Dr Prabin Gyawali

Dr Gyawali possess a PhD in Medicine, MSc in Clinical Biochemistry, and a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science equivalent to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework level 10, level 9 and level 8, respectively, as assessed through the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists. These qualifications build a firm basis, theoretical and empirical, in fundamental aspects of clinical biochemistry, pathology, and laboratory medicine.

Dr Gyawali is currently a Research Officer in Dr Nicole McPherson's laboratory at the University of Adelaide in the Male Reproductive Life Course group within Freemasons Centre for Male Health & Wellbeing and Robinson Research Institute. In his role, Dr Gyawali needs to support research activities and assist with specific studies – Diet for Dads Sperm (D4Ds) and reactive oxygen species in sperm (ROSS). Their research examines the biology of how disease risk is transferred via sperm and uses this knowledge to develop tests of risk and interventions for use in IVF practice and family planning.

Before moving to Australia to complete his PhD, Dr Gyawali worked for 12 years in both a clinical and academic position at the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel Hospital, Dhulikhel, Nepal, as a Clinical Biochemist/Scientist in charge and Lecturer of Medical Sciences.

In his clinical role, Dr Gyawali was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the clinical biochemistry section, sub-speciality expertise, overseeing selection/recommendation of scientific instrumentation/automation, scientific assay development and validation, staff training and supervision and implementation and performance evaluation of new testing methods and instrumentation, quality assurance programs, clinical reporting and clinical liaison, clinical interpretation of laboratory test results and consultation, and advisory service.

In his academic role, Dr Gyawali was responsible for teaching undergraduate programs, primarily biochemistry conveyed as a series of sequential system-based blocks that incorporate active learning strategies into large and small group settings, besides service-based teaching in the laboratory's consult service. These included undergraduate students (medicine, dentistry, nursing, human biology, physiotherapy & medical laboratory technology), clinical placement trainees, and interns. Dr Gyawali was demonstrably an excellent teacher, embracing contemporary pedagogical approaches for medical education, including Problem-based learning, Team-based learning, and the Flip classroom model.

Dr Gyawali was also a co-investigator on locally funded research projects in Nepal, which were broad in topic, consistent with his role in a clinical laboratory setting and his interest in the cardio-metabolic disease, endocrinology, error investigation in the total testing process, and total quality management. Dr Gyawali has mentored 12 coursework undergraduate students (biomedical), and Dr Gyawali is incredibly proud of his students who have completed their own highly successful careers. Dr Gyawali has 17 peer-reviewed articles, seven as the first author. Dr Gyawali has presented his research in more than twenty conferences and forums. Dr Gyawali is honoured to be awarded travel grants for his abstracts and recognition for his presentations at National and International Meetings, including two young scientist awards.

During his role, Dr Gyawali has also served the human research ethics & institutional review committee at the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel Hospital, Dhulikhel, Nepal.

Dr Gyawali's academic involvement led him to undertake a PhD at the University of Adelaide to develop a high level of competence in statistical analysis of longitudinal cohort data and a wide range of technical skills in molecular biology. For his PhD, Dr Gyawali was awarded a full scholarship from the Australian government research training program that is highly competitive and merit-based, which involved analysis of longitudinal cohort data and a basic science laboratory project. Dr Gyawali's PhD thesis is relevant to pathology, has advanced understanding of the role and regulation of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) as a marker of (i) chronic disease risk and (ii) prostate cancer stage and grade. Dr Gyawali received a Dean's commendation for his PhD, which has produced four publications in top tier journals.

Dr Gyawali's research interest lies in optimising appropriate laboratory test utilisation in clinical biochemistry, SHBG and cardiometabolic disease, SHBG and Prostate Cancer, error investigation in the total testing process, ROS in sperms, and biomarker identification in the present circumstances.

Dr Gyawali is an active member of the Australasian Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine and the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists, corresponding past members of the Analytical Quality Sub-committee of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, a founding member & elected Treasurer, Nepalese Association for Clinical Chemistry and have also served several other organisations.