Charuksha Walgama, Ph.D., B.S.

Biography

Dr. Walgama is a bioanalytical chemist. His research focuses on immobilizing biomolecules onto electrochemical platforms for biosensing/biofuel cell applications and developing inexpensive lab-on-a-chip type devices for biomedical applications.

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Areas of Expertise

• Electrochemistry
• Biosensors
• Biocatalysis
• Point-of-care diagnostics
• Microfluidics
• Optical sensors

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Publications

• Medina, D.; Omanakuttan, B.; Nguyen, R.; Alwarsh, E.; Walgama, C. Electrochemical Probing of Human Liver Subcellular S9 Fractions for Drug Metabolite Synthesis. Metabolites 2024, 14 (8), 429.
• Walgama, C.; Raj, N., Silver nanoparticles in electrochemical immunosensing and the emergence of silver–gold galvanic exchange detection. Chem. Commun. 2023, 59, (75), 11161-11173.
• Fakayode, S. O.; Walgama, C.; Fernand Narcisse, V. E.; Grant, C., Electrochemical and Colorimetric Nanosensors for Detection of Heavy Metal Ions: A Review. Sensors 2023, 23, (22), 9080.
• Pollok, N. E.; Peng, Y.; Raj, N.; Walgama, C.; Crooks, R. M., Dual-Shaped Silver Nanoparticle Labels for Electrochemical Detection of Bioassays. ACS Applied Nano Materials 2021, 4(10), 10764-10770.
• Peng, Y.; Rabin, C.; Walgama, C. .; Pollok, N. E.; Smith, L.; Richards, I.; Crooks, R. M., Silver Nanocubes as Electrochemical Labels for Bioassays. ACS Sensors 2021, 6 (3),1111-1119. 
• Walgama, C.; Nguyen, M.; Boatner L.; Richards, I.; Crooks, R., A hybrid paper and 3D printed microfluidic device for electrochemical detection of Ag-labeled magnetic particles, Lab Chip 2020, 20(9), 1648-1657. 
• Pollok, N.; Questel, C.; Walgama, C.; Richards, I.; Crooks, R., Electrochemical Detection of NT-proBNP Using a Metalloimmunoassay on a Paper Electrode Platform, ACS Sensors 2020, 5 (3), 853-860.   
• Walgama, C.; Pathiranage, A.; Akinwale, M.; Montealegre, R.; Niroula, J.; Echeverria, E.; McIlroy, D. N.; Harriman, T. A.; Lucca, D. A.; Krishnan, S., Buckypaper–Bilirubin Oxidase Biointerface for Electrocatalytic Applications: Buckypaper Thickness. ACS Applied Bio Materials 2019, 2 (5), 2229-2236.   
• Nerimetla, R.; Walgama, C.; Singh V.; Hartson, S.; Krishnan, S., Mechanistic Insights on the Voltage-drivenBiocatalysis of Cytochrome P450 Bactosomal Filmon a Self-assembled Monolayer ACS Catalysis 2017, 7, 3446-3453.   
• Walgama, C.; Al Mubarak, Z. H.; Zhang, B.; Akinwale, M.; Pathiranage, A.; Deng, J.; Berlin, K. D.; Benbrook, D. M.; Krishnan, S., Label-free real-time microarray imaging of cancer protein–protein interactions and their inhibition by small molecules., Analytical Chemistry 2016, 88 (6), 3130-3135.   
• Walgama C.; Nerimetla R.; Materer N.F; Schildkraut D.; Elman J.F.; Krishnan S.; A simple construction of electrochemical liver microsomal bioreactor for rapid drug metabolism and inhibition assays, Analytical Chemistry 2015, 87 (9), 4712-4718

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Courses (Current Academic Year)

CHEM 4373 - Quantitative Chemical Analysis (Lecture)
CHEM 4274 - Quantitative Chemical Analysis (Lab)
CHEM 5636 - Advanced Analytical Chemistry (Lecture)
CHEM 4367 - Instrumental Analysis (Lecture)
CHEM 4268 - Instrumental Analysis (Lab)
CHEM 1311 - General Chemistry 1 (Lecture)
CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry 1 (Lab)
CHEM 1312 - General Chemistry 11 (Lecture)
CHEM 4372 - Undergraduate Research I and Seminar
CHEM 4379 - Undergraduate Research II
CHEM 6837 - Graduate Research Project I and Seminar
CHEM 6838 - Graduate Research Project II and Seminar

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Research Projects

• Silver nanoparticles incorporated electrochemical immunosensors
• Liver enzyme-based electrochemical drug metabolism and LC-MS screening assays
• Disposable electrochemical detection platforms
• 3D-printed microfluidic sensing platforms

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Awards and Accomplishments

• UHCL Minnie Stevens Piper Award Finalist [2024]
• Instructional Innovation Award, Center for Faculty Development-UHCL [2022]
• Joseph W. Richards Summer Fellowship - Electrochemical Society (ECS) [2016]
• Distinguished Graduate Fellow (DGF) - OSU Graduate College [2015-2017]
• O. C. Dermer Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award - OSU Chemistry Department [2016]
• Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Scholar Award - OSU Spears School of Business [2015]
• Henry P. Johnston Fellowship - OSU Chemistry Department [2014]
• Skinner Fellowship - OSU Chemistry Department [2012/2013]

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