Overview
Background
Hemamali Samaratunga MBBS (Hons) LRCP (London) MRCS (UK) FRCPA, FRCPath
- Specialist Anatomical Pathologist, Managing Director, Aquesta Specialised Uropathology
- Full Professor, University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine
- Visiting Medical Officer, Greenslopes Private Hospital
Hemamali graduated with honours from the University of Sri Lanka, Colombo Medical School and completed Pathology specialty training in Queensland. She held a number of consultant posts in both hospital and private practice. In 2008 she established Aquesta Uropathology which now provides diagnostic uropathology services to the majority of urologists in Queensland and Northern New South Wales. In addition to this she maintains a large second opinion consultation practice with requests obtained from throughout Australia and from overseas.
She is active in Genitourinary Pathology research with collaborators in Australia, USA, Canada, Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Wellington School of Medicine in New Zealand. She held the position of Secretary of the International Society of Urological Pathology from 2015 to 2019.
She was a contributor to the 2004, 2015 and 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) books on Classification of Tumours: Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of the Urinary and Male Reproductive System. She participated in the 2015 revision of the WHO Tumour Classification in Zurich, Switzerland (4th edition) as member, Prostate Tumour Panel. She was a representative of the Expert Groups formulating structured reporting protocols for the Royal College Pathologists of Australasia on kidney, testis and prostate cancer and is currently chairperson of the structured reporting protocols for Genitourinary cancer. She is also currently the Convener for the RCPA Uropathology Quality Assurance Program.
Qualifications
MBBS (HONS) LRCP (London) MRCS (UK) FRCPA FRCPath
Current UQ Appointments
Academic Title-Professor
Non-UQ Appointments
2008 - current: Specialist Anatomical Pathologist & Managing Director, Aquesta Specialized Uropathology
2015 - Current: Visiting Medical Officer, Greenslopes Private Hospital
2003 - 2021: Visiting Medical Officer, Princess Alexandra Hospital
June 2001 - Oct 2008: Specialist Anatomical Pathologist, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Brisbane
1993 - 1997: Specialist Anatomical Pathologist, Royal Brisbane Hospital
1998 - 2001: Senior Anatomical Pathologist, North Brisbane Hospitals Board
Research Interests
- Granular tumour necrosis
- Diagnosis of limited adenocarcinoma on prostate needle biopsy
- Ductal adenocarcinoma of prostate
- Mucinous adenocarcinoma of prostate
- Radical prostatectomy handling and reporting
- Micropapillary urothelial cancer
- Mimics of bladder cancer
Awards and other Esteem Indicators
2017 Admitted to Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists, London (FRC Path) for sustained excellence in published works
2022 Awarded the Grawitz Medal of the International Society of Urological Pathology for distinguished service to the discipline of Urological Pathology
2023 Author of the publication Percentage grade 4 tumour predicts outcome for prostate adenocarcinoma in needle biopsies from patients with advanced disease: Ten year data from the TROG 03.04 RADAR Trial. Pathology 54: 49- 54, awarded the prize of
Article of the Year by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.
2024 Distinguished Fellowship Award of the Royal College Pathologists of Australasia
For distinguished service to the discipline of Urological Pathology
Keywords
Pathology, Genitourinary cancer, Prostate, Kidney, Urinary tract, Testis, Penis
Availability
- Professor Hemamali Samaratunga is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Research impacts
She has over 320 scientific publications and has a Google Scholar H-index of 56 with 18150 citations. To date she has authored or co-authored 28 books, 21 book chapters and 274 peer-reviewed publications. Apart from her primary research activities Professor Samaratunga actively collaborates with other research groups and is a regular contributor - often as primary or senior author to international research consortia. One notable contribution has been her involvement in the development of artificial intelligence programs for the reporting of prostate cancer. In collaborative studies involving colleagues from the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and the United States she was chosen to be one of three expert pathologists to review all cases, thus setting the gold standard for the diagnosis and grading of prostate cancer. These studies have been published in highly prestigious journals as noted in her CV. Importantly in comparative studies, the AI program informed by the findings of group of three pathologists that included Professor Samaratunga, outperformed all other AI programs.
Works
Search Professor Hemamali Samaratunga’s works on UQ eSpace
2006
Journal Article
Atypical prostatic glandular proliferations on needle biopsy - Diagnostic implications, use of immunohistochemistry, and clinical significance
Samaratunga, H., Gardiner, R.A., Yaxley, J. and Brown, I. (2006). Atypical prostatic glandular proliferations on needle biopsy - Diagnostic implications, use of immunohistochemistry, and clinical significance. Analytical And Quantitative Cytology And Histology, 28 (2), 104-110.
2006
Conference Publication
Positive margin rates in patients with a single positive core on extended TRUS biopsy
Dangerfield, D., Samaratunga, H. and Yaxley, J. (2006). Positive margin rates in patients with a single positive core on extended TRUS biopsy. The Urological Society of Australasia Annual Scientific Meeting 2006, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 26-30 March 2006. Chichester, West Sussex United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
2005
Journal Article
Compartmentalized expression of kallikrein 4 (KLK4/hK4) isoforms in prostate cancer: nuclear, cytoplasmic and secreted forms
Dong, Y., Bui, L. T., Odorico, D. M., Tan, O. L., Myers, S. A., Samaratunga, H., Gardiner, R. A. and Clements, J. A. (2005). Compartmentalized expression of kallikrein 4 (KLK4/hK4) isoforms in prostate cancer: nuclear, cytoplasmic and secreted forms. Endocrine-Related Cancer, 12 (4), 875-889. doi: 10.1677/erc.1.01062
2005
Journal Article
Significance of stromal reaction patterns in invasive urothelial carcinoma
Samaratunga, H, Fairweather, P and Purdie, D (2005). Significance of stromal reaction patterns in invasive urothelial carcinoma. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 123 (6), 851-857. doi: 10.1309/EE8RTB6X611G6TU
2005
Journal Article
Use of multiple biomarkers for a molecular diagnosis of prostate cancer
Landers, Kelly A., Burger, Michelle J., Tebay, Michelle A., Purdie, David M., Scells, Betty, Samaratunga, Hemamali, Lavin, Martin F. and Gardiner, Robert A. (2005). Use of multiple biomarkers for a molecular diagnosis of prostate cancer. International Journal of Cancer, 114 (6), 950-956. doi: 10.1002/ijc.20760
2005
Conference Publication
Claudin 4: a new therapeutic target for prostate cancer?
Gardiner, RA, Landers, KA, Burger, MJ, Scells, B, Samaratunga, MLTH and Lavin, MF (2005). Claudin 4: a new therapeutic target for prostate cancer?. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Urological- Society-of-Australasia, Melbourne Australia, Feb 13-17, 2005. OXFORD: BLACKWELL PUBLISHING.
2005
Conference Publication
Prostatic adenocarcinoma with mucinous components a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study
Samaratunga, H. and Brown, I. (2005). Prostatic adenocarcinoma with mucinous components a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study. 94th Annual Meeting of the United-States-and-Canadian-Academy-of-Pathology, San Antonio, TX, United States, 26 February - 4 March 2005. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
2004
Journal Article
Micropapillary variant of urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder; a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study
Samaratunga, H and Khoo, K (2004). Micropapillary variant of urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder; a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study. Histopathology, 45 (1), 55-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2004.01895.x
2004
Journal Article
Expression of the disintegrin metalloprotease, ADAM-10, in prostate cancer and its regulation by dihydrotestosterone, insulin-like growth factor I, and epidermal growth factor in the prostate cancer cell model LNCaP
McCulloch, Daniel R, Akl, Pascal, Samaratunga, Hemamali, Herington, Adrian C. and Odorico, Dimitri M. (2004). Expression of the disintegrin metalloprotease, ADAM-10, in prostate cancer and its regulation by dihydrotestosterone, insulin-like growth factor I, and epidermal growth factor in the prostate cancer cell model LNCaP. Clinical Cancer Research, 10 (1), 314-323. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-0846-3
2003
Conference Publication
Micropapillary variant of urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder: Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study
Samaratunga, H and Khoo, K (2003). Micropapillary variant of urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder: Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study. 92nd Annual Meeting of the United-States-and-Canadian-Academy-of-Pathology, Washington D.C., Mar 22-28, 2003. PHILADELPHIA: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS.
2002
Conference Publication
Comparison of WHO/ISUP and WHO classification of non-invasive papillary urothelial neoplasms (PTa) for risk of progression.
Epstein, JI, Markov, DV and Samaratunga, H (2002). Comparison of WHO/ISUP and WHO classification of non-invasive papillary urothelial neoplasms (PTa) for risk of progression.. 97th Annual Meeting of the American-Urological-Association, Orlando Florida, May 25-30, 2002. PHILADELPHIA: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS.
2002
Journal Article
Expression analysis of delta-catenin and prostate-specific membrane antigen: Their potential as diagnostic markers for prostate cancer
Burger, M. J., Tebay, M. A., Keith, P. A., Samaratunga, H. M., Clements, J. A., Lavin, M. F. and Gardiner, R. A. (2002). Expression analysis of delta-catenin and prostate-specific membrane antigen: Their potential as diagnostic markers for prostate cancer. International Journal of Cancer, 100 (2), 228-237. doi: 10.1002/ijc.10468
2002
Journal Article
Comparison of WHO/ISUP and WHO classification of noninvasive papillary urothelial neoplasms for risk of progression
Samaratunga H., Makarov D.V. and Epstein J.I. (2002). Comparison of WHO/ISUP and WHO classification of noninvasive papillary urothelial neoplasms for risk of progression. Urology, 60 (2), 315-319. doi: 10.1016/S0090-4295(02)01705-3
2001
Journal Article
Phyllodes tumors of the breast: Correlation of nucleolar organizer regions with histopathological malignancy grading, flow cytometric DNA analysis and clinical outcome
Samaratunga, Hemamali, Clarke, Belinda, Owen, Leigh, Bryson, Greg and Swanson, Cheryl (2001). Phyllodes tumors of the breast: Correlation of nucleolar organizer regions with histopathological malignancy grading, flow cytometric DNA analysis and clinical outcome. Pathology International, 51 (11), 866-873. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1827.2001.01294.x
2001
Journal Article
Atypical presentation of herpes simplex (chronic hypertrophic herpes) in a patient with HIV infection
Samaratunga, H, Weedon, D, Musgrave, N and Mccallum, N (2001). Atypical presentation of herpes simplex (chronic hypertrophic herpes) in a patient with HIV infection. Pathology, 33 (4), 532-535. doi: 10.1080/00313020120083322
2001
Journal Article
Human kallikrein 4 (KLK4) is highly expressed in serous ovarian carcinomas
Dong, Y, Kaushal, A, Bui, L, Chu, S, Fuller, PJ, Nicklin, J, Samaratunga, H and Clements, JA (2001). Human kallikrein 4 (KLK4) is highly expressed in serous ovarian carcinomas. Clinical Cancer Research, 7 (8), 2363-2371.
1999
Journal Article
Cervical adenoid basal epitheliomas
Samaratunga, H (1999). Cervical adenoid basal epitheliomas. American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 23 (10), 1308-1309. doi: 10.1097/00000478-199910000-00021
1999
Conference Publication
Molecular detection of PSA, PSMA and apolipoprotein D in ejaculate and urethral washings
Gardiner, R. A., Clements, J. A., Rohde, P., Hyland, V., Samaratunga, M. L., Tilley, W. D. and Lavin, M. F. (1999). Molecular detection of PSA, PSMA and apolipoprotein D in ejaculate and urethral washings. 1999 Annual Scientific meeting of Urological Society of Austa, Adelaide, Australia, 10 March 1999. Adelaide, Australia: Urological Society of Australasia.
1999
Journal Article
Molecular detection of prostate cells ejaculate and urethral washings in men with suspected prostate cancer
Clements, J. A., Rohde, P., Allen, V., Hyland, V. J., Samaratunga, M. L., Tilley, W. D., Lavin, M. F. and Gardiner, R. A. (1999). Molecular detection of prostate cells ejaculate and urethral washings in men with suspected prostate cancer. Journal of Urology, 161 (4), 1337-1343. doi: 10.1016/S0022-5347(01)61680-X
1999
Conference Publication
Upper Tract Replacement by Bladder with renal Autotransplantation and Dexon
Gardiner, R. A., Teng, H., Hardie, I. R. and Samaratunga, M.L. (1999). Upper Tract Replacement by Bladder with renal Autotransplantation and Dexon. 51st Annual Scientific meeting of the Urological Society of a, Adelaide, March 1998. Asia: Blackwell Science.
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Hemamali Samaratunga is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Completed supervision
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring Resistance of Renal Cell Carcinoma to Sunitinib Therapy
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor David Vesey
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of pancreatitis in atrophy and regeneration
Associate Advisor
Media
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