a Senior Lecturer and Group Leader of Sina Lab at the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney. Prior to this role, he served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Personalized Nanomedicine and a Theme Leader at the Center for Materials Space-Tectonics (CeMaSTec), both part of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology (AIBN) at The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. His career also includes international research appointments as a Visiting Scientist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Irving Cancer Research Center, Columbia University, NY, USA, where he spent two years collaborating with leading experts in oncology and systems biology.
At UQ, Dr. Sina worked alongside ARC Laureate Fellow and Former Federation Fellow, Professor Matt Trau, contributing to groundbreaking research in nanomedicine. During his time at Harvard, he collaborated with Professor Adam Bass, now the Global Head of Oncology Translational Research at Novartis. His tenure at Columbia University included work with Professor Andrea Califano, currently the President of the $270M Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub in New York and a Professor in the Systems Biology Department at Columbia University.
Dr. Sina earned his PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2017 from The University of Queensland, Australia, following his Bachelor with Honours and Master's in Chemistry from Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Bangladesh. His diverse academic and research journey reflects a commitment to advancing translational nanomedicine and molecular diagnostics on a global scale.
My Grants
NHMRC Investigator Grant (Emerging Leadership Category 1, 2020-2024)
ARC Discovery Project (2021-2024)
UQ Research Infrastucture Investment Grant (2021)
Industry Research Grant from AstraZeneca (2020)
Philanthropic Research grant from Evolution Mining (2020-2025)
UQ Early Career Researcher grant (2020-2021)
My Qualifications
PhD in Biomedical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2017
Higher Education Teaching Certificate, Harvard University, Boston, USA, 2022
Visiting Scientist, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, Boston, USA, 2022
Visiting Research Fellow, Irving Cancer Research Center, Columbia University, New York, 2023
Senior Research Fellow, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2025
My Awards
Research Excellence Award 2022 from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University.
Metrohm- EDRACI Young Electrochemist Award 2021 from Metrohm Australia and Electrochemistry Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Australia
Nomination for the the Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship 2021 and 2022
Young Scientist Award 2020 from International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM)
Nominated for the Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship 2020
Queensland Health and Medical Research Award 2019 from Queenland Govt. and Australian Society for Medical Research
Nomination for University of Queensland Awards for Excellence 2019
My Research Activities
Dr Abu Sina's research program has pioneered the development and translation of advanced nanotechnologies for the trace-level detection of biomarkers in liquid biopsies. He is internationally recognised for his groundbreaking work in early cancer detection, particularly through his invention of the Methylscape Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) test (Nature Communications, 2018). Dr Sina has developed nanotechnology-based platforms for single-cell (ACS Nano, 2020, Advanced Sensor Research 2023, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2024), single-molecule (Nature Communications, 2021), and single extracellular vesicle (Advanced Science, 2023) analysis, enabling trace level detection of molecular alterations at the early stage of diseases. Dr Sina's research program has generated 56 peer-reviewed publications, including 4 in journals under the Nature and Science families. One of his papers ranks in the top 1% of most cited publications globally, seven in the top 5%, and thirteen in the top 10% (field-weighted; Web of Science). His publications have earned over 2,672 citations (Google Scholar), with an FWCI >2, and have been cited in 1,110 documents across 88 countries and 23 subject categories (Scopus, August 2024).
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
Areas of supervision
Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Using Liquid Biopsy Approaches
Biomarker Discovery for Early-Stage Cancer Diagnosis and Recurrence Monitoring
Single-Cell and Single-EV Detection Technologies for Molecular Profiling
Engineering Solutions for Point-of-Care Cancer Diagnostics
Epigenetic Biomarkers and DNA Methylation Analysis
Nano-biotechnology Platforms for Trace-Level Molecule Analysis
Electrochemical Biosensing
Nanomaterials for Biosensing and Therapeutics
My Teaching
My identity as a teacher has been shaped by my extensive experience in research, teaching, and in the industry, within the fields of biotechnology, biomolecular sciences, molecular biology, and nano-biotechnology. As an educator, my primary objective is to excel and achieve a high standard of teaching. I strive to create a familial bond with my students while upholding a strong level of professionalism that welcomes constructive criticism and feedback. My ultimate aspiration in teaching is to equip my students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the real world. I aim to nurture them into future leaders, catalysts for change, and creators of knowledge within and beyond the realms of my field, ultimately molding them into better global citizens who contribute to the advancement of the world.
Publications
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8099-3863