Deepani Fernando
Dr | Research Officer
+61 7 3845 3712Deepani.Fernando@qimrberghofer.edu.au
CAREER HISTORY
Dr Deepani Fernando is a Post-doctoral research fellow at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute working on the molecular aspects of scabies mite towards the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics for scabies. She is a trained Veterinarian from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She completed her PhD in molecular biology of Sarcoptes scabiei at the QIMR Berghofer and the University of Queensland, Australia. She was a Lecturer and then a Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Parasitology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka before she joined as a postdoctoral researcher in the Scabies laboratory at the QIMR Berghofer. She is also an honorary fellow at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland.
CURRENT APPOINTMENT
- 2019 – present: Research Officer, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- 2020 – present: Honorary Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland
PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS
- 2018 – 2019: Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- 2013 – 2018: Lecturer, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
ORCID NUMBER
CURRENT AREA OF RESEARCH
Scabies is a significant global health problem, yet a neglected condition prevailing in overcrowded and disadvantaged communities including Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. There are very few therapeutics available to treat this condition, and they are suboptimal. There are no vaccines nor molecular diagnostics for scabies. The scabies group at QIMR Berghofer is one of the few research groups working towards solutions to alleviate scabies and associated sequelae and has provided substantial knowledge about this disease in biological, molecular and clinical aspects. Under the supervision of Dr. Katja Fischer, the head of the Scabies Laboratory, Dr. Deepani Fernando is currently working towards development of highly sensitive, specific and affordable point-of-care diagnostics for scabies, which is a foremost requirement to detect and differentiate scabies from other similar dermatological conditions. In addition, she is establishing the RNAi methodology for scabies eggs, a tool to determine potential ovicidal targets. As most current drugs are lack of ovicidal activity, we aim to discover therapeutic targets in the eggs and to develop drugs that will eliminate the entire life cycle of this parasite. Dr Deepani Fernando is also involved in further projects in the Scabies Laboratory, which investigate the pharmaceutical potential of novel drug candidates for scabies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z9QioCAx8A
PUBLICATIONS
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
- 2017-2020: Two first author publications leading to characterisation of a novel group of scabies mite inactivated protease paralogs as pro-coagulants.
- 2018 – 2020: Contributed to studies testing the acaricidal activity of existing drugs and establishing guidelines to eliminate scabies from fomites
- 2017: Established the RNAi technique in scabies mites as a tool to identify new therapeutic targets
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- 2014 – current: Australian Society of Parasitology
- 2020 – current: QIMR Berghofer Postdoctoral Committee Member
- 2015: Australian Society for Medical Research
- 2012 – current: Sri Lankan Veterinary Association (Life member)
- 2012 – current: Sri Lankan Veterinary Council (Life member)
AWARDS RECOGNITION
- 2019: Young investigator travel award – Postdoctoral, American Society for Tropical Medicine and Health (ASTMH)
- 2016: Postgraduate Student Award for the most meritorious paper presented, Australian Society for Parasitology (ASP)
- 2016: Network Researcher Exchange, Training and Travel Award, Australian Society for Parasitology (ASP)
- 2015: PhD Top Up Scholarship Award, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Australia
- 2014 – 2017: Student Conference Travel awards (annually), Australian Society for Parasitology (ASP)
- 2013: International PhD Scholarship, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Australia
- 2013: International Scholarship – Tuition fee award (UQI), University of Queensland, Australia
- 2011: Arunachalam Chinniah Gold Medal for the Best Performance in BVSc Degree, University of Peradeniya
- 2011: Prof. S. T. Fernando Memorial Gold Medal for Excellence in Veterinary Medicine, University of Peradeniya
- 2011: Prof. G. E. Kodituwakku Prize for Excellence in Veterinary Surgery, University of Peradeniya
- 2009: Dr. D. Seneviratne Memorial Gold Medal for Excellence in Veterinary Public Health, University of Peradeniya
- 2009: Astron (Pfizer) Veterinary Scholarship for the Best Performance in First, Second & Third BVSc Examinations
- 2008: Dr. & Mrs. M. P. Senevirathne Memorial Gold Medal for the Best Performance in Veterinary Parasitology, University of Peradeniya
- 2008: Prof. S. T. Fernando Memorial Prize for Excellence in Veterinary Parasitology, University of Peradeniya
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
- 2019: Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Programme in Science, University of Hokkaido, Japan
- 2013 – 2017: PhD in Molecular Parasitology, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Australia
- 2016: ASP Advanced Course “Concepts in Parasitology”, Australian Society for Parasitology, Australia
- 2015: 15th Summer School, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (ESCMID), Spain
- 2012: Certificate course in Molecular Biological Techniques, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
- 2006 – 2011: Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) first class honours, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka