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Baton Rouge Assistant

Location:
Baton Rouge, LA, 70802
Posted:
December 25, 2010

Contact this candidate

Resume:

Udara Dharmasiri, Ph.D

Louisiana State University

Department of Chemistry 3550 Nicholson Dr, Apt 2101

*** ******* **** ***** *****, LA 70802.

Baton Rouge, LA 70803. Ph #: 225-***-****

Ph #: 225-***-****

********@*****.***

Education:

. Ph.D., Bio-analytical Chemistry (Fall/2010); Louisiana State

University, Department of Chemistry, Baton Rouge, LA. (GPA 4.00/4.00)

Adviser: Professor Steven A. Soper

. M.S., Analytical Chemistry (Fall/2006); Postgraduate Institute of

Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. (GPA 3.8/4.0)

. CIMA, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (Spring/2006),

London, UK.

. B.S., Chemistry with Honors (Spring/2004); University of Peradeniya,

Sri Lanka.

Expertise:

. On-chip cell manipulations to isolate low-abundance adenocarcinoma and

pathogenic cells from biological and environmental fluids.

. Culture and maintenance of adenocarcinoma related cell lines and bio-

pathogens.

. Experience in molecular profiling techniques-RTqPCR, PCR and LDR

. DNA/RNA aptamers, proteins, and antibodies immobilization on polymeric

surface modification using carbodiimides and succinimidyl esters.

. Thoroughly experienced in instrumentation, analytical techniques, and

methods development involving bright-field and fluorescence

microscopy, SEM, UV-Vis, AAS, HPLC, XRD, and XRF.

. AutoCAD design and microfabrication of mold inserts and polymeric

microdevices via UV and X-ray LIGA.

Experience:

. Cleanroom training at Center for Advanced Micro Structures (CAMD),

Baton Rouge, LA. (Summer/2010)

. Research at Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center under Prof. Bert

Vogelstein for selection, enumeration and molecular profiling of rare

circulating tumor cells in patients' blood. (Spring/2010)

. Graduate Research Assistant: Professor. Steven A. Soper, Louisiana

State University, Department of Chemistry and Center for BioModular

Multi-Scale Systems (CBM2). (Fall/2007-present)

> Design, fabrication, and assembly of polymer-based microfluidic

devices for bioassays.

> Electrophoretic and hydrodynamic biological cell manipulations

in polymer-based microfluidic devices.

> Development of on-chip clinical diagnostics and prognostics

using polymer-based BioMEMS.

. Research Associate at Post Graduate Institute of Science, University

of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. (Fall/2005-Fall/2006)

> Chemical characterization of effluent after feldspar treatment of Cd2+

containing solutions.

> Developed an economical, environmentally friendly, and efficient

method to remove toxic Cd2+ from effluent waters.

> Investigations of possible sorption, adsorption, desorption and ion

exchange processes to develop effluent water purifying filters.

. Teaching assistant at Louisiana State University, Department of

Chemistry.

. Teaching assistant at University of Peradeniya, Department of

Chemistry, Sri Lanka.

. Mentoring undergraduate and new graduate students towards successful

completion of their research projects.

Volunteer Affiliations:

. LAVA (Louisiana Volunteers in Action) - Assisting hurricane Gustav

recovery efforts across East Baton Rouge Parish, LA. (Fall/2008)

. LSU Volunteers - Assisting special needs patients at special medical

needs shelter at Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC), Baton Rouge,

LA. (Fall/2008)

. Educational and outreach activities at the Center for Advanced Micro

Structures (CAMD) open house. (2008/2009)

Awards & Honors:

. James W. Robinson award for outstanding research in analytical

sciences (Spring/2010)

. Dr. Charles E. Coates memorial travel award. (Spring/2010)

. Outstanding graduate student, Postgraduate Institute of Science,

University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Publications

. Udara Dharmasiri, Subramanian Balamurugan, Andre A. Adams, Paul I.

Okagbare, Annie Obubuafo, and Steven A. Soper, "Highly Efficient

Capture and Enumeration of Low-Abundance Prostate Cancer Cells Using

Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Aptamers Immobilized to a Polymeric

Microfluidic Device" Electrophoresis, 2009, 30: 1-12.

. Udara Dharmasiri, Ma?gorzata A. Witek, Andre A. Adams, Mateusz L.

Hupert, and Steven A. Soper, "Enrichment and Detection of Escherichia

coli 0157:H7 Using An Antibody Modified Microfluidic Chip" Analytical

Chemistry, 2010, 82 (7), 2844-2849.

. Udara Dharmasiri, Ma?gorzata A. Witek, Andre A. Adams, and Steven A.

Soper, "Microsystems for the Capture of Low-Abundance Cells" Annual

Reviews of Analytical Chemistry, 2010, Vol. 3.

. John K. Osiri, Johannes Buerle, Udara Dharmasiri, Jost Goettert, and

Steven A. Soper, "Cyclic Olefin Copolymer based Micro-fabricated Chip

with Integrated Conductive SU-8 Electrodes for Label-free Detection of

Biological Samples" Lab on a Chip. (In preparation)

. Udara Dharmasiri, Samuel Njoroge, Ma?gorzata A. Witek, Francis Barany

and Steven A. Soper, "High-Throughput Selection, Enumeration,

Electrokinetic Manipulation, and Molecular Profiling of Low-Abundance

Circulating Tumor Cells Using a Microfluidic System" Analytical

Chemistry (Submitted)

Presentations & Posters

. "Capture and Enumeration of Low-Abundance Circulating Prostate Cancer

Cells" Gordon Research Conference 2010, Bioanalytical Sensors, New

London, NH. (Poster presentation)

. "Analysis of Rare Circulating Tumor Cells in Peripheral Blood Using

Microfluidics and Conductometric Enumeration" Gordon Research

Conference 2010, Bioanalytical Sensors Seminar, New London, NH. (Oral

presentation)

. "Selection and Enumeration of Rare Biological Cells from Complex

Matrices" Analytical Seminar Spring 2010, LSU Chemistry. (Oral

presentation)

. "Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells Using Antibodies Immobilized to

a Polymeric Microfluidic Device", CAMD User Meeting 2010, Baton Rouge,

LA. (Oral presentation)

. Presider for the session "Affinity-Based Measurement Methods", Pittcon

2010, Orlando, FL.

. "Enrichment and Detection of E. coli O157:H7 from Water Samples Using

an Antibody Modified Microfluidic Chip", Pittcon 2010, Orlando, FL.

(Oral presentation)

. "Highly Efficient Capture and Enumeration of Low-Abundance Prostate

Cancer Cells Using Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Aptamers

Immobilized to a Polymeric Microfluidic Device", Pittcon 2009,

Chicago, IL. (Oral presentation)

. "Noninvasive Detection of Concealed Liquid Explosives Using Raman

Spectroscopy", Analytical Chemistry Student Seminar, Fall 2008. (Oral

presentation)

. "Capture and Enumeration of Low-Abundance Prostate Cancer Cells Using

Prostate Specific Aptamers (PSA) Immobilized to Poly

(methylmethacrylate) Microfluidic Devices", Pittcon 2008, New Orleans,

LA. (Poster presentation)

. "Applications of Polymer-Based Microfluidic Devices for LNCaP Cell

Capture and Prostate Cancer Diagnosis", CBM2 Colloquium 2007, LSU,

Baton Rouge, LA. (Poster presentation)

. "Applications of Polymer-Based Microfluidic Devices for Cancer

Diagnosis", CAMD Colloquium 2008, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA. (Poster

presentation)

List of References

Prof. Steven A. Prof. Evgueni Prof. Gamini Prof. Jayne Garno

Soper Nesterov Rajapakse Louisiana State

Louisiana State Louisiana State Faculty of University

University University Science Department of Chemistry

Department of Department of University of 311 Choppin Hall

Chemistry Chemistry Peradeniya Baton Rouge, LA, 70803

229 Choppin Hall 731 Choppin Hall Sri Lanka Fax #: 225-***-****

Baton Rouge, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Fax #: +94 Ph #: 225-***-****

708**-***** 81-2388018 ******@***.***

Fax #: Fax #: Ph #: +94

225-***-**** (225)-578-323 81-2389129

Ph #: Ph #: ****@***.**.**

225-***-**** 225-***-****

******@***.*** ***@***.***



Contact this candidate