DrSenani N.H. Rathnayake

Dr Senani N.H. Rathnayake is an Associate Lecturer in Medical Sciences in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney. Her research investigates the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying respiratory diseases, using multidisciplinary approaches including primary airway cell culture models, CRISPR-based gene editing, and bioinformatics. Dr Rathnayake completed her PhD at UTS in collaboration with the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and was awarded a European Respiratory Society Research Fellowship to continue her research work at the University Medical Centre Groningen, the Netherlands. 

She teaches and coordinates subjects across undergraduate and postgraduate science and medical science programs, and contributes to the teaching and coordination of subjects in the Bachelor of Nursing program. Dr Rathnayake is a Fellow of the Advanced Higher Education Academy and has a strong commitment to inclusive, student-centred teaching. Her work bridges respiratory science research and higher education practice to support future-ready STEMM and health graduates.