Adjunct Professor
Chamindie Punyadeera
Faculty of Health,
School of Biomedical Sciences
Biography
SPECIFIC FIELD OF EXPERTISE: Head and Neck Cancers, Cancer Biology, Biomarker Discovery, Circulating Tumour Cells and Cell-Free DNA, Saliva Diagnostics, Obesity, Cardiovascular Diseases, Type 2 Diabetes, Endometriosis, Steroid Hormone Regulation, Proteomics, Glycosylation, Epigenetics and Genomics.SHORT BIO: Associate Professor Chamindie Punyadeera, Clinical Chemist, graduated from the Department of Chemical Pathology, the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa in 2001. Her PhD research was aimed at investigating the pathogenesis and clinical manifestation of type 2 Diabetes, ischemic heart disease and obesity. She was also awarded the Academic Excellence Scholarship from the University of Witwatersrand as well as the South African Medical Research Endowment Funds. During her PhD study, she spent couple of months in the Laboratory of Professor Alan Jackson at the Institute of Human Nutrition at the University of Southampton, UK to investigate lipid metabolism in South African women using stable isotopes. She did a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands in close collaboration with Merck Pharmaceuticals. The research was focused on endometrium physiology, steroid hormone pharmacokinetics and oncology. She worked at Royal Philips Electronics at the High Technology Campus in the Netherlands as a senior scientist and led a project team on biosensor development and biomarker discovery. She has published over 50 research papers, 13 PCT patents and has reviewed papers for international journals and has delivered key note lectures. She has presented at major international conferences. She is currently leading a research team at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia developing non-invasive and minimally invasive technology platforms to better human health outcomes in the 21st Century.
Personal details
Positions
- Adjunct Professor
Faculty of Health,
School of Biomedical Sciences
Keywords
Saliva Diagnostics, Saliva Proteomics, Salivary Cortisol,, Head and Neck Cancer and Lung Cancers, Cardiovascular Disease - Heart Failure, Biosensors and Point of Care Testing, immunoassay,, Liquid biopsy - Circulating Tumour Cells, CtDNA, exosomes, Epigenetics - DNA methylation and miRNA, Proteomics and Glycosylation, Mass Spetrometry, SWATH, Pathology, Endometriosis, Reproductive Medicine, Stroke, Nextgeneration sequencing and miro Arrays; pyrosequencing,, Biomarkers for COVID-19, concussion, ischemic heart disease, liver disease, Burns in children
Research field
Oncology and carcinogenesis, Medical biochemistry and metabolomics, Microbiology
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020
Qualifications
- PhD (University of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg)
Professional memberships and associations
OTHER CURRENT APPOINTMENTS:
- 2014 - 2017 Associate Adjunct Professor, University of Queensland, Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
- 2012 - 2015 Affiliated Academic to the School of Biomedical Science, The School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland. Melbourne, Australia.
- 2012 - 2015 Affiliated Academic to the School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Australia.
- 2011 - present Adjunct Professor to the Chinese Academy of Science, The School of Public Health & Family Medicine, Chinese Academy of Science, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- 2012 - present A consultant to Oasis Diagnostics® Corporation (Vancouver, USA).
- 2014 - present Scientific Advisory Board member,FLUIDS iQ™, Montreal, Canada.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
- 2011 - An invited fellow to the American Nano Society
- 2011-2013 A member of International Association for Dental Research
- 2011-2013 A member of the Australian Association for Clinical Biochemists
Teaching
TEACHING POSITIONS:
2002-2004
Part-Time Lecturer to the School of Medicine at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. Teaching was based on Problem-Based Learning. 2006 -2008 Invited Part-Time Lecturer in Biotechnology,Technical University Eindhoven, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. 2009-2010 20% ResTeach Lecturer for 3rd Year CHEE 3305, Facilitator, The School of Chemical Engineering, Factuality of Engineering, Architecture and IT, The University of Queensland. 2010 - 2011
The Course Coordinator for 3rd Year Chemical Engineering (CHEE 3305),The School of Chemical Engineering, Factuality of Engineering, Architecture and IT, The University of Queensland. 2013 - Guest Lecturer to
the Master of Biotechnology Program, the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Publications
- Kulasinghe, A., Lim, Y., Perry, C. & Punyadeera, C. (2015). Current trends and management in head and neck cancers. Head and neck cancer: Epidemiology, management and treatment outcomes [Cancer Etiology, Diagnosis and Treatments], 41–73. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/84230
- Punyadeera, C., Zhang, X., Kulasinghe, A. & Karim, R. (2015). Saliva diagnostics for oral diseases. Advances in salivary diagnostics, 131–156. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/84232
- Ovchinnikov, D., Wan, Y., Coman, W., Pandit, P., Cooper-White, J., Herman, J. & Punyadeera, C. (2014). DNA methylation at the novel CpG sites in the promoter of MED15/PCQAP gene as a biomarker for head and neck cancers. Biomarker Insights, 9, 53–60. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77963
- Foo, J., Wan, Y., Schulz, B., Kostner, K., Atherton, J., Cooper-White, J., Dimeski, G. & Punyadeera, C. (2013). Circulating fragments of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptides in plasma of heart failure patients. Clinical Chemistry, 59(10), 1523–1531. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77956
- Topkas, E., Keith, P., Dimeski, G., Cooper-White, J. & Punyadeera, C. (2012). Evaluation of saliva collection devices for the analysis of proteins. Clinica Chimica Acta, 413(13 - 14), 1066–1070. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77931
- Foo, J., Wan, Y., Kostner, K., Arivalagan, A., Atherton, J., Cooper-White, J., Dimeski, G. & Punyadeera, C. (2012). NT-ProBNP levels in saliva and its clinical relevance to heart failure. PLoS One, 7(10), 1–6. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77927
- Pfaffe, T., Cooper-White, J., Beyerlein, P., Kostner, K. & Punyadeera, C. (2011). Diagnostic potential of saliva: current state and future applications. Clinical Chemistry, 57(5), 675–687. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77924
- Punyadeera, C., Dimeski, G., Kostner, K., Beyerlein, P. & Cooper-White, J. (2011). One-step homogeneous C-reactive protein assay for saliva. Journal of Immunological Methods, 373(1 - 2), 19–25. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77925
- Punyadeera, C., Dassen, H., Klomp, J., Dunselman, G., Kamps, R., Dijcks, F., Ederveen, A., de Goeij, A. & Groothuis, P. (2005). Oestrogen-modulated gene expression in the human endometrium. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 62(2), 239–250. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77810
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Chamindie, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Awards
- Type
- Fellowships
- Reference year
- 2010
- Details
- I was awarded a Queensland Government Smart State Senior Fellowship worth $600,000 for 3 years. I was one out of five recipients from Queensland to receive this award. This fellowship enabled me to start my academic career in Australia and establish my translational research team. I was also featured on a media release from The Honourable Anna Bligh (Queensland Premier, 2010). Link to the Bligh Government press release.In addition, I also featured on Channel 7 nation-wide morning show in 2010.
- Type
- Visiting Professorships/Fellowships
- Reference year
- 2019
- Details
- I have also worked assiduously to build a successful international alliance between QUT and the Federal University of Parana (FUP). My role as an Adjunct Professor at FUP, Brazil resulted in the signing of a MOU between QUT and FUP, the terms of reference of which are to ignite a research program between the two institutes. This is a great opportunity for QUT to broaden its student cohort, to attract talented HDR students and to establish joint projects. I will be visiting FUP early next year.
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2010
- Details
- I was one of the ELEVEN young University of Queensland researchers (who was honoured at the 2010 the University of Queensland Foundation Research Excellence Awards. I received this prestigious award from the Vice Chancellor of UQ as well as $80,000 to start my research project on developing tools to diagnose heart failure at an early stage of the disease development.
- Type
- Visiting Professorships/Fellowships
- Reference year
- 2012
- Details
- Queensland Government International FellowshipEstablished research network alliance in the field of saliva diagnostics with leading laboratories such as John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore; MD Anderson Cancer Centre; National Cancer Institute/NIH (USA); Chinese Academy of Science and the Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2005
- Details
- Awarded the best Endocrinology paper in 2001 by a South African Scientist by the Society for Endocrinology and Metabolism, South Africa: Weight-related differences in glucose metabolism and free fatty acid production in two South African population groups. International Journal of Obesity, 25:1192-1205,(2001).
Selected research projects
- Title
- Circulating Tumour Cells in Head and Neck Cancers
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 1276
- Start year
- 2018
- Keywords
- Title
- Circulating Tumour Cells - Clinical Application in Head and Neck Cancers
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- CA-APP1145657
- Start year
- 2018
- Keywords
- Cancer Metastasis; Biomarkers; Head and Neck Cancer; Cancer Treatment; Risk Prediction
- Title
- A Saliva Test to Identify High Risk Heart Failure Patients
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 100966
- Start year
- 2016
- Keywords
- Title
- A simple, low-cost saliva test to detect oral cancers
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- Start year
- 2013
- Keywords
Projects listed above are funded by Australian Competitive Grants. Projects funded from other sources are not listed due to confidentiality agreements.
Supervision
Completed supervisions (Doctorate)
The supervisions listed above are only a selection.