Research Assistant
Centre for Integrative Ecology
Deakin University, Burwood campus
221 Burwood Hwy, VIC 3125
Piyumi's research
Piyumi completed her Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Export Agriculture at Uva Wellassa University, Sri Lanka, which covered a range of topics in crop science, microbial biotechnology, and agribusiness. Most recently, she completed her Masters in Environment and Sustainability at Monash University. For her Masters thesis, she investigated the genetic basis of rapid climate change adaptation of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) populations in North America.
Before moving to Australia, Piyumi worked as an environmental officer at Central Environmental Authority, Sri Lanka where she involved mainly in conducting compliance monitoring activities related to Environmental Protection Licenses issued by the authority. She has also worked for three years as a Research Assistant at a leading research institute in Sri Lanka, where she was involved in research projects related to the application of microbial biofilm biofertilizers to reduce environmentally harmful subsidies in agriculture.
Her work as a research assistant at BCL involves identifying, testing, and extracting data to provide a systematic review on “Dredge material to restore blue carbon ecosystems”.
Keywords
Sustainability, climate change, ecosystem restoration
Qualifications:
- MSc Environment and Sustainability, Monash University (2018 – 2020)
- BSc (Hons) Uva Wellassa University, Sri Lanka (2009 – 2013)
Experience:
- Environmental officer, Central Environmental Authority, Sri Lanka (2017 – 2018)
- Research assistant, Microbial Biotechnology Unit, National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka (2014 – 2017)
- Teaching assistant, Uva Wellassa University, Sri Lanka (2014)
