Background
Chinthana graduated with a first-class honours degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, where he also completed his PhD on An investigation of transmission line switching and frequency shifting in dipole antennas using optically activated silicon switches. He served as a post-doctoral research associate investigating the specific absorption rates in the body due to radio-frequency antennas, before becoming a lecturer and then a senior lecturer at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.
Chinthana served as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Electrical based programmes for seven years. He served as the Organising Chair for the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Antennas and Propagation Conference (LAPC) from 2013 to 2016. Chinthana has graduated four PhD Doctoral Researchers and has served as an external examiner for PhDs at Queen Mary, University of London, Queens University of Belfast, University of Bristol and the University of South Wales.
Qualifications and Awards
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering (MEng Honours) – º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
- PhD – º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
Research interests
Chinthana’s main research interests are in reconfigurable microwave devices and antennas. His initial work involved using the photoconductive properties of silicon under near-infrared illumination to switch ON and OFF different parts of circuits and antennas to achieve frequency reconfigurability. The main journal publication from his PhD now has close to 400 citations. His more recent work follows a similar theme with PIN diodes to beam-scan antennas for 5G applications.
For a brief period, Chinthana served as a post-doctoral research associate designing ferrite-loaded handset antennas for low specific absorption in the user’s head. He also studied the effects metallic jewellery and spectacles can have on focusing mobile phone radiation into the user, as well as how the hand holding the mobile phone can change the energy absorbed in the user’s head.
Grants and contracts
Principle investigator
- EP/I032231/1 Studying the effects of real human hands-on energy absorbed inside the head when using mobile phones
Co-investigator
- EP/W037734/1Transparent Transmitters and Programmable Metasurfaces for Transport and Beyond-5G (TRANSMETA)
Current teaching responsibilities
Module leader
- WSA011 – Electronic Circuits
- WSC325 – Individual Project
- WSC339 – Microwave Communication Systems
- WSD030 – Advanced Individual Project
Co-tutor
- WSC331 – Bioelectricity and Biophotonics Engineering
Current administrative responsibilities
- Team member responsible for delivering individual projects