Piumie Rajapaksha
Piumie Rajapaksha is a PhD candidate in Applied Chemistry from the School of Science at RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia) under the supervision of Dr James Chapman. She completed her Bachelor degree in 2013, specialising in aquatic science, with honours from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Sri Lanka). Piumie is an emerging female water research scientist and an international student from Sri Lanka with a passion to make changes to the way water is used and re-used in developing countries. Piumie is currently investigating multiple fabrication methods of graphene oxide for its application in wastewater treatment. Her research interests involve wastewater remediation and fabrication of novel, cost effective and efficient technologies to produce waterborne pathogens and toxic chemicals free safe water. She makes graphene oxide materials doped with copper oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles. These materials were validated for removing organic pollutants from water, and significant killing of antimicrobial resistant waterborne pathogenic microorganisms. Piumie was awarded the ‘Student Water Prize’ at Victorian Water Awards 2020 organised by Australian Water Association for her PhD research outcomes.
Abstracts this author is presenting: