diff --git a/datagateway_api/common/database/models.py b/datagateway_api/common/database/models.py
index fee2ed69..9aef5982 100644
--- a/datagateway_api/common/database/models.py
+++ b/datagateway_api/common/database/models.py
@@ -84,19 +84,9 @@ def to_dict(self):
         """
         dictionary = {}
         for column in self.__table__.columns:
-            camel_case_column_name = None
-            attribute = None
-
-            # Case insensitive alternative to getattr() - needed because column names
-            # are defined in SNAKE_CASE, class column variables named using camelCase to
-            # match Python ICAT backend
-            for a in dir(self):
-                if a.lower() == column.name.replace("_", "").lower():
-                    attribute = getattr(self, a)
-                    camel_case_column_name = a
-
-            if camel_case_column_name is not None and attribute is not None:
-                dictionary[camel_case_column_name] = self._make_serializable(attribute)
+            attribute_field_name = self.__mapper__.get_property_by_column(column).key
+            attribute = getattr(self, attribute_field_name)
+            dictionary[attribute_field_name] = self._make_serializable(attribute)
 
         return dictionary
 
diff --git a/test/db/test_entity_helper.py b/test/db/test_entity_helper.py
index 121e595f..e1b6d7be 100644
--- a/test/db/test_entity_helper.py
+++ b/test/db/test_entity_helper.py
@@ -54,12 +54,12 @@ def test_valid_to_dict(self, datafile_entity):
             "fileSize": 64,
             "datafileModTime": str(Constants.TEST_MOD_CREATE_DATETIME),
             "datafileCreateTime": str(Constants.TEST_MOD_CREATE_DATETIME),
-            "dataset1": 1,
+            "dataset": 1,
             "doi": "test doi",
             "description": "test description",
             "createId": "test create id",
             "modId": "test mod id",
-            "datafileFormat1": 1,
+            "datafileFormat": 1,
             "createTime": str(Constants.TEST_MOD_CREATE_DATETIME),
         }
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def test_valid_update_from_dict(self, datafile_entity):
             "description": "test description",
             "createId": "test create id",
             "modId": "test mod id",
-            "datefileFormat": 1,
+            "datafileFormat": 1,
             "createTime": str(Constants.TEST_MOD_CREATE_DATETIME),
         }