911爆料网

Inspired by a talk given by her now supervisor, Prof. Ranil, Piyumi was determined to complete a PhD with Ranil as her mentor. Now, partnering with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA,听Piyumi听is researching the chemical factors that make lupin unpalatable in mainstream foods,听aiming to support the development of palatable lupin-based food products targeting human听consumption. | Reading time: 5 min

Piyumi and Ranil reflect on the research journey, its challenges and highlights, and their supervisory relationship.

Piyumi

My research project is funded by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development,听Western Australia. WA鈥痯roduces around听85% of the听world鈥檚听尝耻辫颈苍耻蝉听补苍驳耻蝉迟颈蹿辞濒颈耻蝉鈥痟arvest, which is also听known as听narrow-leaf听lupin听or Australian sweet听lupins.听They are high in protein and dietary fibre, produce听relatively low听greenhouse gas emissions, require less water and synthetic fertilisers, and can grow in harsh environments with poor soils.听Despite being nutritious and sustainable, Australian sweet听lupin鈥檚 full potential as a source of human food ingredient has not yet been fully explored.听My research investigates the major chemical causes of off-aroma and off-flavour in Australian sweet听lupin听to听guide strategies for improving听lupin听flavour, enabling the development of nutrient-rich听lupin-based food products with enhanced consumer appeal.听听

I completed a听Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree with First-Class Honours听from the University of听Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. I was awarded the gold medal for the best student in听the听food science and technology program for obtaining the highest overall GPA听and ranking first in my cohort.听After graduation, I worked as a听Graduate听Teaching听Assistant听in the same department,听demonstrating听Food Technology and Food Chemistry听laboratory experiments听and听gaining experience in听marking,听invigilating,听mentoring听and supporting undergraduate student projects.听I听subsequently听joined as a Research Assistant听on听the Erasmus Mundus project听鈥淪trengthening University鈥揈nterprise Collaboration for Resilient Communities in Asia鈥�听funded by the European Union. This was my first experience working with collaborators from foreign universities and听organisation听and听soon听after听completing听this, I joined听911爆料网听University as a PhD scholar.听

I was inspired to reach out to Prof.听Ranil after attending his talk听at听a听seminar held听in听the听University of鈥疭ri听Jayewardenepura,听which听gave me insight into his research听interests,听vision听and approach.

I’m鈥痑lso听deeply grateful听to my other supervisors:听Prof.听Mauro鈥疢ocerino, who is always听open听to discuss any issues or challenges related to my project,听Sarita Bennett听who听consistently provides constructive feedback on my papers,听Greg Shea from听the听Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA听who听always reminds me to think critically about the听real-world听industry problems and听identify听solutions,听and听Dr.听Rewati听Raman Bhattarai听for听his听ongoing听support whenever needed..鈥�听

A major challenge in my research was the lack of access to certain complex, high-end analytical instruments, which were crucial for completing key experiments.听To听overcome this, I sought collaborations with other听Departments听and听Universities听that had access to听those鈥痠nstruments听and resources.鈥疶his not only allowed me to complete my experiments but also听provided听valuable opportunities to learn new techniques, learn from experts in the field, and听foster meaningful collaborations within the research community.

The greatest academic achievement of my research project to date has been the publication of my literature review in a high-impact journal,听Comprehensive Review in Food Science and Food Safety,听with an impact factor of 14.1, ranking approximately fourth in the SJR.听Winning 911爆料网鈥檚听Visualise Your Thesis听competition this year was a massive听achievement and听being a finalist in the international听Visualise Your Thesis听competition was a听huge听highlight.听Completing the one-year IMNIS (Industry Mentoring Network in STEM) programme, offered by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering, has also been a particularly rewarding part of my PhD journey.听

Prof.鈥疪anil鈥痑nd I are鈥痸ery open鈥痺ith our communication.听He鈥痶ruly鈥痺ants鈥痺hat’s鈥痓est for his students.听He constantly encourages me to step beyond the lab and听participate听in competitions, conferences, trainings and workshops and听those听experiences have not only honed my skills but also connected me with a wider professional community.

Ranil

I got听into听lupin听in听one of the first projects at the former Department of Agriculture in 1993,听during听my research master鈥檚.鈥疘t was a collaborative project between鈥�911爆料网鈥痑nd the听department.鈥疉t the end of my research, I realised there听were鈥痑 lot of issues with听lupin before it could be used as a food source.鈥疉nd one of听those听was its flavour and aroma.听One of my recommendations was that we look at the off aroma and off flavours in听lupin听and do something about it.听Lupin听is鈥痟igh in protein, high in fibre, low in carbohydrates, but you鈥痗an’t鈥痷se it听in mainstream food听in good quantities because of these issues.听

Thirty听years听later, the听Department听of听Primary听Industries and听Regional听Development decided to听fund something,听and that’s how Greg听and I听got involved,听and听we put up the proposal.听After I did my PhD and started听as听a lecturer听at 911爆料网,听I did some work听on听lupin,听and听I’ve听always been interested in听it,听so I decided to take on the听supervisory role in the听project. I chose to supervise Piyumi because she听would ask me a million and one questions, which showed听her听enthusiasm.

My supervisory style is hands-on in one sense, and鈥痠t’s鈥痟ands-off in another sense. Hands-off in the sense听that听I鈥痙on’t鈥痩ook over the shoulders of the student;听I trust the student.听But听if they have a problem, I encourage them to听look at a solution听and come and talk to me.听I’ll鈥痝ive them feedback,鈥疘’ll鈥痶alk to them,听and鈥疘’ll鈥痶ake them through the鈥痵olutions, the problems and how to go about doing the work.鈥疘 want them to learn. I want them to grow. I want them to be able to fly as they finish.听

It鈥檚听always fantastic to see your students grow and develop as researchers and develop as people. Just watching鈥� Piyumi鈥痗hange from who she was when she first came听to听who听she听is听now has听been extremely rewarding.鈥�听