Lupa community heads
Dr Nilushi Karunaratne
Dr Nilushi Karunaratne is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University. She completed a PhD in Drug Discovery Biology focusing on investigating novel aspects of cannabinoid receptor signalling for therapeutic uses in schizophrenia. Nilushi utilises her neuropharmacology training and knowledge to spark curiosity and learner enthusiasm in the various physiology and pharmacology units she teaches and co-ordinates.
In 2017, Nilushi was awarded a Faculty Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning followed by a Vice-Chancellor’s Citation in 2018. In 2021, she received the ASCEPT Gillian Shenfield Early Educator Award. Her passion for supporting students extends beyond the classroom. In 2020, Nilushi co-created and currently co-leads the Parkville International and Exchange Students (PIES) Program, which in 2021 received a Monash Interfaculty Transformation Grant to expand the program across Monash University in Australia and Malaysia. Her current research informs international student wellbeing and engagement, the development of teamwork and resilience skill-based curricula.
Dr Betty Exintaris
Dr Betty Exintaris is a Senior Lecturer, Deputy course director (Pharmacy) and Honours convenor at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FPPS), Monash University. Her contributions to education have been recognised, both nationally and internationally, through multiple awards, grants and invited conference presentations.
In 2020, together with Dr Nilushi Karunaratne, she received an Inter-faculty Transformation grant to support the implementation of a bespoke academic-led International student program (PIES) to 6 faculties across the university and 2 schools at Monash Malaysia. In 2021, she received the FPPS, Teaching Excellence award. In 2022, she received an international education award from the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a national educational award from ASCEPT. In her career, she has been awarded ‘Lecturer of the Year’ by the Monash Student Parkville Association 11 times, the most recent in 2022. Her current research informs international student wellbeing and engagement, the development of teamwork and resilience skill-based curricula.
Paul White
Dr White is a cardiovascular pharmacologist. He has published papers in high impact journals including Nature Medicine, PNAS, Molecular Pharmacology, Molecular Pharmaceutics, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. He has supervised 7 PhD students to completion as primary supervisor. He has attracted funding from a variety of industry sources, National Heart Foundation and Nanotechnology Victoria. His main area of interest is the development of cardioprotective agents for patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction. Dr White, along with Dr Lauren May, Professors Arthur Christopoulos and Peter Scammells, lead a group developing novel adenosine receptor ligands for post MI patients.