Dr Erandi Gardiye Hewawasam Thuduwage

Dr Erandi Hewawasam is a Research Fellow at the National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, within the Centre for Big Data Research in Health at the University of New South Wales. In her current role, she is coordinating a large-scale data-linkage study that integrates the Australia and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database (ANZARD) with the National Health Data Hub, which includes hospital data, Medicare, pharmaceutical benefits scheme data, and perinatal data collections.

Dr Hewawasam previously spent over five years at the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), where she led patient-centred research at the intersection of pregnancy and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Her work focused on using data linkage, registry analysis, cohort studies, and surveys to improve parenthood outcomes for Australians with CKD, developing evidence-based pathways for parenthood planning and care informed by both patient and clinician perspectives.

Dr Hewawasam completed her PhD in Science at the University of Adelaide in 2018, in collaboration with SAHMRI. Her research on the short- and long-term effects of fish oil in preterm-born children was awarded the Dean's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence.

Beyond her research, Dr Hewawasam is an active contributor to the academic community, serving as the Secretary of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Australia and New Zealand (DOHaD ANZ), and as an editorial board member of the BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

In addition to her research, Dr Hewawasam has extensive experience in teaching and supervision. She has mentored and supervised a Master's candidate, and over 10 medical trainees, and students. She has also taught courses such as human anatomy and the scientific basis of clinical practice at the University of South Australia's School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences. She is also a Champion in the UNSW Women in STEMM program 2025, advocating for equal STEMM opportunities and driving initiatives that empower women to thrive in STEMM fields.