Sumangali Gobhidharan

Dr Sumangali Gobhidharan is a Researcher at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) within the School of Psychiatry at UNSW Sydney. She holds a PhD in Medicine (Neuroscience) from the University of Bristol (2014), an MSc in Molecular Neuroscience (Distinction) from the same institution, and a Bachelor of Zoology (First Class Honours) from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Her research focuses on genetics and epigenomics in healthy brain ageing, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia biomarkers.

Education:

• PhD in Medicine (Neuroscience), 2014 – University of Bristol, UK
• MSc in Molecular Neuroscience (Distinction), 2010 – University of Bristol, UK
• BSc Zoology (First Class Honours), 2009 – University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Research Interests: Dr Gobhidharan leads molecular biology experiments and manages genetic material curation for CHeBA’s longitudinal studies. She investigates neurotrophins, circular RNAs in ageing, and biomarkers for healthy ageing. Her work aims to uncover mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases and contribute to dementia prevention.

Scientific Awards:

• Prof F. P. Amerasinghe Gold Medal for Excellence in Zoology
• University of Peradeniya Award for Academic Excellence
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarship
• University of Bristol Overseas Postgraduate Research Scholarship

Advising & Collaborations: She mentored an honours student on circular RNAs in ageing, though the project was interrupted by the pandemic. Collaborations within CHeBA’s interdisciplinary teams drive her research on dementia and healthy ageing.

Labs/Teams: Member of CHeBA’s Genetics and Epigenomics Group, focusing on molecular and genetic analyses of brain ageing processes.