Yugeesh Lankadeva is working to reduce multi-organ dysfunction arising from sepsis, a condition that kills nearly 11 million people globally each year. Characterised by a dysregulated immune response to infection, sepsis is the leading cause of death in intensive care units in Australia and worldwide.
Yugeesh aims to use a new pH-balanced formulation of sodium ascorbate (the sodium salt of vitamin C) to reverse injury sepsis causes to vital organs. He hopes his work will provide the mechanistic evidence-base to design large clinical trials that will transform sepsis management and improve health outcomes for critically ill patients in intensive care units.
Outside his research, Yugeesh is a devoted science communicator who promotes medical discoveries in mainstream and social media. As an immigrant from Sri Lanka, he is passionate about empowering students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to pursue medical or research careers in Australia.
Yugeesh is a Heart Foundation Future-Leader Fellow and an Associate Professor. He is The Florey’s Head of Systems Neuroscience Theme, Head of Translational Cardiovascular and Renal Research Group, and Co-Chair of the Staff Mentoring Committee.