Rate My Professor Nirmani Gamachchige

Dr. Nirmani Wijenayake Gamachchige is a Senior Lecturer, Director of Teaching, and Deputy Head of School in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences within the Faculty of Science at the University of New South Wales. An education-focused academic, she has dedicated her career to enhancing student learning through the integration of online resources and technology, fostering engagement, personalization, and positive experiences in both online and face-to-face environments. Gamachchige began her journey at UNSW as a PhD student and casual academic from 2010 to 2014, where she investigated the effects of antipsychotic drugs and statins in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. She advanced to Associate Lecturer from 2015 to 2017, Lecturer from 2018 to 2022, and Senior Lecturer thereafter. Her leadership extends to mentoring on online learning, developing professional resources for sessional staff, and conducting outreach activities for high school students.

Gamachchige's research spans biomedical applications and educational innovations. Early work focused on antipsychotic drugs as potential chemotherapeutics for glioblastoma, examining their tumor growth inhibition, blood-brain barrier penetration, and mechanisms through in vitro and in vivo studies, with publications such as 'Efficacy and potential mechanisms of psychotropic drugs and statins in the treatment of glioblastoma' (2013) and 'PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG REPOSITIONING FOR THE TREATMENT OF GLIOBLASTOMA' (2012). Her scholarship has shifted toward teaching and learning, producing works like 'E-examinations: the impact of technology problems on student experience' (2020, cited 11 times), 'Fostering AI Literacy in Higher Education: Lessons from Assessment Redesign' (2025), and contributions on building online learning communities, student assessment perceptions, virtual laboratories, and group projects for real-world science relevance. She has garnered significant recognition, including the 2020 UNSW Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (2021), 13 Titans of Teaching Awards (2016-2021), the 2019 UNSW Presidents Award for Embracing Diversity, and grants totaling over $135,000, such as the 2022 UNSW Education Focused School Grant ($50,000) and 2017 Scientia Education and Innovation Fund ($45,000). Her contributions have advanced pedagogical practices in science education at UNSW.