Chamindie Punyadeera

Professor Chamindie Punyadeera is a leading academic at Griffith University, holding a joint appointment in Science and Health within the School of Environment and Science. She leads the Salivary Diagnostics and Liquid Biopsy Laboratory, focusing on biomarker development for precision health, particularly in cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Her work bridges academia and industry, emphasizing non-invasive diagnostics through saliva and liquid biopsies.

Education:

• BSc, University of Botswana (1991–1994)
• MSc (Cum Laude), University of the Witwatersrand (1995–1996)
• PhD, University of the Witwatersrand (1997–2000)

Research Interests: Professor Punyadeera’s work spans salivary proteomics, liquid biopsies, and biomarker discovery for cancers (e.g., head and neck, lung, and oral) and heart failure. She also explores biosensors, exosomes, and epigenetic markers. Her lab develops translational tools like the FDA-approved CancerDetect saliva test for head and neck cancer.

Grants & Collaborations:

• ARC Research Hub for Molecular Biosensors (MOBIUS, $540,000)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for saliva diagnostics
• Industry partnerships with Viome and Gallipoli Medical Research Ltd

Labs & Impact: Her lab’s innovations include miRNA-based oral cancer diagnostics and hydrogel-free tumoroid models for drug testing. She advocates for women in STEMM and has filed patents for salivary biomarker panels for liver cirrhosis, HPV-driven cancers, and oral cancer prediction.