Disnie Ranathunga
Bloomington,USA
Summary
Organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Instructor for Molecular Biology Laboratory (L323)
Biology Department
08.2024 - 12.2024
- Department: Department of Biology
- Conducting practical classes for undergraduates
- Grading quizzes and lab reports
- Assisting in experiments
Associate Instructor for Human Molecular Biology Laboratory (L324)
01.2024 - 05.2024
- Department: Department of Biology
- Conducting practical classes for undergraduates
- Grading quizzes and lab reports
- Assisting in experiments
Teacher's Assistant
Scientific Assistant
Faculty of Medicine
09.2022 - Current
- Department: Centre for Education, Research and Training in Kidney Disease
- Working on the research conducted by the Centre
- Supporting and managing all the administrative activities related to the Centre
- Attending the Paediatric Nephrology Clinic and Adult Nephrology clinic to maintain the Patient's registry
Research Assistant
12.2020 - 08.2021
- Department: Department of Medicine
- Working as a Research Assistant in the Projects currently conducted by the Department
- Supporting administrative activities
Research Assistant
08.2019 - 11.2020
- Department: Department of Pharmacology
- Working as a Research Assistant in the Projects currently conducted by the Department
Volunteer
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary
08.2019 - 10.2020
Participated in on going research in the department
Teaching and Research Assistant
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Department: Division of Biochemistry, Department of Dental Sciences
- Conducting practical classes for undergraduates
- Working as a Research Assistant in the Projects currently conducted by the Department
- Supporting administrative activities
Teaching Assistant
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Department: MSc Programs in Experimental Biotechnology
- Conducting practical classes for postgraduates
- Assisting and guiding experiments of postgraduate research projects
- Supporting administrative activities
Teaching and Research Assistant
01.2017 - 11.2017
- Department: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
- Conducting practical classes for undergraduates
- Working as a Research Assistant in the Projects currently conducted by the Department
- Assisting in experiments of undergraduate research projects
- Supporting administrative activities
Education
Ph.D. - Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN06.2027
BSc four-year (Special) Degree - Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
University of Peradeniya
Sri Lanka05.2017
Skills
- Protein extraction
- Purification methods and Analysis of Proteins
- SDS-PAGE
- DNA extraction using CTAB method and kits
- DNA band separation using Agarose and Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis methods
- Spectroscopy: UV/Visible
- RNA extraction using Quiagen RNeasy mini kit
- General Molecular Biology procedures including PCR methods and Sequencing
- Microbiological methods for culturing and maintaining Bacterial and Fungal cultures
- Molecular Systematics
- Phylogenetic Analysis
- Phylogenetic tree building software
- Data management using MS Office packages
- Bioinformatics for analyzing and retrieving molecular data
- Compilation of research project reports, writing research manuscripts, research proposal formulation, and standard formatting of seminar presentations, posters, and abstracts
- Photo editing using Adobe Photoshop software
Researchinterests
- Proteomics
- Protein Chemistry
- Cell Biology
- Virology
- Molecular Genetics
- Genetic Engineering
- Molecular Evolution
- Molecular Microbiology
- Biotechnology
Undergraduateresearchproject
Purification and Characterization of foam nest proteins of Polypedates maculatus, 12 months, 4.00/4.00, Prof. S. Rajapakse, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Peradeniya, Faculty of Science, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 20400, Sri Lanka
Coursework
- Biomolecules
- Biological Chemistry
- Enzymology
- Genetics
- Molecular Genetics
- Recombinant DNA Technology
- Molecular Cell Biology
- Bioinformatics
- Biotechnology Environmental Biotechnology
- Plant Diversity
- Plant Physiology
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology of Plants and Animal Diseases
- Molecular Evolution and Systematics
- Biosafety
- Physical Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Generaleducation
B, B, C, 2011, A, A, A, B, A, C, A, A, 2008
Englishlanguageliteracy
- English for Academic Purposes, English Language Teaching Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, 2015
- General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level, B, 2007
- IELTS, 7.0, 2018
- IELTS, 7.0, 2021
Awards
IUB-Edgar and Eleanor Peglow Fellowship in Biochemistry (2024)
Nonrelatedreferees
- Prof. S. Rajapakse, sanathrajapakse@yahoo.com, +94 77 7801257, Department of Molecular Biology & Biotech., Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- Prof. Marc Morais, mcmorais@iu.edu, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University Bloomington, USA
Publications
Glossary in Sinhala Language (a state language in Sri Lanka) Molecular Biology and Biotechnology - Volume 3, Ananda K., Daundasekera K., Kannangara S., Karunaratne S., Ranatunga D., Ranaweera T., Salpadoru T., Thilakaratne N., Sooriyapathirana S., Rajapakse S., 978-955-41753-5-8, Marine Biotechnology, Chapter 19, Genetics, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (A textbook in Sinhala Language), Ranatunga A. P. D. T., Salih R., Rathnayake P. G. R. G., Sooriyapathirana S. D. S. S., Sooriyapathirana S. D. S. S., 978-955-41753-7-2, 673-681, Assessment of the applicability of wood anatomy and DNA barcoding to detect the timber adulterations in Sri Lanka, Scientific Reports, 10, 4352, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61415-2, Kannangara S. K., Karunarathne S. I., Ranaweera L. T., Ananda G. K. S., Ranathunga A. P. D. T., Jayarathne H. S. M., Weebadde C. K., Sooriyapathirana S. D. S. S., 2020, Green-spinach, red-spinach, and tree-spinach (‘Three-fold spinach’ in Sri Lanka): An insight into phylogenetics and consumer preference, Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 32, 2, 82-91, https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.2020.v32.i2.2065, Gayathree T. H. I., Karunarathne S. I., Ranaweera L. T., Jayarathne H. S. M., Kannangara S. K., Ranathunga A. P. D. T., Weebadde C., Sooriyapathirana S. S., 2020, Sweet potato cultivar with characteristic acid-green foliage as an alternative leafy vegetable to water spinach grown in polluted habitats, Sri Lankan Journal of Agriculture and Ecosystems, 01, 02, 2-50, Ranasinghe R. D. G. A., Ranathunga A. P. D. T., Ranaweera L. T., Meepegamage S. W., Thilakarathne S. M. N. K., Weebadde C. K., Sooriyapathirana S. D. S. S., 2019, X-ray fluorescence analysis and consumer preference assessment unveils that sweet potato shoot-tops are a safer alternative to water spinach, a leafy vegetable prone to bioaccumulation of heavy metals, The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 14, 3, 181-200, http://doi.org/10.4038/jas.v14i3.8602, Ranathunga A. P. D. T., Ranasinghe R. D. G. A., Jayarathne H. S. M., Thilakarathne S. M. N. K., Karunarathne S. I., Ranaweera L. T., Ananda G. K. S., Kannangara S. K., Meepegamage S. W., Sooriyapathirana S. D. S. S., 2019, Assessment of the applicability of morphometric, organoleptic and phylogenetic analyses to differentiate soft and firm flesh bearing trees of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) in Sri Lanka, The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 13, 3, 200-218, http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jas.v13i3.8394, Karunarathne S. I., Ranaweera L. T., Daundasekara G. K. S., Ananda G. K. S., Kannangara S. K., Ranathunga A. P. D. T., Madhukalpanai O. V. S., Weebadde C. K., Sooriyapathirana S. D. S. S., 2018, 33, 8, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/?term=Ranathunga+APDT, Renal outcomes among patients with metformin overdose, 44th Annual Academic Sessions, The Kandy Society of Medicine, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 2022, Predictors of mortality in severe COVID-19 pneumonia: An interim analysis from a single tertiary care center in Central Sri Lanka, 25th Annual Congress of Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, Tokyo, Japan, 2021, Epidemiology of acute kidney injury in a general medical setting, 43rd Annual Academic Sessions, The Kandy Society of Medicine, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 2021, A preliminary investigation on the occurrence of aflatoxins, ochratoxin-A, and fumonisins in compound poultry feed and feed ingredients in Sri Lanka, 72nd Annual Scientific Sessions of the Sri Lanka Veterinary Association, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2020, A Sri Lankan traditional poly herbal mouthfreshener induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human oral keratinocytes immortalized with HPV16 (IHOK), 6th International Conference on Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Traditional Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2018, In vitro antibacterial effects of a Sri Lankan traditional polyherbal mouth wash against Streptococcus mutans, 6th International Conference on Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Traditional Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2018, Analysis of antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of a Sri Lankan traditional herbal formula to protect oral health, 6th Conference on Sri Lanka-Japan Collaboration Research, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2018, Partial Purification and Characterization of the foam nest proteins of Polypedates maculatus, 37th Annual Sessions, The Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka, 2017, Analysis of characterization of foam nest proteins of Polypedates cruciger, Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2017
Extracurricular Activities
Committee member of Molecular Biology Association at Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya (2015-2016) Member of the Botanical Society at Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya (2014-2015) Member of Zoological Association at Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya (2014-2016) Active member of the College Science Society, Kandy Girls High School, Sri Lanka (2008-2010)
Training
- Bioinformatics (2015)
- Scientific Writing
- Seminar Presentation
- Molecular taxonomy, Phylogeny, Molecular genetics, and Molecular epidemiology and Evolution (2018)
- LC-MS (Shimadzu) training program (2019)
Timeline
Associate Instructor for Molecular Biology Laboratory (L323)
Biology Department
08.2024 - 12.2024
Associate Instructor for Human Molecular Biology Laboratory (L324)
01.2024 - 05.2024
Scientific Assistant
Faculty of Medicine
09.2022 - Current
Research Assistant
12.2020 - 08.2021
Research Assistant
08.2019 - 11.2020
Volunteer
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary
08.2019 - 10.2020
Teaching and Research Assistant
01.2018 - 01.2019
Teaching Assistant
01.2017 - 01.2018
Teaching and Research Assistant
01.2017 - 11.2017
Teacher's Assistant
Ph.D. - Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Indiana University
BSc four-year (Special) Degree - Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
University of Peradeniya
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