My academic background has imbued me with interest in the interdisciplinary research and intersection of science and management. Agriculture is a source and a sink of greenhouse gases. Agricultural production becomes geopolitically more important over time due to global warming. Fertile topsoil has disappeared from farms. Drought and erosion are becoming epidemic. Meanwhile, climate change continues to make weather more extreme and unpredictable. These cascading crises put agricultural producers – rural farmers in an increasingly tough position. Hence, it is vital to focus crop science research holistically to understand how the physiology and biology of the crop, agro-climate, soil, and water communicate with each other for resilient crops to climate change. Therefore, I am highly interested to contribute to the agriculture community by enabling developing high-yielding crops (Wheat, Rice, Millet), and supporting to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — Zero Hunger, Sustainable consumption and production, Climate Action, and Ecosystem management.

I want to become a leader in sustainable agricultural research and development. Having a background in both agriculture and plant biotechnology, I am looking for the opportunity to apply my extensive scientific and analytical skills to generate new knowledge in applied agriculture and innovations.

I bring skills in research project proposal formulation and management, scientific and technical writing, statistical data analysis, and key laboratory techniques in Crop Science, Agriculture, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Molecular biology, and Omics (Proteomics, Metabolomics, Transcriptomics) to your research groups. Also, I specialized in the physiology of plant production in controlled environment agriculture. Further, I am keen to engage with a collaborating with the industry and academia.

I lead and complete 7 independent research projects and collaborated on 2 projects.

Independent Projects

  1. Determining the contribution of autophagy to protein turnover rate of energy organelles in the model plant Arabidopsis. at the University of Western Australia, the Australian National University, the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research.
  2. Analysis of constitutively active PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE1/ PYR1-LIKE (PYL) receptors in the early development of Arabidopsis thaliana. Identifying the function and biological role of abscisic acid receptors beyond hormonal signaling. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
  3. Screening an Arabidopsis cDNA library for interactor proteins of cyclase novel protein responsible for crop abiotic stress tolerance. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
  4. Effects of different hormonal concentrations and culture medium on multiplication and rooting of stage II banana (Musa cavendishii). at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
  5. Application of Biotechnology in Intra Cellular Pathogen Diagnostic of Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) in Sri Lanka. Developed PCR and 2D-PAGE based molecular diagnosis method for CCCVd viroid disease and Phytoplasma. at Coconut Research Institute Sri Lanka.
  6. Assessment of Inter and Intra Cultivar Genetic and Phenotypic Variation in Grain Quality Characteristics of Sri Lankan Traditional Aromatic Rice (Oryza Sativa L.). at Rice Research and Development Institute Sri Lanka and the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka.
  7. Exploration of the relationship between fragrant gene and growth performances of fragrant rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings under salinity stress. at Rice Research and Development Institute Sri Lanka and the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka.

Collaborative Projects

  1. Discovering the role of autophagic protein turnovers under phosphate deficiency conditions. at the University of Western Australia.
  2. Unraveling protein turnover under high light and low light stressed conditions. at the University of Western Australia.