Palo Alto, California  ·  Notebook of

Dimuthu
Hemachandra

About

I'm Dimuthu, an astrophysicist turned biomedical engineer and neuroscientist. I study brain connectivity using machine learning and AI to better understand and detect neurodegenerative diseases. My work focuses on building data-driven models that advance neuroscience and support human health.

Currently, I'm a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Stanford University School of Medicine, working in collaboration with SRI International. Here, I develop image-preprocessing pipelines to study the brain's waste-clearance system and explore its role in neurodegenerative disease.

I earned my PhD at the Khan Computational Imaging Lab at the University of Western Ontario, where I focused on subcortical brain structures and brain connectivity, applying machine learning to detect neurodegenerative diseases.

I'm passionate about open and collaborative science — because I believe sharing knowledge and working together is the key to real progress.

When I'm not in the lab, you'll probably find me exploring new places and capturing moments with my camera.

Sri LankaCitizen
CanadaCitizen
U.S.A.Resident

Projects

Publications

    Experience

    Toolbox

    Programming

    • Python
    • MATLAB
    • Bash
    • Java
    • R
    • git
    • LaTeX

    Machine learning

    • PyTorch
    • TensorFlow
    • scikit-learn
    • graph models

    Neuroimaging

    • FSL
    • MRtrix
    • ANTs
    • FreeSurfer
    • Connectome Workbench
    • Nilearn

    Compute

    • Linux
    • Docker
    • HPC clusters

    Interests

    • Neuroscience
    • Open science
    • Astrophysics
    • Photography

    Languages

    • English
    • Sinhala

    Work

    • 2024 — now

      Postdoctoral Research Fellow

      Stanford University School of Medicine · SRI International

      Deep-learning models that synthesise PET from diffusion MRI to predict amyloid and tau; automated pipelines for the brain's waste-clearance system on Stanford's supercomputing cluster.

    • 2025

      Handshake AI Fellow

      Handshake AI Solutions · San Francisco

      Evaluating and improving large-language-model accuracy and reliability across scientific domains.

    • 2018 — 2024

      Doctoral Researcher

      Khan Computational Imaging Lab · Robarts Research Institute

      A novel MRI-based biomarker for Parkinson's disease with over 90% accuracy; graph-theory models predicting progression up to six years out.

    • 2015 — 2023

      Contract Faculty

      Brescia University College

      Taught first-year physics. Dean's Honor Roll of Teaching, 2016–17.

    • 2014

      Research Assistant

      TRIUMF · Vancouver

      Instrumentation for EMMA, the Electro-Magnetic Mass Analyzer, measuring the masses of particles born in nuclear reactions.

    • 2012 — 2015

      Research Assistant

      Western University

      Mid-infrared spectroscopy of the Andromeda galaxy from space-based telescopes.

    Education

    • 2018 — 2023

      PhD, Biomedical Engineering

      University of Western Ontario
    • 2022

      Certificate, Curriculum, Teaching & Learning in STEM

      Western University
    • 2012 — 2014

      MSc, Astrophysics

      University of Western Ontario
    • 2007 — 2011

      BSc, Physics

      University of Peradeniya · minors in Mathematics & Computer Science

    Awards & Fellowships

    • 2025

      Handshake AI Fellow

      Handshake AI Solutions · San Francisco
    • 2019 — 2023

      NSERC Doctoral Award

      Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    • 2021 — 2022

      STEM Teaching Certificate Award

      Western University
    • 2019

      Ontario Graduate Scholarship

      Government of Ontario
    • 2016 — 2017

      Dean's Honor Roll of Teaching

      Brescia University College

    Beyond the lab

    Places I've been 0 countries

    Contact

    Working on brains, AI, or open science?
    Let's talk.

    dimuthu@stanford.edu LinkedIn GitHub X / Twitter CV (PDF)