ASBMB

Dr Nirma Samarawickrema

Nirma is a Senior Lecturer and a Co-Director Education at Monash University’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She has extensive experience teaching Biochemistry to undergraduates both in Sri Lanka and Australia. At Monash she teaches Biochemistry to MBBS, Biomedical Science, Science and Nutritional Science students.

In recognition for her sustained achievements in Biochemistry education, she was presented the 2020 Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education Award.

Nirma’s scholarship and research focuses on evaluation of peer assessment approaches in Biochemistry learning and the benefits of peer partnerships in assessments. Her research investigating the nexus between teaching and researching Biochemistry has led her to using her disciplinary research on Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer to enrich curricula to inspire student learning.

In recognition of her contribution to the scholarship of teaching and learning in Biochemistry, she was made a Fellow of the Monash Education Academy, Co-Director of Education in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As a Fellow of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, her contributions to education are nationally endorsed. Nirma is Co-editor of the Education Feature published in the Australian Biochemist magazine and the Chair of Biochemistry Education, of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.