Dr Amreeta Dhanoa

Associate Professor

Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences

Email: amreeta.dhanoa@monash.edu
Tel: +603 5514 6320
Office: Room 4-4-52

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4541-4819

Profile Summary

Dr Amreeta Dhanoa obtained her MBBS from the University of Malaya in 1994. She completed her Masters in Pathology (sub specialized in Medical Microbiology) in 2001. She was the recipient of the 2001 gold medal for the best postgraduate student in Masters of Pathology (Microbiology), Conjoint UM/UKM exam. Following her post-graduation, she served Penang General Hospital as the Consultant Medical Microbiologist until 2006. She headed the Microbiology Division and was actively involved in conducting surveillance of multi-drug resistant organisms, antibiotic usage, prevalence surveillance for hospital-acquired infections and various other infection control activities. She joined Monash University Malaysia as a lecturer on 1st September 2006 and is involved in Year 1 and 2 teaching.

Academic Qualifications

  • 1994 MBBS, University Malaya, Malaysia
  • 2001 Masters in Pathology (Medical Microbiology), University Malaya, Malaysia
  • 2014 Graduate Certificate of Higher Education, Monash University

Work Experience

  • Senior Lecturer, August 2006 - 2018, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Monash University
  • Consultant Pathologist (Microbiology), January 2002 - August 2006, Department of Pathology, Penang General Hospital
  • Pathologist (Medical Microbiology), July - December 2001, Department of Pathology, Klang General Hospital
  • Registrar in Medical Microbiology (Masters in Pathology), June 1997 - June 2001

Professional Affiliations

  • Member of Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (College of Pathologist)
  • Registered with National Specialist Registry (Medical Microbiology)
  • Member of Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy

Research Interest

Dengue viral infection, antibiotic resistance, endoprosthetic infections and medical education.

Teaching Activities

Involved in teaching Microbiology, Immunology, Histology, Problem Based Learning, for MBBS students (Year 1 and 2 students)

Coordinator for Microbiology teaching for MBBS students at Monash University Malaysia

Publications

Dhanoa A*, Hassan SS, Jahan NK, Reidpath DD, Quek KF, et al. Seroprevalence of dengue among healthy adults in a rural community in Southern Malaysia: A pilot study. Infect Dis Poverty. 2018 January; 7:1. (IF: 3.181)

Wickremsinghe IAC, R M T Balasubramaniam V, Mot YY, Dhanoa A, S Hassan S. Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in BALB/c Mouse Liver upon Primary Infection with DENV1 and Sequential Heterologous Infection with DENV2. Pathogens. 2018 Oct 2;7(4).

Tan VPK, Ngim CF, Lee EZ, Ramadas A, Pong LY, Ng JI, Hassan SS, Ng XY, Dhanoa A. The association between obesity and dengue virus (DENV) infection in hospitalised patients. PLoS One. 2018 Jul 17;13(7)

Gan HM, Rajasekaram G, Eng WWH, Kaniappan P, Dhanoa A*. Whole-Genome Sequences of Two Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella quasipneumoniae Strains Isolated from a Tertiary Hospital in Johor, Malaysia. Genome Announc. 2017 Aug 10;5(32) (Indexed in Scopus)

Dhanoa A*, Rajasekaram G, Hassan SS, Ramadas A, Azreen Adnan NA, Lau CF, Chan TS, Ngim CF. Risk factors and clinical outcome of profound thrombocytopenia in adult patients with DENV infections. Platelets. 2017 Mar 13; 1-4. (IF: 2.465)

Dhanoa A*, Hassan SS, Ngim CF, Lau CF, Chan TS, Adnan NA, Eng WW, Gan HM, Rajasekaram G. Impact of dengue virus (DENV) co-infection on clinical manifestations, disease severity and laboratory parameters. BMC Infect Dis. 2016 Aug 11; 16(1):406. (IF: 2.768)

Jahan NK, Ahmad MP, Dhanoa A, Meng CY, Ming LW, Reidpath DD, Allotey P, Zaini A, Phipps ME, Fatt QK, Rabu AB, Sirajudeen R, Fatan AA, Ghafar FA, Ahmad HB, Othman I, SyedHassan S. A community-based prospective cohort study of dengue viral infection in Malaysia: the study protocol. Infect Dis Poverty. 2016 Aug 11; 5(1) (IF: 3.181)

Dhanoa A*, Rajasekaram G, Lean SS, Cheong YM, Thong KL. Endemicity of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii Complex in an Intensive Care Unit in Malaysia. J Pathog. 2015.(indexed in web of science)

Dhanoa A, Ajit Singh V, Elbahri H. Deep Infections after Endoprosthetic Replacement Operations in Orthopedic Oncology Patients. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2015 Jun; 16(3):323-32. (impact factor: 1.139)

Dhanoa A*, Yong TL, Yeap SJ, Lee IS, Singh VA. Complementary and alternative medicine use amongst Malaysian orthopaedic oncology patients. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Oct 17 (impact factor: 2.644)

Ngim CF, Quek KF, Dhanoa A, Khoo JJ, Vellusamy M, Ng CS. Pediatric appendicitis in a developing country: what are the clinical predictors and outcome of perforation? J Trop Pediatr. 2014 Dec; 60(6):409-14. (IF 1.162)

Dhanoa A*, Singh VA, Mansor A, Yusof MY, Lim KT, Thong KL. Acute haematogenous community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis in an adult: case report and review of literature.  BMC Infect Dis. 2012 Oct 25; 12:270. Review. (IF: 2.768)

Susan Thomas S, Dhanoa A, Palanisamy. Shaping the Future of Medicine: The Effect of ‘Selective’ Choices on Tomorrow’s Doctors. UD. Institutions and Economies. 2012 July; 4 (2): 151-164.  (indexed in Scopus)

Dhanoa A*, Singh VA, Vijayananthan A.   Primary Pyomyositis Mimicking Soft-tissue Sarcoma: British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research. Vol.: 3, Issue.: 1 (January-March) (No IF)

Dhanoa A*, Fang NC, Hassan SS, Kaniappan P, Rajasekaram Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 infections: the effects of bacterial coinfection.   G. Virol J. 2011 Nov 3; 8:501. (2.139)

Goodwin R, Haque S, Hassan SB, Dhanoa A. Representations of swine flu: perspectives from a Malaysian pig farm.  Public Underst Sci. 2011 Jul; 20(4):477-90.  (IF: 2.552)

Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in primary bone and soft tissue sarcoma. Nathan FM, Singh VA, Dhanoa A, Palanisamy UD. BMC Cancer. 2011 Aug 27; 11:382.  (IF 3.288)

Thong KL, Lai WL, Dhanoa A. Antimicrobial susceptibility and pulsed: field Gel Electrophoretic analysis of Salmonella in a tertiary hospital in northern Malaysia.  J Infect Public Health.  2011 Jun; 4(2):65-72. (IF: 1,439)

Dhanoa A*, Singh VA, Shanmugam R, Rajendram R Major surgery in an osteosarcoma patient refusing blood transfusion: case report. . World J Surg Oncol. 2010 Nov 8;8:96. (IF: 1.600)

Dhanoa A*, Singh VA. Subacute osteomyelitis masquerading as primary bone sarcoma: report of six cases. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2010 Oct;11(5):475-8. Review.  (impact factor: 1.139)

Dhanoa A*, Karunakaran R, Puthucheary SD Serotype distribution and antibiotic susceptibility of group B streptococci in pregnant women. Epidemiol Infect. 2010 Jul;138(7):97981. (IF: 2.075)

Dhanoa A*, Fatt QK. Non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteraemia: epidemiology, clinical characteristics and its' association with severe immunosuppression.  Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob. 2009 May 18;8:15. (IF: 2.376)

Dhanoa A*, Singh VA. Can Salmonella enteritidis cause fatal necrotising fasciitis? A case report.  BMJ Case Rep. 2009;2009. pii: bcr12.2008.1401.

Research Grants

Project: Lending An Ear: Addressing the Health Communication Needs of Deaf Sign Language Users
Role:  Co-investigator  
Year: 2018  
Amount: $9, 850  
Grantor: Global Asia in the 21st Centurt (GA21)

Project: Exploration and Characterization of the Microbiomes within Hunter-Gatherers and Indigenous Communities and in association with Helicobacter pylori.
Role: Principal Investigator  
Year: 2018  
Amount $10,000        
Grantor: TMB Platform

Project: Evaluation of glycocalyx thickness and breakdown products as potential biomarkers of dengue severity: a prospective study.
Role: Co-Investigator  
Year: 2018  
Amount $10,000        
Grantor: TMB Platform

Project: Transforming teaching of Human Nutrition from didactic lecture to case based learning
Role:  Co-investigator  
Year: 2018  
Amount: $8,000  
Grantor: MUM Learning and Teaching Research Grant

Project: Digital scanner for medical science
Role: Co-investigator  
Year: 2017  
Amount: RM 500,000  
Grantor: CAPEX (CAPital Expenditure), Monash University

Project: Dengue Flagship DSTIN (Dasar Sains, Teknology dan Inovasi Negara)
Role: Co-investigator  
Year: 2017  
Amount: RM500,0000  
Grantor: MOSTI

Project: Mapping the genetic diversity and origin of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) from Hospital Sultan Aminah, Johor Bahru:  An assessment of the potential of integrating next-generation sequencing into Malaysian clinical practice.
Role: Principal Investigator  
Year: 2016  
Amount: $ 5,100  
Grantor: Monash University Malaysia (MUM)

Project: Blended technology-enhanced and traditional teaching methods to enhance student learning outcomes.
Role:  Co-investigator  
Year: 2016  
Amount: $40,000  
Grantor: BTBL Education Grant

Project: New Frontiers in Dengue Viral Infections: A Community Based Study
Role:  Co-investigator  
Year: 2014  
Amount: $300,000  
Grantor: Monash University Malaysia

Project: Clinical, pathological and virological determinants of severe dengue infection
Role: Principle Investigator  
Year: 2014  
Amount: $12,000  
Grantor: Monash University Malaysia

Project: Epidemiology, clinical features and outcome of H1N1 infection: The Johor Bahru Experience
Role: Principle Investigator  
Year: 2011  
Amount: $12,000  
Grantor: Monash University Malaysia

Project: Identification of Novel Markers of host cellular responses to primary and secondary heterologous dengue virus (DENV) infection through microRNA regulated pathways
Role: Principle Investigator  
Year: 2013  
Amount: $158,000  
Grantor: MOSTI

Project: Serotype distribution of group B Streptococcus in pregnant women and newborns: Implications for vaccine formulations  
Role: Principle Investigator  
Year: 2009  
Amount: $29,800  
Grantor: Monash University Malaysia

Project: Level of oxidative stress and antioxidant status in patients with bone and soft - tissue sarcomas
Role: Co-investigator  
Year: 2009  
Amount: $58,156  
Grantor: University Malaya Research Grant

Research Supervision

HDR Students

Main Supervisor for Ms Nur Amelia Azreen Adnan (Student ID: 31131286))
Title: Protein-protein interactions of Chikungunya viruses proteins (E1 and nsP3) with Ae aegypti and human
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Monash University Malaysia

Associate Supervisor for Nur Aqirah Norizan
Title:  Association of pre-existing and level of DENV-serotype specific antibodies and virus serotypes with clinical severity of dengue
Degree: Masters
Monash University Malaysia

Associate Supervisor for Ms Yeo Li-Fang (Student ID: 25562665)
Title: Exploration and characterization of microbiomes within Hunter-Gatherers and Indigenous Communities
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Monash University Malaysia

Associate Supervisor for Ms Nur Omar Macha (Student ID: 22353178)
Title: Dysregulation of miRNAs in Serum of Human Infected with single and dual Dengue Virus’
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Monash University Malaysia

Associate Supervisor for Dr Sashi Darshan Balakrishnan (MGI 160015)
Title: Endoprosthetic Infections
Degree: Masters in Orthopaedic Surgery
University Malaya Medical Center

Associate Supervisor for Miss Ooi Man Kwan (Student ID: 28336844)
Title: Identification of potential Chikungunya virus target antigens and immune responses profile for development of effective diagnostic tools.
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Monash University Malaysia

Awards

Recipient of the 2001 Gold Medal for the Best Postgraduate in Masters of Pathology, Conjoint UM/UKM Masters in Pathology Examination

PVC Award for TEACHING Excellence, 2009. Monash University Malaysia

Silver Medal for poster presentation at International Conference on Infection & Immunity, 2017

Long Service Award, 2016, Monash University Malaysia

Bronze Award, 2018, ITEX 2018

Best Poster Award, 2018, International Medical Education Conference

Best Poster Award, 2018, Monash Medicine Curriculum Conference