About me
I grew up in a small village in Sri Lanka that is preserved with the utmost precision of historical places and surrounded by dry evergreen forests. My childhood interest in spending more time with nature led me to seek an undergraduate degree in Applied Biology at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. During my undergraduate studies, I contributed to several research projects in Sri Lanka and volunteered to conserve Sri Lankan biodiversity. I completed two major projects during my bachelor's degree; I studied the ecology and habitat preferences of one of the endemic shrub frogs under the guidance of the late Dr Shirani Nathanael and conducted a fish biology project under Prof Jeevanthi Amarasinghe. These projects helped me enormously to develop as a young researcher.
After earning my BSc Hons, I pursued my Master of Philosophy in zoology, gaining both field and laboratory experience under the supervision of Prof. Jayanthe Rajapakse at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. My dissertation research examined the venom variation, population genetics, and haematology of the Spectacled cobra (Naja naja) in Sri Lanka, providing me with much experience in proteomics and molecular genetics.
After finishing my MPhil, continuing my research journey, I was awarded the WJ Weeden scholarship to join Prof Arthur Georges' Lab at the University of Canberra, Australia, where I embarked on my PhD candidacy. I was also fortunate to receive a CSIRO research plus scholarship to conduct my project. During my PhD, I employed a multidisciplinary approach to investigate how environmental temperature, climatic change, and evolutionary processes converge to influence the dynamics of sex determination mechanisms, the sex ratio, speciation, and sex chromosome evolution in reptiles. Currently, I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the Arthur Georges Lab, IAE, University of Canberra, investigating the evolution and adaptation of vertebrates in response to changing climatic conditions through my research.
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Education:
2021 Ph.D. Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Australia and Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO, Canberra. Advisor: D-Prof. Arthur Georges
2017 Master of Philosophy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Advisor: Prof. R.P.V.J. Rajapakse, 2012 Bachelor of Applied Biology (Honours), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka.
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Scholarships | Grants | Awards:
(Total grants/scholarships amount: 292,173 AUD)
2021 CBA Ignition Grant: Skinks with thermolabile sex as sensitive indicators of environmental change. Investigators: Duminda Dissanayake, Sarah Whiteley, Susan Wagner, Adrienne Nicotra, Ben Kefford, Clare Holleley, Blair Trewin, Arthur Georges, Rick Shine (10000 AUD).
2021 University of Canberra Internal Sponsorships (4600 AUD).
2020 CBA Ignition Grant: Energetic costs of sex reversal in lizards: implications for understanding evolutionary transitions between environmental and genotypic sex determination Investigators: Daniel Noble, Essie Rodgers, Kris Wild, Duminda Dissanayake, Stephen Sarre and Arthur Georges (10000 AUD).
2020 ACT Herpetological Association (1500 AUD).
2019 Conference Travel Grant: IAE University of Canberra (3288 AUD).
2019 Appreciation Award: Organizing the 1st Science and Technology Conference, University of Canberra, Australia.
2018 Conference Travel Grant: Australian Society of Herpetology (300 AUD).
2018 Conference Travel Grant: IAE University of Canberra (450 AUD).
2018 Sidney James Prize (Highly Commended Runner up) - Genetics Society of Austral-Asia Conference 2018.
2018 National Geographic Early Career Grant (4,550 USD).
2018 The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Postgraduate Scholarships, Australia. (Total Research Operating Funds - 25836 AUD & Stipend 18,085 AUD).
2017 ACT Herpetological Association, (1500 AUD) .
2017 Ph.D. Establishment Period Scholarship. Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra (5,000 AUD).
2017 W. J. Weeden Scholarship, University of Canberra, Australia (202, 846 AUD).
2016 The Earth Expeditions Fellowship program, Miami University, Oxford, USA (2,525 USD course costs + lodging +course related costs of participation).
2015 Postgraduate Student Travel Grant, The International Research Centre of the University of Peradeniya (InRC) (200 USD).
2015 Travel Grant, The annual conference of Toxicology Society of India- Kochi, India. Ministry of Technology and Research, Sri Lanka (300 USD).
2015 Travel Grant, The annual conference of Toxicology Society of India –TSICON, Kochi, India (Accommodation costs and Registration fee).
2014 Graduate Fellowship, Indo-Sri Lanka joint research program –Ministry of Technology and Research and University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka ( 2020 USDper year for 2 years).
2013 Scholarship, DST-SERB School in Herpetology, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India (Accommodation and Registration fee).
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Memberships and Representatives:
Consortium member: The Australian Amphibian and Reptile Genomics
Student member: Genetics Society of AustralAsia Inc
Student member: Australian Society of Herpetology
Committee Member (2019): 1st Science and Technology Conference, University of Canberra, Australia.
Committee Member (2017) : Young Ecologist Talk and Interact. A conference for ecology students and researchers in India.
Student member (2017/18): The Herpetologists' League, USA
Student member (2017/18 ): ACT Herpetological Association, Australia
Compiler/Leader: Centipedes group. The National Red List 2012, Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka
Member (2014-2017): Butterfly Conservation Society of Sri Lanka
Member (2014-2017): National bird ringing program, Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka
Vice President (2010-2012 ): Science Society, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
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I grew up in a small village in Sri Lanka that is preserved with the utmost precision of historical places and surrounded by dry evergreen forests. My childhood interest in spending more time with nature led me to seek an undergraduate degree in Applied Biology at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. During my undergraduate studies, I contributed to several research projects in Sri Lanka and volunteered to conserve Sri Lankan biodiversity. I completed two major projects during my bachelor's degree; I studied the ecology and habitat preferences of one of the endemic shrub frogs under the guidance of the late Dr Shirani Nathanael and conducted a fish biology project under Prof Jeevanthi Amarasinghe. These projects helped me enormously to develop as a young researcher.
After earning my BSc Hons, I pursued my Master of Philosophy in zoology, gaining both field and laboratory experience under the supervision of Prof. Jayanthe Rajapakse at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. My dissertation research examined the venom variation, population genetics, and haematology of the Spectacled cobra (Naja naja) in Sri Lanka, providing me with much experience in proteomics and molecular genetics.
After finishing my MPhil, continuing my research journey, I was awarded the WJ Weeden scholarship to join Prof Arthur Georges' Lab at the University of Canberra, Australia, where I embarked on my PhD candidacy. I was also fortunate to receive a CSIRO research plus scholarship to conduct my project. During my PhD, I employed a multidisciplinary approach to investigate how environmental temperature, climatic change, and evolutionary processes converge to influence the dynamics of sex determination mechanisms, the sex ratio, speciation, and sex chromosome evolution in reptiles. Currently, I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the Arthur Georges Lab, IAE, University of Canberra, investigating the evolution and adaptation of vertebrates in response to changing climatic conditions through my research.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Education:
2021 Ph.D. Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Australia and Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO, Canberra. Advisor: D-Prof. Arthur Georges
2017 Master of Philosophy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Advisor: Prof. R.P.V.J. Rajapakse, 2012 Bachelor of Applied Biology (Honours), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scholarships | Grants | Awards:
(Total grants/scholarships amount: 292,173 AUD)
2021 CBA Ignition Grant: Skinks with thermolabile sex as sensitive indicators of environmental change. Investigators: Duminda Dissanayake, Sarah Whiteley, Susan Wagner, Adrienne Nicotra, Ben Kefford, Clare Holleley, Blair Trewin, Arthur Georges, Rick Shine (10000 AUD).
2021 University of Canberra Internal Sponsorships (4600 AUD).
2020 CBA Ignition Grant: Energetic costs of sex reversal in lizards: implications for understanding evolutionary transitions between environmental and genotypic sex determination Investigators: Daniel Noble, Essie Rodgers, Kris Wild, Duminda Dissanayake, Stephen Sarre and Arthur Georges (10000 AUD).
2020 ACT Herpetological Association (1500 AUD).
2019 Conference Travel Grant: IAE University of Canberra (3288 AUD).
2019 Appreciation Award: Organizing the 1st Science and Technology Conference, University of Canberra, Australia.
2018 Conference Travel Grant: Australian Society of Herpetology (300 AUD).
2018 Conference Travel Grant: IAE University of Canberra (450 AUD).
2018 Sidney James Prize (Highly Commended Runner up) - Genetics Society of Austral-Asia Conference 2018.
2018 National Geographic Early Career Grant (4,550 USD).
2018 The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Postgraduate Scholarships, Australia. (Total Research Operating Funds - 25836 AUD & Stipend 18,085 AUD).
2017 ACT Herpetological Association, (1500 AUD) .
2017 Ph.D. Establishment Period Scholarship. Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra (5,000 AUD).
2017 W. J. Weeden Scholarship, University of Canberra, Australia (202, 846 AUD).
2016 The Earth Expeditions Fellowship program, Miami University, Oxford, USA (2,525 USD course costs + lodging +course related costs of participation).
2015 Postgraduate Student Travel Grant, The International Research Centre of the University of Peradeniya (InRC) (200 USD).
2015 Travel Grant, The annual conference of Toxicology Society of India- Kochi, India. Ministry of Technology and Research, Sri Lanka (300 USD).
2015 Travel Grant, The annual conference of Toxicology Society of India –TSICON, Kochi, India (Accommodation costs and Registration fee).
2014 Graduate Fellowship, Indo-Sri Lanka joint research program –Ministry of Technology and Research and University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka ( 2020 USDper year for 2 years).
2013 Scholarship, DST-SERB School in Herpetology, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India (Accommodation and Registration fee).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Memberships and Representatives:
Consortium member: The Australian Amphibian and Reptile Genomics
Student member: Genetics Society of AustralAsia Inc
Student member: Australian Society of Herpetology
Committee Member (2019): 1st Science and Technology Conference, University of Canberra, Australia.
Committee Member (2017) : Young Ecologist Talk and Interact. A conference for ecology students and researchers in India.
Student member (2017/18): The Herpetologists' League, USA
Student member (2017/18 ): ACT Herpetological Association, Australia
Compiler/Leader: Centipedes group. The National Red List 2012, Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka
Member (2014-2017): Butterfly Conservation Society of Sri Lanka
Member (2014-2017): National bird ringing program, Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka
Vice President (2010-2012 ): Science Society, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________