Dr Amitha Hewavitharana
Dr

Amitha Hewavitharana

Email: 

Background

Senior Research Fellow

Room 7048, Level 7, Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence Phone:+61 7 334-61898; Fax: +61 7 334-61999 Email: a.hewavitharana@pharmacy.uq.edu.au

Amitha obtained her B.Sc. from the University of Colombo (Sri Lanka), M.Sc. from the university of Victoria (B.C., Canada) and PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Alberta (Canada). Following that, she held brief research positions at the Massey University (New Zealand) and NZ Leather Research Institute. She then held a research scientist position at the NZ Dairy Research Institute (NZDRI, currently Fonterra Research) for 4 years before moving to Australia in 1997.

In Australia, she commenced her career as a lecturer in analytical chemistry at the University of Western Sydney, and then at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) until 2001. Following that, she held research positions in CSIRO (food science) and in QHSS (investigative chemistry) before joining the school of pharmacy in 2004.

Availability

Dr Amitha Hewavitharana is:
Not available for supervision

Fields of research

Analytical chemistry Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Alberta

Research interests

  • Research Interests

    Please refer to the complete list of publications, in the link below, to get an idea of Dr Hewavitharana's research focus: https://akhcv.wordpress.com Stemming from PhD in analytical chemistry, Dr Hewavitharana's research is focused on solving fundamental analytical problems as well as developing analytical methods for a variety of applications such as: metal speciation (free/ionized calcium, and magnesium) and metabolite analysis (eg. pseudouridine, paracetamols, endorphins, dynorphins) in biological fluids, water and waste water, nutrients (eg. vitamins), antinutrients (eg. lysiniolanine) and antioxidants (eg. carotenes, tocopherols, tocotrienols) in dairy foods and meat products, nutraceuticals in tropical fruits (eg. carotenes, quercetins, mangiferin, anticancer compounds) psychoactive compunds (THC), marker compounds such as isoprostanes, sinistrin, fluconazole, pindolol, p-amino hippuric acid and creatinine, drug discovery (antibiotics and anti-cancer compounds from marine sponge bacteria and tropical fruit), drug delivery (dendrimers) and drug assay (BAY-11-7082, paracetamol, endorphin), Disease markers (eg. Sarcosine in prostate cancer), Fat and Water soluble analogues of vitamin D, Trace metals in food, Ion suppression effects in mass spectrometry, Challenges in method validation. Over the past 31 years, her research outcomes were achieved using a wide variety of instrumentation such as, HPLC -MS-MS, -PDA, -fluorescence, -EC etc, IC, GC-MS, HPCE, AAS, NIR, FTIR, FIA. Her interests also include method validation and laboratory quality assurance in line with ISO 17025. She provides her expertise as a technical assessor to NATA and IANZ, in ISO accreditation of food and water laboratories in Australia and New Zealand.

Search Professor Amitha Hewavitharana’s works on UQ eSpace

109 works between 1988 and 2023
All (109) Journal Article (79) Book Chapter (1) Conference Publication (29)

61 - 80 of 109 works

2011

Conference Publication

Application of HPLC_QTOF-MS/MS to assess the chemical diversity of the marine actinobacterial genus Salinispora

Bose, Utpal, Vidgen, Miranda, Shaw, Nick, Fuerst, John A. and Hewavitharana, Amitha (2011). Application of HPLC_QTOF-MS/MS to assess the chemical diversity of the marine actinobacterial genus Salinispora. Australian Pharmaceutical Science Association Conference, Adelaide, Australia, 2011.

Application of HPLC_QTOF-MS/MS to assess the chemical diversity of the marine actinobacterial genus Salinispora

2011

Conference Publication

Salinispora, Planctomycetes and their implications for sponge microbiology

Fuerst, John A., Hewavitharana, Amitha, Hooper, John, Izumi, Hiroshi, Ng, Yi Kai, Sagulenko, Evgeny, Shaw, Paul N., Schirra, Horst and Vidgen, Miranda (2011). Salinispora, Planctomycetes and their implications for sponge microbiology. 1st International sponge microbiology conf‏erence, Germany, 2011.

Salinispora, Planctomycetes and their implications for sponge microbiology

2011

Conference Publication

Identification of antimicrobial compounds in the crude extracts of the Australian macrofungi, Hohenbuehelia sp. and Ramaria sp., through bioassay-guided fractionation

Bala, Neeraj, Aitken, Elizabeth A.B., Hewavitharana, Amitha, Ross, Benjamin and Steadman, Kathryn (2011). Identification of antimicrobial compounds in the crude extracts of the Australian macrofungi, Hohenbuehelia sp. and Ramaria sp., through bioassay-guided fractionation. Australian Pharmaceutical Science Association Conference, Adelaide, Australia, 11-14 December 2011.

Identification of antimicrobial compounds in the crude extracts of the Australian macrofungi, Hohenbuehelia sp. and Ramaria sp., through bioassay-guided fractionation

2011

Conference Publication

Identification of enzyme-sensitive cleavage sites of beta endorphin (beta- END) using serum and inflamed tissue

Herath, Dilanthi, Hewavitharana, Amitha K., Cabot, Peter J. and Shaw, P. Nicholas (2011). Identification of enzyme-sensitive cleavage sites of beta endorphin (beta- END) using serum and inflamed tissue. American Peptide Symposium (22nd, 2011), San Diego, CA, U.S.A., 25-30 June 2011. Hoboken, NJ, U.S.A.: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/bip.21670

Identification of enzyme-sensitive cleavage sites of beta endorphin (beta- END) using serum and inflamed tissue

2011

Conference Publication

Developmental cycle and antibiotic production of Salinispora arenicola isolated from Great Barrier Reef Marine sponges

Ng,Yi Kai, Hewavitharana, Amitha, Shaw, Paul N., Webb, Richard, Hooper, John and Fuerst, John A. (2011). Developmental cycle and antibiotic production of Salinispora arenicola isolated from Great Barrier Reef Marine sponges. Society for General Microbiology Autumn Conference 2011, York, United Kingdom, 5-7 September 2011.

Developmental cycle and antibiotic production of Salinispora arenicola isolated from Great Barrier Reef Marine sponges

2010

Journal Article

Effect of solvent and electrospray mass spectrometer parameters on the charge state distribution of peptides - a case study using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method development for beta-endorphin assay

Hewavitharana, A. K., Herath, H. M. D. R., Shaw, P. N., Cabot, P. N. and Kebarle, P. (2010). Effect of solvent and electrospray mass spectrometer parameters on the charge state distribution of peptides - a case study using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method development for beta-endorphin assay. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 24 (24), 3510-3514. doi: 10.1002/rcm.4806

Effect of solvent and electrospray mass spectrometer parameters on the charge state distribution of peptides - a case study using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method development for beta-endorphin assay

2010

Journal Article

Diversity of Mycobacterium species from marine sponges and their sensitivity to antagonism by sponge-derived rifamycin-synthesizing actinobacteria in genus Salinispora

Izumi, Hiroshi, Gauthier, Marie E.A., Degnan, Bernard M., Ng, Yi Kai, Hewavitharana, Amitha K., Shaw, P. Nicholas and Fuerst, John A. (2010). Diversity of Mycobacterium species from marine sponges and their sensitivity to antagonism by sponge-derived rifamycin-synthesizing actinobacteria in genus Salinispora. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 313 (1), 33-40. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2010.02118.x

Diversity of Mycobacterium species from marine sponges and their sensitivity to antagonism by sponge-derived rifamycin-synthesizing actinobacteria in genus Salinispora

2010

Journal Article

Re: Florian Jentzmik, Carsten Stephan, Kurt Miller, et al. Sarcosine in Urine After Digital Rectal Examination Fails as a Marker in Prostate Cancer Detection and Identification of Aggressive Tumours. Eur Urol 2010;58:12-8

Hewavitharana, Amitha (2010). Re: Florian Jentzmik, Carsten Stephan, Kurt Miller, et al. Sarcosine in Urine After Digital Rectal Examination Fails as a Marker in Prostate Cancer Detection and Identification of Aggressive Tumours. Eur Urol 2010;58:12-8. European Eurology, 58 (4), E39-E40. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2010.07.031

Re: Florian Jentzmik, Carsten Stephan, Kurt Miller, et al. Sarcosine in Urine After Digital Rectal Examination Fails as a Marker in Prostate Cancer Detection and Identification of Aggressive Tumours. Eur Urol 2010;58:12-8

2010

Journal Article

Effect of ionization suppression by trace impurities in mobile phase water on the accuracy of quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Herath, H. M. D. R., Shaw, Paul N., Cabot, Peter and Hewavitharana, Amitha (2010). Effect of ionization suppression by trace impurities in mobile phase water on the accuracy of quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 24 (11), 1502-1506. doi: 10.1002/rcm.4549

Effect of ionization suppression by trace impurities in mobile phase water on the accuracy of quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

2010

Journal Article

Mango extracts and the mango component mangiferin promote endothelial cell migration

Daud, Noor Huda, Aung, Cho Sanda, Hewavitharana, Amitha K., Wilkinson, Ashley S., Pierson, Jean-Thomas, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J., Shaw, P. Nicholas, Monteith, Gregory R., Gidley, Michael J. and Parat, Marie-Odile (2010). Mango extracts and the mango component mangiferin promote endothelial cell migration. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58 (8), 5181-5186. doi: 10.1021/jf100249s

Mango extracts and the mango component mangiferin promote endothelial cell migration

2009

Journal Article

Development and validation of a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for quantification of peptide dendrimers in human skin permeation experiments

Mutalik, S., Hewavitharana, A., Shaw, P. N., Anissimov, Y. G., Roberts, M. S. and Parekh, H. S. (2009). Development and validation of a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for quantification of peptide dendrimers in human skin permeation experiments. Journal of Chromatography. B, Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences, 877 (29), 3556-3562. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2009.08.039

Development and validation of a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for quantification of peptide dendrimers in human skin permeation experiments

2009

Journal Article

Internal standard - friend or foe?

Hewavitharana, Amitha (2009). Internal standard - friend or foe?. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry, 39 (4), 272-275. doi: 10.1080/10408340903001201

Internal standard - friend or foe?

2009

Journal Article

Simple screening method for staurosporine in bacterial cultures using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Hewavitharana, A., Shaw, P. N., Ng, Y. K. and Fuerst, J. A. (2009). Simple screening method for staurosporine in bacterial cultures using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Bioanalysis & Biomedicine, 1 (1), 1-4. doi: 10.4172/1948-593X.1000001

Simple screening method for staurosporine in bacterial cultures using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

2008

Journal Article

Development of an HPLC-MS/MS method for the selective determination of paracetamol metabolites in mouse urine

Hewavitharana, A., Lee, S., Dawson, P. A., Markovich, D. and Shaw, P. N. (2008). Development of an HPLC-MS/MS method for the selective determination of paracetamol metabolites in mouse urine. Analytical Biochemistry, 374 (1), 106-111. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2007.11.011

Development of an HPLC-MS/MS method for the selective determination of paracetamol metabolites in mouse urine

2008

Conference Publication

Development and validation of RP-HPLC method for quantification of peptide dendrimers in skin permeation experiments

Mutalik, Srinivas, Parekh, Harendra S., Hewavitharana, Amitha K., Shaw, P. Nick, Anissimov, Yuri G. and Roberts, Michael S. (2008). Development and validation of RP-HPLC method for quantification of peptide dendrimers in skin permeation experiments. Australian Pharmaceutical Science Association Conference 2008, Canberra, ACT Australia, 6-9 December 2008.

Development and validation of RP-HPLC method for quantification of peptide dendrimers in skin permeation experiments

2008

Journal Article

Creatinine and pseudouridine in plasma and urine from Braham-cross steers fed a low, medium or high plane of nutrition

Bruce, H. L., Hewavitharana, A. K. and Hunter, R. A. (2008). Creatinine and pseudouridine in plasma and urine from Braham-cross steers fed a low, medium or high plane of nutrition. Livestock Science, 119 (1-3), 95-101. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2008.03.006

Creatinine and pseudouridine in plasma and urine from Braham-cross steers fed a low, medium or high plane of nutrition

2007

Journal Article

Screening of rifamycin producing marine sponge bacteria by LC-MS-MS

Hewavitharana, A. K., Shaw, P. N., Kim, T. K. and Fuerst, J. A. (2007). Screening of rifamycin producing marine sponge bacteria by LC-MS-MS. Journal of Chromatography B-analytical Technologies In The Biomedical And Life Sciences, 852 (1-2), 362-366. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2007.01.042

Screening of rifamycin producing marine sponge bacteria by LC-MS-MS

2006

Journal Article

Saponins from Quillaja saponaria Molina: Isolation, Characterization and Ability to Form Immuno Stimulatory Complexes (ISCOMs)

Pham, H. L., Ross, B. P., McGeary, R. P., Shaw, P. N., Hewavitharana, A. K. and Davies, N. M. (2006). Saponins from Quillaja saponaria Molina: Isolation, Characterization and Ability to Form Immuno Stimulatory Complexes (ISCOMs). Current Drug Delivery, 3 (4), 389-397. doi: 10.2174/156720106778559092

Saponins from Quillaja saponaria Molina: Isolation, Characterization and Ability to Form Immuno Stimulatory Complexes (ISCOMs)

2006

Journal Article

Disruption of NaS1 sulfate transport function in mice leads to enhanced acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity

Lee, S., Dawson, P. A., Hewavitharana, A. K., Shaw, P. N. and Markovich, D. (2006). Disruption of NaS1 sulfate transport function in mice leads to enhanced acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Hepatology, 43 (6), 1241-1247. doi: 10.1002/hep.21207

Disruption of NaS1 sulfate transport function in mice leads to enhanced acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity

2006

Conference Publication

Identification and quantitation of intact beta-endorphin by LC-MS-MS

Cabot, P. J., Hewavitharana, A., Pham, U. and Shaw, P. N. (2006). Identification and quantitation of intact beta-endorphin by LC-MS-MS. BPC Science: British Pharmaceutical Conference, Manchester UK / Manchester International Convention Centre, 4-6 September 2006. West Sussex, U.K.: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1211/002235706778251393

Identification and quantitation of intact beta-endorphin by LC-MS-MS

Past funding

  • 2018
    Developing a method for measuring thiopurine drug and metabolites
    Research Donation Generic
    Open grant
  • 2010
    Analytical instrumentation enabling rapid compound separation and chemical structure analysis via mass fingerprinting
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant

Availability

Dr Amitha Hewavitharana is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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