Shalindra Ranasinghe

Shalindra Ranasinghe

Head of the Department of Parasitology

University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

Tel: +94112801028

Email: ishalindra@sjp.ac.lk

 

 

 

VALIDATE Role:

Network Investigator

 

Research Keywords: 

Leishmaniasis

 

Biography:

My Key research interest is on leishmaniasis. I am also involved in the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic disease prevalent in Sri Lanka. I was able to isolate and name the visceral leishmaniasis causing strain in Sri Lanka for the first time in Collaboration with Dr.Francine Pratlong (Leishmania doovani MON-37; MHOM/KL/2010/OVN-3). I have also submitted the cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis strains in Sri Lanka to Prof.Greg Matashewski & Prof.Peter Myler to carry out whole genomic sequencing and annotation. The hypothesis of ”natural attenuation” of Sri Lankan cutaneous causing strain was postulated following the collaborations with Prof. Greg Matlashewski. Currently I am the collaborator from Sri Lanka in the prestigious MRC-GCRF grant awarded to Prof. Paul Kaye of University of York.

I have conducted a distance learning virtual workshop on “Eukaryotic Pathogen Database Usage-2015” in Sri Lanka for the first time in collaboration with EuPathDB staff. I have also conducted a workshop on “Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay Based Mobile Suitcase Laboratory” in Collaboration with Dr. Abd Ahmed El Wahed from University of Göttingen Germany. I have received many grants and presidential awards for research. I have also won the Faculty of Medical Sciences, USJ Oration in 2015.

 

Related Websites: 

Faculty of Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Google Scholar Profile

LinkedIn Profile

 

Key Publications:

  • Ranasinghe S, Wickremasinghe R, Hulangamuwa S, Sirimanna G, Opathell N, Maingon RDC, Chandrasekharan V 2015. Polymerase chain reaction detection of Leishmania DNA in skin biopsy samples in Sri Lanka where the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis is Leishmania donovani. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 110:1017-23.
  • McCall LI, Zhang WW, Dejgaard K, Atayde VD, Mazur A, Ranasinghe S, Liu J, Olivier M, Nilsson T, Matlashewski G 2015. Adaptation of Leishmania donovani to Cutaneous and Visceral Environments: in Vivo Selection and Proteomic Analysis. J Proteome Res.  14:1033-59.
  • Zhang WW, Ramasamy G, McCall LI, Haydock A, Ranasinghe S, Abeygunasekara P, Sirimanna G, Wickremasinghe R, Myler P, Matlashewski G 2014. Genetic analysis of Leishmania donovani tropism using a naturally attenuated cutaneous strain. PLoSPathog. 10:e1004244.
  • Ranasinghe S, Wickremasinghe R, Munasinghe A, Hulangamuwa S, Sivanantharajah S, Seneviratne K, Bandara S, Athauda I, Navaratne C, Silva O, Wackwella H, Matlashewski G, Wickremasinghe R 2013. Cross-Sectional Study to Assess Risk Factors for Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Region in Sri Lanka. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 89:742-49.
  • McCall LI, Zhang WW, Ranasinghe S, Matlashewski G 2013. Leishmanization revisited: Immunization with a naturally attenuated cutaneous Leishmania donovani isolate from Sri Lanka protects against visceral leishmaniasis. Vaccine. 31:1420-25.
  • Ranasinghe S, Zhang WW, Wickremasinghe R, Abeygunasekera P, Chandrasekharan V, Athauda S, Mendis S, Hulangamuwa S, Matlashewski G, Pratlong F 2012. Leishmania donovani zymodeme MON-37 isolated from an autochthonous visceral leishmaniasis patient in Sri Lanka. Pathog Glob Health. 106: 421-24.