ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

1. PhD         - University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, in 1999 (Field of Study: Horticulture)
2. MAgri.      - Hiroshima University, Japan, in 1994. (Field of Study: Plant environmental Sci.)
3. B.Sc. (Agric.)   - 2^nd class (Honours) – University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, in 1988 (Field of Study: Agriculture)

Main Research Projects undertaken (Last 10 years)

As the principal investigator

• Life-cycle analysis of banana in Sri Lanka for reducing postharvest losses and mitigating GHG emissions, Funded by GRA and Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand (2020 – 22).
• Development of organic fertigation options for greenhouse vegetable crops, funded by Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural research Policy (SLCARP), Sri Lanka (Completed in 2018).
• Development of ecological vegetable based cropping systems for sandy soils in Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka, Funded by the University of Peradeniya (Completed in 2017).
• Follow-up Research and Development Program leading to commercialization of university research output: Hydroponics Fertilizer Package, funded by the HETC-QIG-4 of the Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka. (Completed in 2017).
• Development of protected crop technologies for improving yield and post-harvest quality of roses and gerbera, funded by SLCARP (Completed in 2013).

As a Co-investigator/ Research coordinator

• Commercialization of the Research Outcome of the Faculty of Agriculture (Coordinator), funded by the World Bank sponsored AHEAD Project of the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka (UGC) - (On-going).
• IOT based micro-climate control in tropical greenhouses and its influence on growth, yield and gene expression of tomato, funded under Early Career Fellowship Program of the Organization for Women in Science for Developing World (OWSD) (On-going).
• Investigations on eco-friendly weed management in tea cultivation as an alternative for synthetic herbicide use, funded by National Research Council (NRC), Sri Lanka - (Completed in 2021)
• Molecular and biochemical characterization of Sri Lankan pomegranate germplasm and expression analysis of major hydrolysable tannin genes under different environmental conditions and maturity stages  to popularize cultivation in Sri Lanka, funded by NRC, Sri Lanka - (completed in 2016).