Project Summary:

Collective behaviours of large populations of cells are known to underpin many biological systems. By engineering micro-swarms (cells) to react to the environment, in this case, light, we can control individual cellular dynamics. I will design a light-based robotic device for the automatic and personalised treatment of skin cancer and wound healing. This will require identifying the correct dose, duration, and wavelength of light needed to eliminate cancer cells and accelerate cell migration in wound healing. Personalisation of the treatment is achieved by learning the cellular dynamics on the go and impacting appropriate cells through machine learning. The proof-of-concept treatment will be demonstrated using the existing Dynamic Optical Micro Environment (DOME) to facilitate this closed-loop control of imaging and targeting appropriate cells. I will take lessons learnt to design the DOME miniaturisation into a wearable robotic device for future outpatient treatment. As well as engaging with the public to assess their acceptance of a device with the ability to control cellular dynamics and cell death and even using machine learning to optimise treatments to individual patients.

General Profile:

I have a BSc in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the University of Bristol and an MRes in Translational Cancer Medicine from King’s College London. My undergraduate degree gave me a wide knowledge of cell and cancer biology as well as stem cell biology, genetics, infection and immunity. During my masters, I undertook two six-month research projects, the first titled “Can Extrusion Remove Senescent Epithelial Cells?” This entailed creating a protocol to transform cells senescent and imaging them with fluorescent and widefield live microscopy to capture their removal. The second project “Somatic Mutations of Cancer Driver Genes in Normal Tissues” was conducted in conjunction with The Francis Crick Institute. I gained valuable computational biology skills and wrote a review on the field of normal somatic evolution. I have additional laboratory experience as a research assistant in the haematological malignancy diagnostic service at Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Centre for Dengue Research in Sri Lanka. 

Publications:

Wijewardhane, N., Dressler, L. and Ciccarelli, F., 2021. Normal Somatic Mutations in Cancer Transformation. Cancer Cell, 39(2), pp.125-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2020.11.002

Dressler, L., Bortolomeazzi, M., Keddar, M., Misetic, H., Sartini, G., Acha-Sagredo, A., Montorsi, L., Wijewardhane, N., Repana, D., Nulsen, J., Goldman, J., Pollitt, M., Davis, P., Strange, A., Ambrose, K. and Ciccarelli, F., 2022. Comparative assessment of genes driving cancer and somatic evolution in non-cancer tissues: an update of the Network of Cancer Genes (NCG) resource. Genome Biology, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-022-02607-z

Wijewardhane, N., Denniss, A., Uppington, M., Hauser, H., Gorochowski, T., Piddini, E. and Hauert, S., 2022. Long-term imaging and spatio-temporal control of living cells using light. 2022 International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS), pp.1-6. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9870487

Wijewardhane, N., Uppington, M., How, M., Hauser, H., Piddini, E. and Hauert, S., 2023. Modular Wavelength Adaptation of the Dynamic Optical MicroEnvironment. 2023 International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS), pp.1-6.  https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10294114