Dr. W.A.S. Saroja Weerakoon is a Grade I Senior Lecturer in Ayurveda Pediatrics at the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine and an honorary Ayurvedic Consultant Pediatrician attached to the National Ayurveda Hospital. She currently serves as the Head of the Department of Ayurveda Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology, Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics at the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo.
Dr. Weerakoon graduated with a BAMS (Hons) degree from the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, Rajagiriya, in 2005. She joined the academic staff of the Department of Ayurveda Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology, Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics in 2008. She completed her Master’s Degree in Ayurveda Pediatrics at the University of Colombo in 2010 and obtained her PhD from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 2016. She was also accredited as a lecturer in Higher Education by the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA).
With nearly 18 years of teaching experience, Dr. Weerakoon has contributed extensively to undergraduate and postgraduate education in Ayurveda. She previously served as the Head of the Unit of Prasutitantra and Kaumarabhrithya (Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics Unit) from 2018 to 2021. Throughout her academic career, she has held several important administrative and mentoring positions, including Member of the Research Management and Higher Degree Committee, Senior Student Counsellor, Permanent Student Counsellor, Medical Officer, Academic Mentoring Coordinator, and Secretary of the Ayurveda Sectional Committee.
At present, she is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education as a teacher, supervisor, mentor, and coordinator of both Academic Mentoring and Student Mentoring Programmes. She also serves as the Course Coordinator for the Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric and Child Nutrition at the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo.
Dr. Weerakoon has served on several institutional committees, including the Curriculum Development and Evaluation Committee (CDEC), Ethics Review Committee (ERC), Animal Research and Welfare Subcommittee (ARWSC), Career Guidance Unit (CGU), and as a Domain Coordinator for Institutional Review (IR). She is a Management Committee member of the Forum for Ethics Review Committees in Sri Lanka (FERCSL).
In addition to her academic contributions, Dr. Weerakoon is actively engaged in professional organizations. She is a member of the Sri Lanka Association for Laboratory Animal Sciences (SLALAS), where she served as Treasurer during 2022–2023, and the Society for Alternatives to Animal Testing in Sri Lanka (SAAT-SL), where she served as Treasurer from 2021 to 2023.
As a clinician and researcher, Dr. Weerakoon is committed to strengthening research competence in Ayurveda and traditional medical systems in Sri Lanka. She has published in indexed and peer-reviewed journals and has authored books in several areas of Ayurveda and pediatric health. She currently serves as a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Postgraduate Indigenous Medicine.
Her research interests focus on the bioactivities of indigenous medicines and pediatric disorders, including Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Muscular Dystrophies.