Congratulations to Dittu Suresh and Robert Rourke on the successful completion of their PhD studies! Years of dedication, late nights in the lab, and perseverance have brought both of you to this milestone, and the Kumar Research Group could not be prouder.
How does it feel to be a Dr now? We hope it feels as well deserved as it looks. You have earned every bit of it.
Dr Dittu Suresh
Research focus: Dual-action antimicrobials, quorum sensing inhibitors, and small-molecule antimicrobial peptide mimics.
Currently working with Noxopharm Limited.
Dr Robert Rourke
Research focus: Organic synthesis of novel molecules.
Currently at the ANSTO National Deuteration Facility.
Their Research
Dr Dittu Suresh completed his PhD on dual-action antimicrobials, with a focus on quorum sensing inhibitors and small-molecule antimicrobial peptide mimics. His work tackled one of the most pressing challenges in modern medicine, antimicrobial resistance, by designing compounds that can disrupt bacterial communication and combat resistant pathogens through multiple mechanisms. Dittu's contributions reflect the creativity and rigour that define the best of medicinal chemistry research.
Dr Robert Rourke completed his PhD in organic synthesis, developing novel molecules through careful design and hands-on synthetic chemistry. His work strengthened the group's foundation in building new chemical scaffolds, the kind of skilled, meticulous science that underpins drug discovery across every project in the lab.