Shanika Amarasinghe

Mrs Shanika Amarasinghe

Higher Degree by Research Candidate

PhD Student

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences

Shani started her studies as a biology student in Sri Lank, which paved her way to bioinformatics. Currently, she is studying for the PhD in Bioinformatics under the supervision of Dr. Ute Baumann, Dr. Nathan S. Watson-Haigh, Dr. Stuart Roy and Prof. Matthew GIlliham at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Her project mainly focuses on identifying salt tolerant mechanisms in crops (barley). Transcriptomic and network analysis and molecular phylogenetic studies are mainly used in her project. She is expected to complete her PhD by December 2017.
Apart from the love for work, she loves her life as a mom, an Adeladian, a leisure swimmer, hiker and a tennis tragic. She is also the current South Australia representative for the Australian Computational Biology student group (COMBINE).

  • Ph.D (reading) project tile : DEFINING THE TRANSCRIPTIONAL NETWORKS ASSOCIATED WITH CIPK16
  • B.Sc. (Hon's) project title : Mapping of B and T cell epitopes on potential asexual erythrocytic stage vaccine candidate antigens of Plasmodium vivax : Completed (September 2011)

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2014 - 2017 PhD student The University of Adelaide
    2013 - 2014 Scientist (Bioinformatics) University of Colombo, Colombo
    2011 - 2013 Teaching Assitant University of Colombo, Colombo
    2007 - 2011 BSc (Hon's) student University of Colombo, Colombo

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2014 Award The conference travel scholarship to attend BioInfoSummer 2014 in Melbourne, Australia — Australia —
    2014 Scholarship Full fee scholarship from the University of Adelaide and ACPFG PhD scholarship — Australia Full time PhD scholarship
    2010 Award The “Best Young Leader” award, CIMA awards Night, National Leader’s Development Seminar 2010, MIMT, Thulhiriya, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka —
    2010 Award The “Best Organizing Committee” award for CDD 2010, CIMA awards Night, National Leader’s Development Seminar 2010, MIMT, Thulhiriya, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka —
    2003 Achievement Bhathkande Sangeeth Exam, Lucknow, Class, Prathama in Violin Section, 2003 — India —
    2000 Achievement Royal School of Music, Level II Violin, Merit, 2000 — United Kingdom —

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

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2007 - 2011 University of Colombo, Colombo Sri Lanka B.Sc.

  • Certifications
    Date Title Institution name Country
    2010 Professional Graduate Diploma British Computer Society United Kingdom
    2010 Graduate Diploma British Computer Society United Kingdom
    2007 Certificate Level British Computer Society United Kingdom

  • Research Interests
    Bioinformatics Genomics Molecular Evolution Phylogeny and Comparative Analysis Plant Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Travel grant to attend BioinfoSummer 2014 (presentation title: Narrowing Down on CIPK16 Orthologues: A Gene Involved in Enhanced Salt Tolerance)

Teaching Assistant, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

In charge teaching assistant for the special students of Bioinformatics from 3rd and 4th years.

  • Conduct practical tutoring sessions for the undergraduates of the department.
  •  Involved with tutoring for other levels of undergraduates in the department 

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2016 - 2016 Board Member AgPOGS The University of Adelaide Australia
    2011 - 2012 Board Member Vice President of Talent Management AIESEC Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
    2010 - 2011 Board Member Vice President of Out Going Exchange AIESEC Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

  • Offices Held
    Date Office Name Institution Country
    2017 - ongoing State Representative COMBINE Australia Australia
  • Position: PhD Student
  • Phone: 83137169
  • Email: shanika.amarasinghe@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: Waite
  • Building: Plant Genomics Centre, floor 2
  • Room: 2 02
  • Org Unit: School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
Connect With Me
External Profiles