Supervised Projects

MEDICAL UNDERGRADUATE ELECTIVES / COMMUNITY STREAM RESEARCH PROJECTS

  • “Genetic services available in Sri Lanka for the management of inherited cancer syndromes” Electives Project by M. Dayaratne and W.B.A.I. Gunarathna (A/L 2011) - January 2017.

  • “Genetic services available in Sri Lanka for the management of Subfertility” Electives Project by HHPL Madhuranga and WSP De Silva (A/L 2009) - June 2014.

  • “Testing Hollow Gold Nanoshell Drones (HAuNSD) for deployment of anti-metastatic microRNAs on ovarian cancer” Electives Project by Shyaminda Basnayake and Pasan Abeysenevi (A/L 2009) - June 2014.

  • “Rehabilitation of patients with low vision at the Eye Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka” Electives Project by Prasanni WDD and Ranathunga RTR (A/L 2009) - June 2014.

  • B.M. Gunawardana, S.R. Gurusinghe, M.S.F. Halidha and U.H.D. Hansika (A/L 2011 Batch). Community Stream Research Project title: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to Hereditary Cancer among Medical Officers in the Surgical and Gynaecological Wards at 3 main tertiary care hospitals in Colombo - January 2016.

  • Asma A, Atheefa JF, Aththanayaka JPUS (A/L 2017 Batch). Community Stream Research Project title: Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 among school teachers in the Galagedara educational division, Kandy district - June 2021.

RESEARCH PROJECTS OF THE BSc IN PHYSIOTHERAPY DEGREE PROGRAMME

  • P.A.S. Jayatissa (UCP/AL/14/294) Project title: “The relationship between smart phone use and subjective musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck and upper extremities in a cohort of Sri Lankan university students” - 2020 (First Class).

  • G.D. Samarasekara (UCP/AL/10/169) Project title: “Assessment of balance variation in children with Down syndrome” - 2015.

  • N. De Silva (UCP/AL/2018/425) Project title: “Association between smart phone usage and low back pain” - 2021.

DISSERTATIONS – M.Sc. IN CLINICAL GENETICS

  • Dr. Sampath Paththinige (FM/CG/03/2015/05) Project tile: Genetic determinants of inherited susceptibility to hypercholesterolemia - a comprehensive literature review and Frequency of genetic variants associated with hypercholesterolemia in a Sri Lankan population cohort (MSc awarded - 1 September 2017).

  • Dr. Rupesh Mishra (FM/CG/03/2015/03) Project tile: Genetic variants associated with venous thromboembolism - a review and Frequency of genetic variants associated with venous thromboembolism in a cohort of the Sri Lankan population (MSc awarded - 1 September 2017).

  • Dr. Gayathri Nanayakkara (FM/CG/03/2015/04) Project tile: Genetic markers of rheumatoid arthritis: a review and Frequency of exonic variants in rheumatoid arthritis - related genes in a cohort of the Sri Lankan population (MSc awarded - 1 September 2017).

  • Dr. Lahiru Prabodha (FM/CG/03/2015/06) Project tile: Susceptible and prognostic genetic factors associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a literature review and Frequency of variants in genes associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in a cohort of the Sri Lankan population (MSc awarded - 1 September 2017).

  • Dr. Kamalathasan Mahendrarajah (FM/CG/03/2015/02) Project tile: Genetic markers of spermatogenic failure in male infertility: A Review and Frequency of genetic variants associated with spermatogenic failure in a cohort of the Sri Lankan population (MSc awarded - 1 September 2017).

  • Dr. Sajith Edirisinghe (FM/CG/03/2015/01) Project tile: Genes involved in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Minor allele frequency comparison for selected variants in C9orf3 and INSR genes in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in a cohort of the Sri Lankan Population (MSc awarded - 1 September 2017).

  • Dr. Niluka D.W. Dissanayake (FM/CG/02/2012/04) Project tile: Clinical Characterization of a Cohort of Sri Lankan Families with Inherited Cancer Syndromes (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

DISSERTATIONS – M.Sc. MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY

  • N. S. Jumat (FM/MP/05/2019/05) Project title: A study on CYP2D6 variants to predict response to Tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer patients (Ongoing).

  • N.D.K Ranadeva (FM/MP/04/2018/11) Project title: Design and Implementation of Novel Pharmacogenomic Assays for Selected CYP2D6 Variants that Predict Response to Tamoxifen Therapy in Breast Cancer Patients (MSc completed - July 2021).

DISSERTATIONS – M.Sc. GENETIC DIAGNOSTICS

  • Srisaiyini Kidnapillai (FM/GD/02/2012/06)

    project title: Frequency of HLA-B27 Allele in a Cohort of Sri Lankan Patients Referred for Suspected Spondyloarthritides, Implementation of a Multiplex Tetra-Primer Amplification Refractory Mutation System (T-ARMS) PCR Assay to Genotype APOE alleles, Partial Monosomy of the Long Arm of Chromosome 13 Involving 13q32 Band: A Case Report (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

  • L.A.N. Kulathunga (FM/GD/02/2012/05)

    Project title: Frequency of the MTHFR 677 C>T (rs1801133) Gene Polymorphism in Patients Referred for Thrombophilia Screening, Design and Implementation of Allele Specific Tetra-Primer Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction (T-ARMS-PCR) Genotyping Assays for 1639 G>A and 1173 C>T Polymorphisms in the VKORC1 Gene, A Ring Chromosome 21 in a Child with Dysmorphic Features (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

  • Imaya Uvini Hewa Godapitiya (FM/GD/02/2012/03)

    Project title: The Frequency of the Factor V Leiden (F5)1691G>A allele among Sri Lankan Patients with Thromboembolism, Design and Implementation of a Novel Genotyping Assay for CYP2C9, CYP4F2 And GGCX Polymorphisms to Predict Warfarin Maintenance Dose, Design and Implementation of a Tetra Primer Amplification Refractory Mutation System (T-ARMS) Polymerase Chain Reaciton Genotyping Assay for CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*17 Polymorphisms, Molecular Cytogenetic Characterization of the First Reported Sri Lankan Child with a De Novo 9p Inverted Duplication (P13.3;P23) (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

  • K. M. D. Gunathilaka (FM/GD/02/2012/04)

    Project title: The Prevalence of the Prothrombin (F2) 20210G>A Mutation in a Cohort of Sri Lankan Patients with Thromboembolic Disorders, Implementation of an HLA-B*1502 Sequence Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay and Determination of the Frequency of HLA-B*1502 Allele Carriers in a Cohort of Sri Lankans, Implementation of an Allele Specific- Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for rs2395029 in HCP5 Gene to Detect HLA-B*5701 in a Cohort of Sri Lankans, A Patient With Turner Syndrome with a Karyotype of 45,X`{`38`}`/46,X,r(X)`{`16`}` (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

  • P.K.D Channa Tharanga Somadasa (FM/GD/02/2012/07)

    Project title: A Sri Lankan Family with Cerebellar Hemangioblastoma due to a Heterozygous Nonsense Mutation in the Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor, E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase (VHL) Gene, Design and Implementation of a New Assay for Genotyping Pharmocogenomicaly Important Cytochrome P450 2D6 Gene Variants, Molecular- Cytogenetic Analysis of a Ring Chromosome 18 in a Sri Lankan Female Child with Congenital Malformation, Heart Defects and Global Development Delay (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

  • Balram Gautam (FM/GD/02/2012/09)

    Project title: BRCA1 Gene Mutations in Sri Lankan Families with Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome, Design and Implementation of Novel Allele Specific Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay to Genotype Exon 19 Deletion and L858R Mutation in the EGFR Gene in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, Paternally Inherited Chromosomal Translocation (8; 11) in a Child with Dysmorphic Features and Seizures (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

  • Shree Ram Banstola (FM/GD/02/2012/08)

    Project title: Descriptive Study of the Clinical and Genetic Features of Spinal Muscular Atrophy in Sri Lanka, Design and Implementation of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test to Genotype the CCR5 Delta 32 Base Pairs Deletion Design and Implementation of Allele Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (AS-PCR) Assay to Genotype the V600E Mutation in the BRAF Gene, A Case Report of a Patient with Mosaicism for Ring Chromosome 6 and Monosomy 6 Cell Lines: FOXC1 Gene Deletion Without a Correlation for Eye Anomaly Phenotype (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

  • Pranidhee Bhagya Jeerasinghe

    Project title: Frequency of Haemoglobin Beta Gene (HBB) Mutations in a Cohort of Sri Lankan Patients Referred for Β Thalassaemia Screening, Design and Implementation of a New Assay to Genotype 460G>A and 719A>G Polymorphisms in the Thiopurine S-Methyltransferase (TPMT) Gene, A Maternally Inherited Partial Trisomy 1 (q44qter) and Partial Trisomy 15 (pterq22) in a Child with Silver Russell & Partial Trisomy 15q Syndrome” (MSc awarded - 1 October 2014).

MPhil/PhD

  • H.M.N.N. Dasanayaka (2019/12) Project title: Telomere length, gene expression profile and DNA methylation status of selected genes in a Sri Lankan group of practitioners of meditation and mindfulness techniques (Ongoing).

  • Dr. U.M.J.E. Samaranayake (2019/05) Project title: Anatomical, functional and radiological study of the pelvicalyceal system related to pathophysiology of primary ureteropelvic junction obstruction (Ongoing).