Teaching

Current Teaching

  • Teacher in MSc – Molecular Life Science/ IBMBB from 2013 to date
  • Teacher in MSc in Cellular and Molecular Immunology/ IBMBB from 2013 to date
  • Visiting Lecturer to Cancer Genetics lectures in MD-Clinical Oncology Programme at Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka from 2017 to date

Teaching Areas

Postgraduate

For MSc

  • Gene Expression (Prokaryotic/ Eukaryotic Genome, Prokaryotic/ Eukaryotic Transcription, Post Transcriptional modification, Prokaryotic/ Eukaryotic Translation, Post Translational modifications)
  • Epigenetics
  • Protein sorting, Intracellular Vesicular traffic

For PGIM

  • Cancer genetics: cancer diagnosis techniques and Genome, DNA, RNA in cancer

Research Experience & Specialized Training

Training courses and workshops

  • Liquid Biopsies course, organized by European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany from 9th -13th October 2017
  • Workshop on Bioinformatics, organized by European Molecular Biology Network (EMBnet) and IBMBB on 21st September 2009
  • Course on Stem Cell, organized by Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo on 20th November 2012
  • Promega Workshop on Harnessing the Power of Bioluminescence and new workflow solutions for forensic application, organized by Promega (Avon Pharma Chem, sole agent in Sri Lanka) and IBMBB on 21st January 2014
  • Seminar on “Sample Size Computation of a Statistical Study”, organized by the Institute of Applied Statistics Sri Lanka (IASSL) on 18th February 2014.
  • Workshop on “How to have your research proposal approved by an ERC expeditiously”, organized by the Forum for Ethics Review Committees Sri Lanka (FERCSL), Sri Lanka Medical Association on 6th June 2014
  • Institutional Nominees for one-day hands on training on SCOPUS/SciVal research database, organized by Coordinating Secretariat for Science Technology and Innovation on 7th October, 2014

International Conferences

  •  AACR: New Horizons in Cancer Research Conference, Shanghai, China (2015)
  • 7th Annual Conference Frontiers in Cancer Science, Singapore (2015)
  • 2nd Annual South Asia Biosafety Conference, Colombo, Sri Lanka (2014)
  • 15th World congress of Gynecological Endocrinology, Florence, Italy (2012)
  • 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, San Antonio, Texas (2010)
  • 14th world congress of Gynaecological Endocrinology, Florence, Italy (2010)

Research Experience

  • Completed the PhD in Cancer Molecular Genetics at Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, 2013Title of the Research Project: “Breast cancer susceptibility genes 1 and 2 in a group of Sri Lankan breast cancer patients: Analysis of BRCA2 mutations, sequence variants and polymorphisms and BRCA1 large genomic rearrangements”(Supervisors: Prof. Kamani H Tennekoon, Senior Professor of Molecular Life Sciences, Prof. Eric H Karunanayake, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry)
  • Completed final year undergraduate research project and submitted a dissertation to the Department of Chemistry, University of Colombo in July 2003.Title of the Research Project: “Detection of Variability of Rigidiporus microporus, The Causative fungus of the white root disease of rubber” (Supervisor: Prof. Sulochana Wijesundera, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo)

Research Training

Undergraduate Research Training and Supervision

MPhil/PhD Supervision:

Name of the Student Tentative Title of the Research Project Principal / co-supervisor
Tharmini Sundralingam Growth hormone and GHRH-R mutations and short stature Co-supervisor
Vahinipriya Manoharan Analysis of somatic mutations (hot spots) of TP53 gene in cancer from paraffin embedded or fresh cancer tissue of cancer patients in Sri Lanka and mutation analysis at RNA and Protein levels Co-supervisor

Supervision of MSc Dissertations:

Name of the Student MSc / year

of completion

 Title of the Thesis Principal / co- supervisor
W.L.S.C Dilshan 2018 Detection of BRCA1 large genomic rearrangements/deletions in a cohort of young familial breast cancer patients in Sri Lanka Principal supervisor
MCJ De Silva 2018 Expression, purification and characterization of a recombinant anti diabetic drug target, PPAR gamma (Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma) Co-supervisor
Gethmini Jayasundara, 2017 Detection of Pathogenic Mutations in Previously Identified Hotspot region/s in BRCA1 gene in a cohort of Sri Lankan Young Breast Cancer Patients Principal supervisor
Rashmi Gamage 2016 Association of BRCA2 N372H polymorphism with breast cancer susceptibility in young breast cancer patients in Sri Lanka Principal supervisor
SHDK Jayathilaka 2016 A pilot study on CYP21A2 gene deletion among Sri Lankan children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia Co-supervisor
Hamsini Ketheswarasarma 2015 Analysis of Protein Interaction Network (PIN) Causing Breast Cancer Co-supervisor
Sumudu R. Samarasinghe 2015 In Silico Analysis of Missense Mutations in Human Growth Hormone : The Impact on Protein Structure, Dynamics, & Stability Co-supervisor
Gihan    Chinthaka Jayawardana 2015 Insulin Like Growth Factor II 820 G>A (IGF 820 G>A) Polymorphism in Endometriosis in Sri Lankan population Co-supervisor
B.M.Lakshika Jayasekara 2015 Screening of a cohort of young onset Breast cancer patients for c.2175_2176insA mutation in the BRCA2 gene Principal supervisor
Tharsagini Nanthaprakash 2014 Association of p53 gene polymorphisms with Endometriosis in Sri Lankan woman Co-supervisor
Vahinipriya Manoharan 2014 Optimization of DNA extraction of paraffin embedded tissue and preliminary analysis of somatic mutations of TP53 Co-supervisor

Undergraduate project supervised

Sudarshini Krishnasamy Vellore Institute of Technology University, India Optimization of Polymerase Chain Reaction of the codon 72 polymorphism of the TP53 gene – A preliminary study in breast cancer Co-supervisor