Prof. Ranil Jayawardena is embarking on a PhD study that evaluates the effectiveness of a personalized, culturally tailored nutrition intervention in improving sports nutrition knowledge, dietary practices, and nutritional status among elite and semi-elite Sri Lankan athletes, aiming to enhance athletic performance and promote evidence-based nutrition practices in the sports community. The study is supervised by Prof. Indu Nanayakkara (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Terrence Madhujith (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Andrew P. Hills (Queensland University of Technology, Australia) and Prof. N.S. Kalupahana (Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAEU, United Arab Emirates)

Prof. Jayawardena is a Professor in Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo and a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) with extensive academic and research experience in human physiology, nutrition, and sports science. He holds multiple advanced degrees and has contributed significantly to nutrition and health research in Sri Lanka and internationally. His current doctoral work focuses on sports nutrition among elite and semi-elite athletes, reflecting his dedication to bridging physiology, nutrition, and performance enhancement through culturally relevant and evidence-based interventions.

Mrs. Dilani Perera pursues to quantify the incidence and prevalence of hamstring injuries among Sri Lankan cricketers, investigate underlying causes, and propose preventative strategies to reduce their occurrence. This comprehensive approach addresses both the extent and aetiology of these injuries while offering practical solutions to mitigate their impact on professional Sri Lankan cricketers. She is supervised by Prof. Anula Kariyawasam (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Anoja Ariyasinghe (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Dr. Damitha Gunawardena (Dept of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya) and Dr. Sibi S Walter (Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch. New Zealand).

She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy with over 10 years of experience in both academia and clinical practice. She holds a BSc in Physiotherapy (Hons) from the University of Colombo, a MSc in Exercise and Sport Science and a MPhil in Sports & Exercise Science, both from the University of Peradeniya. Beyond academia, she works with professional athletes, providing expert care in injury management, rehabilitation, and prevention.

Ms. Thilini Herath is involved in exploring long-term hearing and language problems in children who have recovered from bacterial meningitis. She evaluates hearing impairment as well as investigates early intervention strategies to improve these long-term adverse outcomes. She is under the supervision of Prof. Pathum Dissanayake (Dept of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Padmini Dahanayake (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya) and Dr. Zaffarullah Wazeer (Consultant ENT Surgeon, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialised Children’s Hospital).

She holds an MPhil from the University of Peradeniya, where her research focused on “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” She completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in speech and hearing sciences, specializing in Audiology, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. Her academic and professional interests include tinnitus management, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, hearing neurosciences, and medical education, in the broader field of neurophysiology and paediatric audiology.

Ms. Shalini Bandara is engaged in Exercise Science and explores the anthropometric profiles of university athletes vs non-athletes and associated health-related physical fitness components and physical activity levels. Her study analyzes relationships among these variables and aims to develop a classification model for identifying suitable sports categories for university students based on key parameters. She is supervised by Dr. Damsara Nandadeva (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Walter Senevirathna (Dept of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya) and Dr. (Mrs.) S. Weerasinghe (Dept of Sports Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura).

She possesses a BSc. (Special) Degree in Sports Science and Management from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and is currently a lecturer in Sports Studies at the Institute of Technology, University of Moratuwa. She is a prolific all-rounder and her work focuses on exercise science, physical fitness, and athlete development, aiming to translate scientific principles into effective training strategies within the Sri Lankan context.

Mrs. Udani Karunarathne is undertaking her PhD under cardiorespiratory and autonomic function physiology, on the theme of exploring the cardiorespiratory and autonomic function parameters in healthy, long-term meditators in a Sri Lankan setting. She is supervised by Prof. Dinithi Fernando (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo), Prof. Lakmali Amarasiri (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo) and Prof. Indu Nanayakkara (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya).

She is currently based as a physiotherapist in Australia and affiliated with Vista Healthcare, Australia. She obtained her B.Sc. (Hons) in Physiotherapy from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and subsequently served as a Research Assistant at the Department of Medical Education and as a Physiotherapist at the National Hospital of Colombo (2017–2024). Her research interests include autonomic testing, heart-rate variability, and pulmonary rehabilitation, and she possesses expertise in spirometry and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Ms. Dhananjee Chellapillai works in Community Based Geriatric Rehabilitation. She is undertaking a systematic review to identify the fall prevention practice in low- and middle-income countries. In addition, she also investigates whether a structured educational intervention can improve physiotherapists’ evidence-based practices in fall prevention and then explores the barriers and facilitators in implementing successful fall prevention programs. She is supervised by Prof. Anula Kariyawasam (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka), Dr. Thusharika Dissanayake (Dept of Physiotherapy, Monash University, Australia), Prof. Keith Hill (Director, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living [RAIL] research center, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Peninsula Campus, Monash University, Australia) and Prof. Anne Tiedemann (Faculty of Medicine and Health, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney, Australia).

She holds a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy from the University of Peradeniya and currently serves as a Lecturer (Probationary) at the Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. She hopes to contribute towards improving the quality of life and independence of older adults in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Gayani Nawarathna is undertaking a cognitive neurophysiology study focusing on the effects of an L-theanine–caffeine combination on neurobehavioural and neurophysiological indices of selective attention in adolescents with ADHD and acutely sleep-deprived young adults, using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial design. She is supervised by Prof. Tharaka Dassanayake (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Dewasmika Ariyasinghe (Dept of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya) and Dr. Chanaka Kahathuduwa (Resident Physician, Neurology / Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, Texas Tech University, United States)

She possesses a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree from the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya and currently serves as a Lecturer in Physiology at the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya. She is skilled in EEG/ERP techniques, psychological assessments, and working with clinical populations. Dr. Nawarathna has published in high-impact journals, secured multiple research grants, and presented her work at prestigious international and national conferences.

Dr. Sumudu Jayawardana focuses on hypertension in pregnancy by conducting a study on endothelial function through flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery and the role of soluble endoglin (sEng) as a predictive biomarker for preeclampsia with the aim of enhancing early prediction of preeclampsia and improving maternal outcomes through better understanding of endothelial dysfunction. She is supervised by Dr. Damsara Nandadeva (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Dr. Keerthie Dissanayake (Dept of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Champika Gihan, (Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Manoji Pathirage (Dept of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya) and Prof. S. Rosairo (Dept of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya).

She has a MBBS degree from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya and currently serves as a Lecturer at the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya since 2023. She has presented at numerous national and regional conferences, published scholarly work, and remains committed to advancing interdisciplinary research linking basic science and clinical medicine.

Dr. Savithri Ranasinghe is undertaking a study in Cardiovascular Physiology which assesses clinical outcomes and changes in cardiac physiological parameters over one year in patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease awaiting coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aimed at developing a risk assessment model to predict outcomes in this patient population. She is supervised by Prof. I. B. Gawarammana, (Dept of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Padmini Dahanayake (Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya), Prof. Walter Abhayaratna (College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Australia) and Dr. Muditha Lansakara (Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, National Hospital, Kandy).

She is currently a Lecturer (Probationary) in Physiology, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, which is the same institution where she obtained her MBBS degree from. Her research portfolio includes a peer reviewed systematic review on leptospirosis and a funded study on diaphragmatic dysfunction in organophosphate poisoning. A former national-level chess competitor, she brings a disciplined and analytical approach to her research in human physiology.