Awards and Grants

Honours and Awards

  • 2005
    Presidential award for scientific research for publications
  • 2007
    Presidential award for scientific research for publications
  • 2008
    Presidential award for scientific research for publications
  • 2010
    NRC merit award
  • 2012
    NRC merit award
  • 2004
    “Best paper presented in Basic Immunology” award for the paper titled “Studies on genetic composition of primary and relapse parasites of Plasmodium cynomolgi infections” when it was presented at Proceedings of the 2nd Biennial Scientific Sessions of the Allergy and Immunology Society of Sri Lanka
  • 2006
    “Best paper presented in Basic Immunology” award for the paper titled “Studies on strain-specific protective immunity in malaria using Plasmodium cynomolgi/ Macaca sinica model” at the Proceedings of the 3rd Biennial Scientific Sessions of the Allergy and Immunology Society of Sri Lanka
  • 2009
    “Best paper presented in Basic Immunology” award for the paper titled “Strain-specific protective immunity to pre-erythrocytic stages of malaria parasite Plasmodium cynomolgi” when it was presented at the Proceedings of the 4th Biennial Scientific Sessions of the Allergy and Immunology Society of Sri Lanka
  • 2014
    “Best paper presented in Clinical Immunology” award for the paper titled “Low prevalence of IgG antibodies against measles, mumps and rubella in infants between 6-12 months of age in Colombo district, Sri Lanka” when it was presented at the Proceedings of the 7th Biennial Scientific Sessions of the Allergy and Immunology Society of Sri Lanka
  • 2015
    Awarded second place in best poster presented for the poster titled “Seroprevalence of measles, mumps and rubella antibodies in infants in Colombo district” presented at the 24th Annual scientific session of the Sri Lankan College of Microbiologists
  • 2015
    Merit certificate awarded for the oral Presentation at the 4th YSF Symposium in 2015 for the study titled as “Degree of maternal transfer of antibodies against measles, mumps and rubella to newborns of pre- and post- vaccination era mothers”.
  • 2015
    Second best poster presented at the Scientific sessions of the College of Mricrobiologists
  • 1998
    Research Training scholarship from the WHO/TDR in 1998 for the Molecular Biology training at University of Edinburgh, UK.
  • 1998
    One year Research Training scholarship from the WHO/TDR in 1998 for the Molecular Biology/ Molecular Genetics training at University of Edinburgh, UK.

Grants

  • Co-Investigator of the 2-year research project titled “Assessment of functional antibody levels/status of measles, mumps and rubella using focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT) and genotyping of the circulating virus of all three diseases in Sri Lanka” from 2016 – 2017 from the MRI, ministry of Health.  Grant amount Rs 3.5 million.
  • Principal Investigator of the collaborative research project “P.cyno cross” with Prof Richard Culleton, University of Nagasaki.  Period is from March to September 2014.  The grant amount is Rs 419,190.51.  For the same project received Rs 450,000.00 from Hokkaido University of Japan through the collaboration of Prof Chihiro Sugimoto and Prof Arnab Pain.
  • Principal Investigator of the postgraduate training research project “Longitudinal malaria, health and human development survey in the Kataragama region of Sri Lanka” From the World Bank HETC-QIG-W3 project.  Project period from 2012-2015.  Grant amount is Rs 1,500,000.00 and will be carried out in Hambantota and Moneragala districts.
  • Principal Investigator of the research project “Study on measles, mumps and rubella antibody status in mothers and their new born babies in Colombo District” granted by the Medical Research Institute.  Project period from 2012-2014.  Grant amount is Rs 900,000.00 and is being conducted in Colombo District.
  • Principal Investigator of the three -year research project titled  “Studies on identification of genes coding strain-specific protective immunity to Plasmodium infection.”, awarded by the National Research Council of Sri Lanka. Project period from 2006-2008.  Gant amount was Rs 1,900,000.00 and was conducted in Kataragama and Colombo.
  • Principal Investigator of the two-year re-entry project granted by World Health Organization/TDR, in year 2001, under the title “Studies on “strain”-specific protective immunity to Plasmodium cynomolgi infection” ID A00577.  Project period from 2002-2004.  Grant amont was USD 40,000.00 and was conducted in Colombo, Anuradhapura and Kataragama areas.
  • Principal Investigator of the two-year research project titled  “Studies on association between the sporozoite inoculum and relapse rate using P. cynomolgi/Toque monkey system”, awarded by the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. Project period from 2005-2007.  Grant was Rs 1,300,000.00 and was conducted in Colombo and Kataragama areas.
  • Research Training scholarship (for one year) from the WHO/TDR in 1998 for the Molecular Biology training at University of Edinburgh, UK.  Grant was GBP 8,400.00 and training was obtained in Edinburgh UK.
  • IRQUE research grant in 2007 titled “studies on effect of host immunity on relapse rate and infectivity to mosquitoes in malaria using Plasmodium cynomolgi/Toque monkey system.  Granted by World Bank funded IRQUE project. Project period from 2007-2009.  Grant was Rs 150,000.00 and was conducted in Colombo.
  • IRQUE research grant in 2009 titled “Determination of clonality of parasites from Plasmodium cynomolgi relapse infections”.  Granted by World Bank funded IRQUE project. Project period from 2009-2010.  Grant was Rs 150,000.00 and was conducted in Colombo.
  • Co-investigator of the one-year research project, titled “Development of a real time quantitative PCR methods for analysis of vaccine protection using the Plasmodium cynomolgi model”, ID A20219, awarded by the WHO in 1993.  Grant was USD 20,000.00 and was conducted in Kataragama and Colombo and was analysed in Nijmegen, Netherlands.