Upulie Divisekera is a doctoral candidate, science communicator, science and space advocate based in Melbourne. Her multidisciplinary thesis work, carried out in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Monash University, involves the generation of bespoke nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and gene therapy. Over her career, Upulie has conducted research in cancer immunotherapies, apoptosis, materials science and developmental biology.
Upulie is a passionate science communicator, both on and offline, and is a co-founder of Real Scientists; giving scientists a platform to engage with the public real-time and provide a snapshot into the scientific life. Her writing has been published in The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Crikey, The Lifted Brow, etc. Upulie public speaking engagements include TEDxCanberra (2012), The Wheeler Centre, The Interrobang Festival, The Melbourne Writer’s Festival, Q and A (ABC TV), Space Up Australia and ABC Radio National’s Research Filter. In addition to her nanotechnology research, Upulie has a broad and current interest in the sciences and in her spare time catches up on the astrophysics career she abandoned at 12. Upulie wishes she was an astronaut and is interested in the intersection of science and culture.
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