Lecturer in Physiology

chanaka301@pdn.ac.lk, chanaka.kahathuduwa@ttu.edu

+94812389106

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Peradeniya.
1270, Akron Ave,Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University,Lubbock, TX, 79409 USA

MBBS (Peradeniya), M.Phil. (Sri Lanka)
Doctoral candidate (Department of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX)

Employment

Present:

• Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA (since 1st of September, 2014).
• Lecturer in Medical Physiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka (since 19th April, 2013) – on study leave.

December 2012 – April 2013:

• Medical Doctor, Clinical Neurophysiology Unit (Teaching), Kandy.
  

December 2012:

• Medical Doctor, Professorial Medical Unit, Colombo North Teaching Hospital (Ragama), Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya.

June 2012 – December 2012:

• Internal Medical Officer, Professorial Medical Unit, Colombo North Teaching Hospital (Ragama), Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya.

December 2011 - June 2012:

• Internal Medical Officer, Professorial Surgical Unit, Colombo North Teaching Hospital (Ragama), Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya.

April 2011 - December 2011:

• Temporary Assistant Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya.

Research Interests

• Neurophysiology and cognitive neuroscience
• Neurobiology of nutritional sciences

Teaching Experience

• Teaching Nutritional Epidemiology and Behavioral Health Coaching to graduate and undergraduate students of the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
• Teaching Physiology and Clinical Anatomy to the undergraduate medical students of the Faculty (College) of Medicine, University of Peradeniya.
• Involved in the examination (as an invigilator and examiner) of the undergraduate medical students of the Faculty (College) of Medicine, University of Peradeniya.

Invited Teaching andTraining

• Teaching neurophysiology and neuroanatomy to the students for the Diploma Course in Exercise and Sport Sciences conducted by the Sri Lankan Association of Exercise and Sport Sciences (SLAESS) – 2011-2014.
• Teaching neurophysiology to the undergraduates of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya – 2011-2014.
• Guest lectures and demonstrations in CME workshops
• Measuring blood pressure.Sri Lanka Dental Alumni Association;2011; Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
• Clinical neurophysiological techniques (transcranial magnetic stimulation). KandySociety ofMedicine; 2014; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine
• Obesity and brain function. The 37th annual US Foods: Food and Nutrition Seminar; 2017 May; Lubbock, TX.

• Graduate student of the month of June 2017, College of Human Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA.
• Finalist: Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition 2017, Annual Scientific Meeting of Experimental Biology; 2017 Apr; Chicago, IL, USA.
• Finalist (one of five) and travel award recipient: Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award 2016, ObesityWeek 2016, New Orleans, LA, USA – November, 2016.
• Finalist (one of four) and travel award recipient: Early Career Grant Challenge, ObesityWeek 2016, New Orleans, LA, USA – November, 2016.
• Best Poster Award in the Biobehavioral Section of the ObesityWeek 2016, New Orleans, LA, USA – November, 2016.
• Best Poster Presentation (Clinical Graduate) – First Annual Meeting of The Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA – April, 2016.
• Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship of the Graduate School, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA 2016.
• Helen DeVitt Jones Graduate Fellowship awarded through the Texas Tech University Graduate School, Lubbock, TX, USA 2015-2017.
• Margarette Harden Food and Nutrition Scholarship Endowment, Lubbock, TX, USA 2015-2016.
• Covenant Health and Social Services Fellowship awarded through the Texas Tech University Graduate School, Lubbock, TX, USA 2014-2015.
• Championship in Inter-Medical Faculty Paediatric Quiz Competition 2011, College of Pediatricians, Sri Lanka.
• Gold medal for best performance in 3rd MBBS, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka 2009.
• Gold Medal in Forensic Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka 2009.
• Punchi Banda Panabokke Memorial Prize in Forensic Medicine, University of Peradeniya,Sri Lanka2009.
• Gold Medal for best performance in 2nd MBBS, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka 2007.
• University Scholarship for Best Performance, University of Peradeniya,Sri Lanka 2007.
• Arthur Fernando Memorial Prize in Physiology, University of Peradeniya,Sri Lanka2007.
• Dr.C.W.W.Kanangara Merit Awardfor Excellent Performance (10th in Sri Lanka) in G.C.E. Advanced Level (University entrance) Examination: Bio-science stream.

• Source:  Nestle Health Science; Status: Study in process; Title:  Neurological Correlates of exposure to a Nutritionally Balanced Total Meal Replacement Diet vs. Iso-caloric diet of typical foods in an obese population.   Dates of entire project:  8/31/2015-8/31/2016; Specific aims of project: To examine the potential for specific diets to differentially impact neural reactivity in specific brain regions of interest. Role on the project: Graduate Student Collaborator.
• Source:  Texas Tech University; College of Human Sciences Neuroimaging Seed Grant; Status: Active. Title: Neurophysiological correlates of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on improving selective attention in a visual reaction time task: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study.  Dates of entire project:  9/1/2015-8/31/2016.  Specific aims of project: To identify the impact of ingestion of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on improving selective attention. Role on the project: Graduate Student Collaborator.
• Source:  University of Peradeniya, International Research Center; Title:  Study of the effects of theanine and caffeine on cognitive processing time, evoked potentials and event-related potentials.   Dates of entire project:  7/31/2013-7/31/2014; Specific aims of project: To examine the effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on reaction time, visual and motor evoked potentials and auditory event-related potentials. Role on the project: Graduate Student Investigator.

Memberships in Professional bodies and other Associations

• Medical Doctor in Sri Lanka – RegNo.29235, Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC)
• Member, The Obesity Society (TOS)
• Member, American Physiological Society (APS)
• Member, American Society of Nutrition (ASN)
• Member, The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
• Life Member, Physiological Society of Sri Lanka (PSSL)
• Life Member, Kandy Society of Medicine (KSM)

Service-related Activities:

• Vice President – Graduate Nutrition Organization of the Texas Tech University, 2015-2016.
• Secretary – Sri Lankan Student’s Association of the Texas Tech University, 2015-2016.
• Mentor – Lauro Cavazos & Ophelia Powell-Malone Mentoring Program (Mentor Tech) program of the Texas Tech University, 2014 – 2016.
• Coordinator – International Student Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, 2013-2014.
• Member – Student affairs committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, 2013-2014.