Professor RAJARAMAN Eri
Details
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Department: School of Science
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Campus: Bundoora West Australia
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rajaraman.eri@rmit.edu.au
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ORCID:
0000-0003-1688-8043
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LinkedIn
Open to
- Masters Research or PhD student supervision
About
I am a Professor of Biological Sciences and currently serve as Associate Dean (Biology) at RMIT University’s School of Science. With more than two decades of experience in biomedical research, academic leadership, and institutional development, I have built my career at the intersection of science, strategy, and people.
My journey has spanned leading translational research in gut health and nutrition, reforming curriculum to meet contemporary challenges, and mentoring emerging researchers across disciplines. I thrive on building high-performing academic teams and creating environments where teaching, research, and engagement work together to deliver real-world impact.
A core part of my leadership involves strategic budget and financial oversight. I manage complex, multi-million-dollar academic and research portfolios—balancing operational efficiency with academic ambition. I take pride in aligning financial planning with broader institutional goals, ensuring that every investment supports growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability.
My Areas of Expertise Include:
Academic Leadership & Governance
Translational Biomedical Research (Gut Health & Nutrition)
Strategic Curriculum Innovation
Graduate Research Supervision & Development
Organisational Change & Educational Reform
Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Strategy
Research Commercialisation & Industry Engagement
Competitive Grant Acquisition
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
Global Partnerships & Science Communication
Across my academic life, I’ve secured over $3.8 million in research funding, published nearly 190 peer-reviewed papers, and supervised more than 20 HDR students to completion. My research has not only shaped scientific understanding but also supported product development and clinical applications through strong industry collaboration.
What drives me is a deep belief in the power of education and research to transform lives. I believe in leading with vision, but also with empathy—celebrating individual strengths, fostering collective growth, and ensuring that our institutions are both excellent and inclusive.
Research fields
- 320203 Clinical microbiology
- 3204 Immunology
- 3006 Food sciences
- 321001 Clinical nutrition
UN sustainable development goals
- 3 Good Health and Well Being
Academic positions
- Associate Dean
- RMIT University
- Biology
- Melbourne, Australia
- 10 Nov 2022 – Present
- Associate Dean
- RMIT University
- Biosciences and Food Technology
- Melbourne, Australia
- 10 Nov 2022 – Present
- head of Biomedical Sciences
- University of Tasmania
- Health Sciences
- Hobart, Australia
- 1 Dec 2010 – 9 Nov 2022
Supervisor projects
- Investigation on major vanillin flavour molecule 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzaldehyde of Decalepis hamiltonii and development of formulations for value addition.
- 6 Aug 2025
- Unravelling novel targets in Colorectal Cancer (CRC) – A multi-omics study
- 27 Mar 2025
- Studies on preparation, characterization and applications of protein hydrolysate from red seaweed
- 24 Mar 2025
- Seaweed based bio-stimulants and Sub-micron based material for sustainable agriculture crop production
- 30 Jan 2025
- A Prebiotic Intervention for Gut Health in Older Adults
- 10 Dec 2024
- The Impact of Nutritional Intervention on Gestational Diabetes in Vietnamese Patients
- 3 Jul 2024
- Investigation of the pathogenicity mechanisms of newly discovered Campylobacter pathogens
- 24 May 2024
- The accumulative effect of food additives on inflammatory bowel disorder and metabolic syndrome.
- 17 Oct 2023
- Antimicrobial Bioplastics for Active Food Containers derived from Algal Biopolymers and Curcumin Additives.
- 22 Aug 2023
- Fabrication/Development of bio functional Phyto-glycogen (PG) based Nanoparticles for gene and drug delivery
- 15 Aug 2023
- We are what we eat: Dietary fibres and their role in targeted human health applications
- 25 May 2023
Teaching interests
I have a deep commitment to student success and pedagogical innovation, having taught and coordinated undergraduate, postgraduate, and Honours-level courses across Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology, and Allied Health. My teaching philosophy is grounded in active learning, inclusive pedagogy, and research-led delivery, which has consistently translated into high CES scores and positive student feedback.
Over the years, I have contributed to curriculum design, academic integrity policy, and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) models. I have led efforts to embed research skill development into undergraduate programs and have played an instrumental role in the design and accreditation of new programs aligned with workforce needs.
I have supervised 19 PhD students to completion and currently supervise 9 PhD candidates across topics in gut health, inflammation, and translational immunology. My HDR supervision focuses on cultivating independence, scientific rigour, and translational thinking. I have also delivered HDR supervisor training workshops and served on policy panels reviewing HDR governance and quality frameworks.
Research interests
Clinical Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health and Health Services, Medical Physiology
Research Leadership and Impact: Professor Eri has led over 24 competitive research grants (~$4.8M) from NHMRC, Cancer Council, and industry sources, including clinical trials and applied nutrition research. He holds an H-index of 51 and has authored 190+ peer-reviewed publications, with >20,000 citations and a strong record of senior authorship (~75%). Prof Eri has made significant contributions to understanding gut-brain interactions and dietary intervention studies in humans, as evidenced by publications—and a field-weighted citation impact more than double the global average (FWCI 2.2, 2016–2025). His work on mucosal inflammation has informed both fundamental understanding and practical interventions for IBD, IBS, and related gut conditions. A full patent holder, he has contributed to product development with industry partners such as Marinova and HFS. His translational expertise is evidenced by collaborations across government, hospitals, and private health sectors.
Research Output and Impact· 189+ peer-reviewed publications; 81 in past 5 years, ~75% lead/last author
· ~15,000 citations | H-index: 51 | i10-index: 103
· 24 grants totalling >$3.8M (NHMRC, Cancer Council, pharma)
· Patent holder; global pharma collaborations
· Editorial board roles and 30+ journal reviewer
· 19 PhD completions, 9 PhDs + 1 postdoc currently supervised
