Learning & Teaching - Basic Sciences

Associate Professor Budhima Nanayakkara

PhB (Hons1), MBBS (Hons1), FRACP – Respiratory & Sleep medicine

Dr "Bud" Nanayakkara is currently a Respiratory, Sleep and General Physician at Orange Health Service, and a lecturer in medicine at Charles Sturt University.

Having grown up in Cooma, NSW – Dr Nanayakkara loves all aspects of rural medicine, and is keen to let his passion for the bush rub off on his students. He is a passionate teacher, and loves all aspects of physiology, particularly respiratory and sleep physiology.

Having flirted with basic sciences – particularly cellular and whole organism physiology, Bud soon discovered his true passion for rural medicine, and graduated with honours in medicine from ANU. He completed his prevocational training at Canberra, before pursuing physicians training, and eventually advanced training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine.

Bud has a keen interest in respiratory and sleep physiology. Clinically, he enjoys the challenge of interstitial lung diseases, pulmonary vascular diseases and acute and chronic respiratory failure. He has been actively involved in research throughout his career – including cell physiology and electrophysiology, and clinical research in pleural diseases, complex sleep disorders and respiratory physiology.

Professional Memberships

Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Member – Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand
Member – European Respiratory Society
Member – American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Bud strongly believes in teaching from first principles. He loves to make teaching interesting, enjoyable and motivational. Bud will deliver basic science and clinical content in year 1 and 2 to CSU and WSU university students.

Previously, he has been heavily involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching through the Australian National University (chemistry, genetics, molecular biology, human physiology, cellular physiology and medicine) and University of Sydney (medicine). He has run workshops for rural high school students on study techniques and combatting depression. He has won awards, including Excellence in Clinical Teaching – Phase 2 (ANU) and Best non-faculty Alumni Teacher award.

He has delivered a number of webinars to GP’s on broad topics in Respiratory and Sleep medicine and has devoted time to preparing basic physician trainees for the written and clinical examination.

Bud’s main role is in clinical respiratory and sleep medicine.

He won the trainee research prize for best poster presentation at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians College Congress for his work on adult Fontan’s patients and sleep disordered breathing. He has co-authored a book chapter on respiratory complications of drug abuse. He is keen to involve students in clinical research projects based at Orange Base Hospital. Bud is currently setting up both a respiratory, cardiopulmonary exercise and sleep laboratory to study patients, with the potential of having students participate in clinical and basic physiology research.