Charuksha Walgama, Ph.D., B.S.
Assistant Professor of Chemistry,
College of Science and Engineering
Contact number: 281-283-3785
Email: walgama@uhcl.edu
Office: STEM 2242
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.
Areas of Expertise
- Electrochemistry
- Biosensors
- Biocatalysis
- Point-of-care diagnostics
- Microfluidics
- Optical sensors
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
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
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
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]