Biography

Dr Rehana Hewavisenti is an early career researcher with interests in cellular and cancer immunology, with a passion for understanding the roles of T cells, and their roles in cancer. Dr Hewavisenti obtained her PhD in 2021 at the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology and the University of Sydney. Dr Hewavisenti’s research experience to date focuses on investigating the phenotypic and functional characteristics of T cells, more specifically tissue-resident memory T cells in human disease, where she has made significant contributions to the field. Her recent post-doctorate role at the Children’s Cancer Institute concentrated on better understanding the immune microenvironment in neuroblastoma. She is currently a Research Associate within the Immunovirology and Pathogenesis Program at the Kirby Institute, investigating the role of T cells in HPV-driven cancer. Her research experience to date has allowed her to develop a strong multidisciplinary profile in T cell biology, virology, cancer immunology, and molecular biology, where she has gained expertise in numerous methodologies such as multiparameter flow cytometry and multiplex immunohistochemistry. Dr Hewavisenti’s main goal is to continue her work in virology and cancer immunology, to better understand how we can harness the immune system to prevent disease establishment, and in the context of cancer, halt tumour progression and metastasis, and subsequently improve patient survival.