Amitha Hewavitharana

Dr. Amitha Hewavitharana serves as an Honorary Senior Fellow in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Queensland, where she has been affiliated since 2004. With a PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Alberta, she brings over three decades of research experience across multiple institutions including University of Western Sydney, Queensland University of Technology, CSIRO, and NZ Dairy Research Institute.

Her research spans analytical method development for pharmaceutical and food applications, with notable expertise in cannabinoid analysis, vitamin D quantification, marine natural products, and cancer research using tropical plants like papaya. Her work consistently addresses fundamental analytical challenges while developing practical applications across diverse fields including metabolite analysis in biological fluids, nutrient and antioxidant analysis in food products, and drug discovery from natural sources.

Dr. Hewavitharana's recent publications (2021-2023) demonstrate a clear research trajectory focused on cannabis chemistry and analysis, with multiple papers on cannabinoid quantification methods. She also maintains strong interest in vitamin D analysis in biological samples and breast milk composition, with several publications examining the effects of pasteurization on nutritional components. Her analytical expertise spans multiple techniques including HPLC-MS-MS, IC, GC-MS, HPCE, AAS, NIR, and FTIR.

As an academic mentor, Dr. Hewavitharana has supervised numerous PhD students as principal or associate advisor, with research projects focusing on papaya's anticancer properties, vitamin D analysis, marine bacteria chemical diversity, and endorphin metabolism. Her research has been supported by various funding sources including UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure grants.

She actively contributes to laboratory quality assurance as a technical assessor for NATA and IANZ, providing expertise in ISO accreditation of food and water laboratories across Australia and New Zealand. Her research collaborations span multiple disciplines and institutions, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of her analytical chemistry expertise applied to pharmaceutical and nutritional challenges.