Ruchira Ranaweera

Dr Ruchira Ranaweera

Grant Funded Researcher (LevelA)

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

I am a Postdoctoral researcher at The University of Adelaide working in the International Flavour Research Centre, Adelaide. I have completed my Bachelor’s and Masters degree in Food Science and Technology specilised in food quality management. I worked in the food industry for 5+ years in quality assuarance. My PhD at the University of Adelaide investigated a rapid method for authentication of Australian red wines using fluorescence spectroscopy and machine learning classification.
Currently, I am involved in flavour research project of plant based meat products in colaboration with V2 Foods, in understanding the dynamics of different meat preparation methods vs plant based products using advanced analytical techniques.

As a rapid, straightforward, selective, and sensitive method that yields a molecular fingerprint of wine, fluorescence spectroscopy was identified as a promising method to investigate wine authentication. Several original research studies were subsequently performed with the aim of understanding the potential of applying fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analysis for wine authentication.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2022 - ongoing Grant Funded Researcher (LevelA) University of Adelaide
    2017 - 2017 Quality Assurance The Mitolo Group
    2015 - 2017 Quality Assurance Coordinator Baiada Poultry

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2022 Award Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence. University of Adelaide Australia
    2021 Award K.P. Barley Prize University of Adelaide Australia
    2021 Award Best Wine Student Wine Communicators of Australia Australia

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    English Can read, write, speak and understand spoken
    Sinhala; Sinhalese Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2018 - 2021 University of Adelaide Australia PhD
    2010 - 2011 Cardiff Metropolitan University United Kingdom MSc
    2005 - 2010 University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sri Lanka BSc (Sp)

  • Certifications
    Date Title Institution name Country
    2021 Project Management Fundamentals Australian Institute of Management Australia
    2021 Statistical Methods in MATLAB MathWorks (United States) United States

  • Research Interests
    Analytical Spectrometry Food Sciences Quality Management Wine Chemistry and Wine Sensory Science

Research Training Program Scholarship

Wine Australia supplementary scholarship 

  • Position: Grant Funded Researcher (LevelA)
  • Phone: 83136539
  • Email: ruchira.ranaweera01@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: Waite
  • Building: Plant Genomics Centre, floor Level One
  • Room: 1.41
  • Org Unit: Food Science
Connect With Me
External Profiles