ERA Chair holder |
Alireza Fazeli
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Professor Alireza Fazeli has over 20 years of experience of conducting multidisciplinary research in world-class universities and research institutions around the globe. During this time, he has developed vast experience using different “OMICS” technologies such as genomics and proteomics in translational research in the field of immune, reproductive and developmental medicine. In particular he has sought to investigate the Periconception Environment and its effect on the offspring epigenetic profile, maternal interactions with gametes and embryos as well as understanding the mechanisms involved in the mediation of the innate immune system in the female reproductive tract in health and disease.
In carrying out this work, he has developed an extensive network of contacts, having collaborated with a wide variety of excellent researchers and scientists from academia, industry and pharma from different countries. This is illustrated in the two successful EU-wide research programs he has chaired and vice-chaired: Gemini and Epiconcept each involving more than 30 different European and European Associated countries with over 400 active researchers originating from different academic institutions. Prof Fazeli has also served as chairman of the British Andrology Society that is an international Learned Society with membership from all over the globe for 3 years. He has also served as Head of the Academic unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine at Sheffield University, managing over 50 academics, technical, administrative, post-graduate research and taught students. During his research career, he has published well over 250 scientific communications of which 90 are published in peer reviewed high quality scientific journals. In addition to professional scientific media, he has sought to disseminate his research in the public press and in different forms of media. From art objects exhibited in public art galleries to video clips on YouTube. His goal in these efforts have been to make science understandable for all, in particular the younger generations so as to inspire and educate them to pursue scientific careers. He hopes that his research make a difference in day to day lives of ordinary people. |
Senior research fellows |
Septimiu Radu Ionescu
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Dr Radu Ionescu received his degree in Electrical Power Engineering from Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania, in 1998, and his PhD degree in Electronics Engineering from Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain, in 2003.
Currently he is a Senior Research Fellow in Molecular Diagnostics at Estonian University of Life Sciences. Previously he was researcher at Uppsala University, Sweden; research director at Rovira i Virgili University, Spain; experienced researcher at Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Italy; EC Senior Researcher at Technion − Israel Institute of Technology; and project director at the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Petru Poni, Iasi, Romania. Dr Ionescu coordinated two H2020 projects (TROPSENSE and bTB-Test), and other several national and regional projects in Spain. His research interests include metabolomics studies, VOC samples analysis, disease biomarkers, nanomaterials synthesis, and electronic nose systems. |
Suranga Kodithuwakku
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Dr. Suranga received his bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Peradeniya ,Sri Lanka majoring in Animal Sciences in the year 2004. He also completed a one-year research studentship at the Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan in Animal Reproductive Biology. Later, Dr. Suranga completed his PhD in year 2011 at the Department of obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR in Reproductive Biology and Molecular Biology mainly concentrating on molecular and cell biological aspects of human endometrial receptivity, embryo implantation and tubal ectopic pregnancy.
After the doctoral training, he worked as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka while leading a research group and a laboratory as a principal investigator. He received further training in advanced molecular and cellular aspects of reproductive biology from MBL, USA and also held a joint appointment at LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong as a Research Associate. Dr. Suranga’s research interests are mainly focused on molecular and cellular biological aspects in reproductive biology of human and farm animals. Moreover, he has been working on the other areas like reproductive toxicology, molecular characterization, development of molecular diagnostic tools, disease modelling /animal models, bioactive natural compounds screening and cancer biology as well. |
Research fellows
Kasun Madhuranga Godakumara
Godagedara |
Kasun Godakumara started his research career in the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka where he studied hard tissue biology in osteoporosis conditions. He earned his Bachelor’s in Medical Laboratory Science and Master of Philosophy in Biotechnology from the University of Peradeniya in 2013 and 2016 respectively. After being employed as a laboratory analyst in the chemical pathology sector, he joined the University of Tartu as a doctoral student in 2018. He was attached to the ERA Chair of Translational Genomics (TransGeno) under the supervision of Prof Alireza Fazeli. His studies are focused on extracellular vesicle based embryo maternal communication. Over time, he has gained expertise in numerous molecular biological, cell biological and bioinformatical technologies related to embryology and the biology of extracellular vesicles.
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Getnet Midekessa received his BSc in Applied Chemistry from Hawassa University, Ethiopia. Following graduation, he worked in the food complex and pharmaceutical industries located in Ethiopia. Later he completed his Master's studies in Protein Science and Biotechnology from the University of Oulu, Finland. During his Master’s studies and post-graduation, he worked on projects involving protein characterization and extracellular vesicles research at the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the University of Oulu. Getnet started his doctoral studies in March 2018 in the Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, under the supervision of Prof Fazeli. He is also working as a specialist at the Estonian University of Life Sciences in the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. His research interests are focusing on the detection of surface extracellular vesicles using different biosensing technologies, as well as developing a novel diagnostic biomarker for different diseases.
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PhD students
Gayandi Ekanayake |
Gayandi Ekanayake has started her scientific career in the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka where she received her BSc (Honors) degree majoring Botany (Plant Sciences) and MSc degree in Crop Protection and Plant Biotechnology in 2018 and 2020 respectively. During her Master’s studies, she worked as a research assistant for two India-Sri Lanka collaborative research projects namely, “High throughput genotyping to expedite the genetic characterization and dissection of important agronomic traits of tea” and “Genetic analysis of plant pigments of tea (Camellia sinenisis L.)” conducted by the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka. After being employed as a specialist at the Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu for a short period of time, she joined the Estonian University of Life Sciences as a doctoral student in 2021 for a joint PhD project between the ERA Chair of COMBIVET and the ERA Chair of VALORTECH under the supervision of Prof Alireza Fazeli and Prof Rajeev Bhat. Her doctoral studies are focused on purification and characterization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from plant waste materials and their by-products, specifically from fruits and vegetable wastes as a novel approach for the valorisation of fruit and vegetable wastes.
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Seyed Omid Reza Mousavi
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Seyed Omid Reza Mousavi did his Master’s degree thesis on cellular and molecular interactions of spermatozoa with fallopian tube epithelial cells, and completed his Master’s degree in Genetics in 2019 from Medical Sciences branch of Azad University in Iran. Currently, he is a PhD student in the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. As a member of Prof Fazeli’s research group, he is working on the toll-like receptors-mediated functions of extracellular vesicles in embryo-maternal interactions.
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Subhashini Muhandiram |
Subhashini Muhandiram graduated from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science and completed two research projects to fulfill the requirements for her Bachelor’s thesis in Niigata University, Japan on molecular level effects of glutathione supplementation in human colorectal cancer cells and on morphological characterization of mouse dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. Later, she completed Master of Philosophy degree in Molecular and Cancer Biology and worked on establishing a low cost molecular diagnostic assay for early screening of human papillomavirus infection (HPV) among Sri Lankan females giving emphasis on less and non-invasive sampling methods. During this time she developed her interest in biomarker screening for diagnostic assays, cell biology and reproductive physiology.
Under the supervision of Prof Alireza Fazeli she is involved in designing and performing research studies related to elucidating molecular mechanism of extracellular vesicle mediated signal transduction. |
Johanna Piibor
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Johanna Piibor graduated from Veterinary Medicine in Estonian University of Life Sciences (MVD). During her studies she developed interest in reproductive biology and began her transcendence from large animals to mammalian cells. In 2020 she started doing her PhD in molecular studies of subclinical endometritis. Her work aims to characterize molecular changes in uterine tissue of cattle with subclinical endometritis and its potential use in diagnostics.
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Chanaka Premathilaka |
Chanaka Premathilaka began his scientific career in the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. His first degree was a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology with minor in Chemistry. Afterwards, he completed his MSc in Experimental Biotechnology at the Faculty of Medicine and Postgraduate Institute of Science, which included a research component focused on Bone Physiology. During this study, he examined biochemical changes of bone microarchitecture in an osteoporotic mouse model treated with some traditional cures for osteoporosis. He later enrolled in the Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine to pursue his Master of Philosophy degree in Pathobiology, which was based on Assessing and Developing a Biological Intelligent Framework for Vector Borne Infectious Diseases in Sri Lanka (Rickettsiosis, Babesiosis, Theileriosis, and Anaplasmosis). With the onset of COVID-19 epidemics around the world in 2020, he took part in research and diagnosis of pandemics as a volunteer scientist. His studies have given him a deep appreciation for the techniques of Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Physiology and Pathobiology.
He joined the COMBIVET ERA Chair team in September 2021 as a PhD student specializing in the development of diagnostic biomarkers for infection diseases. As a doctoral student, he is currently engaged in experiments to assess the emissions of volatile organic compounds by extracellular vesicles and their utility in disease diagnosis and monitoring under the direction of Dr Radu Ionescu, Prof Alireza Fazeli and Prof Toomas Orro. |
Madhusha Prasadani
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Madhusha Prasadani, completed her BSc degree (Agriculture Technology and Management, majoring in Animal Science) in the year 2019 from Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She continued her master’s (MSc) degree in Biotechnology at the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya and completed in 2021. She has worked as a graduate research assistant in the fields of environmental studies and oral cancer studies. She joined the COMBIVET ERA Chair team in March 2022 as a PhD student in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. She is currently working on identifying the potential of milk extracellular vesicles as a biomarker in the discovery of insulin resistance in dairy cattle and humans under the supervision of Prof. Alireza Fazeli, Prof. Hanno Jaakson and Prof. Vallo Volke
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Specialists
Dissanayake Rallage Keerthie Chulanga Dissanayake
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Keerthie Dissanayake obtained his MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. After serving several years as a medical officer in the government health service in Sri Lanka, he joined the University of Peradeniya in 2013 as a probationary lecturer in Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine. He completed the MPhil (Master of Philosophy) in 2017, titled "Clinical and immunological characterization and evaluation of therapeutic response in rheumatoid arthritis", from the same university. In 2018, he commenced his doctoral studies at the Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, under the supervision of Prof Alireza Fazeli. For his PhD, he investigates the pre-implantation embryo-derived extracellular vesicles as an embryo quality marker and their role as a mediator of embryo-maternal communication. Currently, he works as a specialist in the COMBIVET ERA Chair project in the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences of the Estonian University of Life Sciences
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Mohammad Mehedi Hasan |
Mehedi Hasan pursued his Bachelor´s degree in Pharmacy (B.Pharm) from Primesia University and Master´s degree (M. Pharm) from the State University of Bangladesh. During his Master´s program, he worked on the severe acute respiratory syndrome in humans. He started his career as a production pharmacist in a renowned pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh. Later on, he joined Prof Alireza Fazeli’s lab as a PhD student where he is involved in working with extracellular vesicles derived from the follicular fluid and the effect of their cargo during pre-fertilization events. His studies also include understanding the changes in the cargo of follicular fluid derived extracellular vesicles in various pathophysiologies, e.g. polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
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Qurat Ul Ain Reshi |
Qurat Reshi pursued her BSc in Zoology & Industrial Chemistry and MSc in Clinical Biochemistry from University of Kashmir, India. Later she did her Master´s dissertation in Special Centre of Molecular Medicine (SCMM), Jawarharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. There she worked on DNA replication machinery of Plasmodium falciparum. In 2018, she joined the Department of Pathophysiology in University of Tartu and started her PhD studies under the supervision of Prof Alireza Fazeli. In Tartu, she is working in a developmental biology lab where she aims to understand the role of extracellular vesicles in interactions between spermatozoa and oviductal epithelial cells in cattle.
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Administrative staff
Annika Hurt |
Annika Hurt graduated from Tartu Health Care College with BSc degree in bioanalyst. She started working at the Estonian University of Life Sciences in 2016 as a bioanalyst and teaching assistant in virology and parasitology. In 2021, she joined the team of ERA Chair, COMBIVET and is working as a project assistant.
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