Teaching

Teaching

MSc in Molecular Life Sciences, IBMBB, University of Colombo

  • Cytoskeleton
  • Extracellular matrix
  • Cell Cycle
  • Apoptosis
  • Biomolecules (Carbohydrates. Lipids, and Proteins)
  • Membrane transport

MSc in Bioinformatics, IBMBB, University of Colombo

  • Biomolecules (Carbohydrates. Lipids, Proteins and Nucleic acids)

MD Clinical Oncology, Post Graduate Institute of Medicine(Visiting)

Teaching History

BSc in Pharmacy, Open University Sri Lanka

  • Medicinal Chemistry

Certificate Courses, Training and Workshops Conducted

  • Course Coordinator and Resource Person– Training Course in Cell Culture Techniques 2013, 2015-IBMBB, University of Colombo
  • Resource Person- Training Course in Molecular Biological Techniques 2010, 2011,2012, 2013 and 2016-IBMBB, University of Colombo
  • Invited Resource Person- Workshop on Real Time PCR- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna. November 2013
  • Invited Resource Person- Seminar on Sustainable Utilization of Sri Lanka’s Biodiversity: the Role of the Chemist, Institute of Chemistry Ceylon. Tuesday 24th June 2014
  • Resource Person- අප අවටින් දකිමු විදු ලොව –Science day program for school children conducted by committee of popularization  of science  in Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS). 29th March 2014 at Tholangamuwa Central Collage, 21th June 2014 at Bingiriya Central Collage.
  • Course Coordinator- Training Course in Stem cells and Cell Biology- held at IBMBB from 12th to 14th September 2014.
  • Course Coordinator- Training Course in A complete course and hands on practice on solving NMR spectra – held at IBMBB from 6th to 9th September 2014.
  • Guest Speech –නැගිටිමු උගනිමු ජයගමු විදුලොව– Science day program, Mayurapada Central collage 29th August 2016.
  • Guest Speech –විශ්මිත අණුක විදුලොව– Science day program, Ananda collage 28th April 2017.
  • Guest Speech –තිරසාර දිවියක් සමෘද්ධිමත් හෙටක් උදෙසා: නැගිටිමු උගනිමු ජයගමු විදුලොව– Science day program, Tholangamuwa Central Collage, 24th October 2017
  • Guest Speech – තිරසාර දිවියක් සමෘද්ධිමත් හෙටක් උදෙසා: නැගිටිමු උගනිමු ජයගමු විදුලොව– Science day program, Tholangamuwa Central Collage, 24th October 2017
  • Guest Speech for a seminar organized by provisional education department Higurakgoda   – තිරසාර දිවියක් සමෘද්ධිමත් හෙටක් උදෙසා: නැගිටිමු උගනිමු ජයගමු විදුලොව– at Ananda Balika Collage, Higurakgoda on 16th November 2017
  • Keynote Speech–  on cancer stem cells: a therapeutic target of breast cancer at the International Chemical Congress 2018 Chithwan, Nepal

Research Experience & Specialized Training

  • Training Course in Frontiers in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine: held in Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, USA. From 28th September to 4th October, 2014.
  • Training course in Frontiers in Stem Cells in Cancer, February 3-8, 2013 at Ponce, Puerto Rico.
  • Training Course on Computational Biology, conducted by University of Colombo School of Computing. 4th-8th March 2013.
  • Stem Cell Course. Organized by IBMBB, University of Colombo.20.11.2012.
  • Training on NMR spectroscopy. HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of karachi. Pakistan. 2011.
  • Training on Cell Culture Techniques, Medical Research Institute, Sri Lanka, 2009. (two weeks)
  • Training on Medical Cytogenetic Techniques, Sri Ramachandra University, India, 2009.  (two weeks)
  • Certificate Course in Molecular Biological Techniques, Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, University of Colombo, 2006. (one week)
  • Certificate course on advanced physiology of pain, anesthesia, analgesia, and euthanasia for laboratory animals. organized by Sri lanka Assosiation for Laboratory Animal Scinece, 30th October to 3rd November 2017.
  • The Seminar on Sample Size Computation of a Statistical Study, Institute of Applied Statistics Sri Lanka (IASSL), held on 18th February 2014.
  • Soft skills workshop, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2006.
  • Promega workshop on “Harnessing the Power of the Bioluminescence and new workflow solutions for forensic applications”, held at the IBMBB on 21st January 2014.
  • Seminar on chromatography techniques and sample preparation held by Agilent Technologies at Waters edge, Colombo on 19th March 2014.
  • A training programme for researchers “How to have your research proposal by an ERC expeditiously. Organized by Forum for Ethics Review Committees Sri Lanka (FERCSL), Sri Lanka Medical association on 6th June 2014.
  • Workshop on Enhancement of conflict resolution skills of student leaders and student counselors, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2006.
  • Workshop on Awareness Building Programme on Opportunities Available to Initiate Self-Employment, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2006.
  • Workshop on Applied sub-disciplines of Botany, Microbiology and Zoology to convert knowledge to self-employment, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2007.

Research Training

Student Research Guidance

  • A.R.M.N.N.K. Ratnayaka – MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2009 (Survivin gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line: optimization of PCR conditions and effect of a herbal decoction)
  • S.B. Kotigala – MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2010 (Effect of a herbal extract on caspase 3 and caspase 9 expression in endometrial carcinoma cells)
  • I.G. Liyanage – MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2010 (Effect of a herbal extract on Bax and Bcl-2 expression in endometrial carcinoma cells)
  • N.H.K.S. Senathilake – MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2010 (Characterization of selected clones from a cDNA library of Setaria digitata). PhD reading (Search for anti filarial drugs from Sri Lankan medicinal plants)
  • Erangee Navoda Mendis– MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2011 (Characterization of cDNA clones of Setaria digitata)
  • Anuka Sanuri Mendis– MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2011 (Evaluation of effects of methanolic extract of Mangifera zeylanica bark on apoptosis related gene expression in HepG2 cells.) PhD reading (To evaluate potential use of Flueggea leucopyrus and Vernonia zeylanica in the treatment of breast cancer.)
  • EP Meran Keshawa– PhD reading (Possible anti-carcinogenic effects of Mangifera zetlanica: isolation of active anti-carcinogenic compounds and evaluation of molecular mechanisms)
  • DDPP Jayarathna– PhD reading (Screening of selected endemic plants for possible cytotoxic compounds against breast cancer and isolation and structure elucidation of potential anticancer compound(s) identified).
  • Nirupa Nagaratnam: Research Assistant (2013-2014) (In silico characterization of specific genes in filarial parasite Setaria digitata).

Student Research Supervision

  • Chanthirika Shanmuganathan – MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2011 (Development of multiplex RT-PCR for detection of apoptosis related gene expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line)
  • Karthika Mayan– MSc in Bioinformatics 2012 (Molecular docking study of natural compounds for cancer stem cell targeted anti cancer activity)-2014
  • Kosla de Silva- MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2013 (establishment of HPLC method for estimation tamoxifen and its metabolites levels in cancer patients- 2014
  • Umapriyatharshini Rajagopalan- PhD-Cancer stem cells targeted  drug leads  from  Sri Lankan endemic plants for  breast cancer”- ongoing
  • Anitha Vadivel- Research Assistant-isolation and characterization of anti cancer compounds from mangrove plant in Sri Lanka.
  • Harshani Uggalla- MSc in applied organic chemistry, faculty of Science, University of Colombo– Isolation of and characterization of kalaponaxsaponin I from Nigella sativa
  • Nisala Fernando– BSc in Biological Sciences- Isolation and characterization of active anti carcinogenic compounds from mangrove plant Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea –
  • Lakshan Wijebandara- Research Assistant- isolation and characterization of anti cancer compounds from endemic plant in Sri Lanka.-ongoing
  • Nwokwu C Daniel–MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2015-Expression of apoptosis related genes in response to improved gedunin by nanoencapsulation  in cancer cells-2015
  • Nirmalee Lowe- MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2015- A molecular phylogenetic analysis of four endemic amphibian species in Sri Lanka belonging to the genusPseudophilautus –2015
  • Luxmiga Tharmaraja- MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2015-Proanthocyanidins from the bark of Thespesia populnea (L) correa solvent extracts, on cell survival and apoptosis of Human hepatoma (HepG2) cells-2015
  • Iromi HS Polgahamullage- MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2015- Optimization of  an in vitro model to evaluate induced  differentiation by natural product in  cancer stem cells as a therapeutic target of cancer-2015
  • N Sivakumaran- MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2015- Estimation of pro apoptotic effects and  apoptosis related genes expression  in response to govaniadine by  in cancer cells– 2015
  • Mohan S Rana-MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2016. Development of nano assisted dual delivery carrier system for delivery of siRNA of P glycoprotein with cancer stem cells targeted anti cancer drug. 2016
  • P. V. V. Priyadarshani- MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2016. Evaluating anticancer effects of a polyherbal mixture on lung cancer cells (NCI-H292)- 2016
  • Nethu Wickramasinhe: Research Assistant (Molecular phylogenetic identification of novel animal species in Sri Lanka).
  • Deshini Chaturanga Jayathilaka– MPhil/PhD at University of Sri Jayewardenepura-Determining the role of denge NS1 in the pathogenesis of dengue infection.-ongoing
  • Kanishka Senathilake- Post doctoral research scientist -2017-2018. Development of anti cancer compound libraries-ongoing
  • Chamara Janaka– Post doctoral research scientist -2017-2018. Development of anti cancer compound libraries-ongoing
  • Nimesha Wickramartahne– MPhil/PhD– Development of anti cancer compound libraries from Sri Lankan entophytic fungi to target breast cancer -ongoing
  • Thusyanthan Jeyaraj- MPhil/PhD– Development of anti cancer compound libraries from Sri Lankan entophytic fungi to target lung cancer -ongoing
  • Saliu Tolulope Peter-Molecular Life Sciences 2017-In silico and in vitro screening of a small compound library on breast cancer stem cells-2016
  • Amal Hulangamuwa– Molecular Life Sciences 2017-Development of nano-assisted targeted drug delivery system for cancer stem cells grown in hypoxic condition-2016.
  • Nirmal Perera-Molecular Life Sciences 2017-Development of transgenic model system for drug discovery- 2016.
  • Nuwanka Kasuntharaka-Molecular Life Sciences 2017- Effect of compound A isolated from Vernonia zeylanica on lung cancer cells- 2017.
  • Kalum Rathnayaka- MPhil/PhD– Screening of compound libraries on a cancer cell panel for anti cancer activity and development of a new synthetic anti-cancer compound library –
  • Saman Kotigala- MPhil/PhD-Screening of Sri Lankan endemic plants for anticancer activity, isolation of active compounds and evaluation of their anti-cancer properties on Lung cancer cells
  • Amalie Abewardana Jayawickrama (MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2019). Development of a reporter gene assay for screening of anti-cancer drug leads which can target cancer stem cells.
  • Dennis Muthoni (MSc in Molecular Life Sciences 2019). In vitro effects of 3-O-𝛼-L-Arabinosyl Oleanolic Acid on breast cancer stem cells grown in hypoxic condition.
  • Pumi Silva In silico screening of small compound libraries for anti-cancer stem cells.