Ms Nawoda Ishihari Hewage

Biography

Nawoda Hewage is currently a PhD candidate in Nutrition at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Faculty of Health, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. Her doctoral research focuses on exploring the relationships between food literacy, demographic characteristics, dietary intake, and food insecurity, using secondary data from the validated IFLQ-19. Her research contributes to the refinement of the food literacy measurement tool and aims to support improved public health outcomes through evidence-based strategies.

She holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Biochemistry from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, for which she was awarded the prestigious University Gold Medal for Excellence in Research. Her MPhil research investigated associations between thyroid status, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, ovulation, and iodine levels in Sri Lankan women with varying body weights. She also earned a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Medical Laboratory Science with a Second-Class Upper Division from the same university.

She has received multiple accolades for her research excellence, including the All-Island Postgraduate Research Merit Award (Medical Sciences) by the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), and international recognition as the second runner-up of the Prof. Montri Chulavatnatol Scientific Pitching Award at the 30th FAOBMB and 8th BMB Conference in Thailand. In 2025, she was awarded the QUT Postgraduate Research Award and selected as a FAOBMB Young Scientist Program Travel Fellowship recipient.

Her professional expertise spans molecular diagnostics, genetics, epidemiological research, and medical laboratory science. She has extensive experience with automated diagnostic analyzers, laboratory information management systems (LIMS), and standard operating procedure (SOP) adherence. Her skill set also includes qualitative interviewing and mathematical modelling for health data analysis.

She has contributed to academia as a Teaching Assistant in Biochemistry and Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and as a Lecturer at ICBT Campus Sri Lanka, affiliated with Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. Prior to commencing her PhD, she was employed as a Molecular Biologist at the Department of Genetics, Kings Hospital in Colombo.

In addition to her research and teaching experience, she serves as a peer reviewer for journals such as Frontiers in Endocrinology and The Cureus Journal of Medical Science (Springer Nature), reflecting her active engagement in scientific scholarship.

Her research interests lie in food literacy, public health nutrition, metabolic health, thyroid health, obesity, women’s reproduction, and the translation of science into policy and community practice.