SLAAS GRC Research Award -2014

Prof. Preethi Vidya Udagama was the recipient of the SLAAS GRC Research Award 2014 for high quality research carried out within Sri Lanka. Prof. Udagama’s research base is the Department of Zoology, University of Colombo from where she has conducted research, for the past 20 years. The thrust of her research work is based on the immuno and molecular epidemiology of vivax malaria in Sri Lanka, a journey which commenced in 1985 with her doctoral research at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo. Her MSc and PhD research training received at the University of Colombo was further strengthened by a post-doctoral stint at the University of New Brunswick in Canada under an NSERC research fellowship. The multifaceted nature of her research interests flit from vivax malaria to parasites of vertebrates of Sri Lanka to screening of natural products for immuno modulatory activity to reproductive immunology to development of immuno and molecular diagnostics to Weligama Coconut Wilt to eco-immunotoxicology to oral & oropharyngeal cancer. She acknowledged financial assistance by the National Science Foundation Sri Lanka, National Research Council and the University of Colombo, thereby providing immense support for her research career. Prof. Udagama delivered her ‘Award lecture’ entitled Reflections from my research journey at the University of Colombo on December 4, 2014 at the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo.