Academic and Professional Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Kinesiology, University of Houston, Texas, USA.
- M.Sc. in Food and Nutrition, Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
- B.Sc. (Honors) in Food Science and Technology, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Appointments
- Senior Lecturer (Grade II) - Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya – December 2021 - to date
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Research, Cizik School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center - 2020-2021
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Health & Human Performances, University of Houston - 2018-2020
- Demonstrator (Temporary) - Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya - 2012 -2013
The Areas of Expertise
- Food Science and Human Nutrition
- Obesity
- Food Insecurity
ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS & AWARDS
Selected publications
Journal papers
- Daundasekara SS, Beasley AD, O’Connor DP, Sampson M, Hernandez D, Ledoux T. Validation of the intuitive Eating Scale for pregnant women. Appetite. 2017;112:201-209. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.02.001.
- Ledoux T, Daundasekara S, Van Den Berg P, Leung P, Walker L, Berens PD. Association Between Health Beliefs and Gestational Weight Gain. Journal of Women’s Health (Larchmt). 2018;27(3):341-347. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2016.6185.
- Hernandez DC, Daundasekara SS, Arlinghaus KR, Tobar N, Reitzel LR, Kendzor DE, Businelle MS. Cumulative risk factors associated with food insecurity among adults who experience homelessness. Health Behavior Research. 2019;2(1). doi: 10.4148/2572-1836.1033
- Hernandez DC, Daundasekara SS, Arlinghaus KR, Sharma AP, Reitzel LR, Kendzor DE, Businelle MS. Fruit and vegetable consumption and emotional distress tolerance as potential links between food insecurity and poor physical and mental health among homeless adults. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2019; 14. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100824.
- Daundasekara SS, Kamdar NP, Dao A, Greer AE, McKyer ELJ, Hernandez DC. Diet quality as a mediator of the relation between income-to-poverty status and overweight/obesity among adults: Moderating effect of sex. Health Behavior Research. 2019; 2(4). doi:10.4148/2572-1836.1056.
- Daundasekara SS, O’Connor DP, Cardoso JB, Ledoux T, Hernandez DC. Associations between generational status and smoking behaviors before and during pregnancy among Hispanic women. Addictive Behaviors. 2020;104, 106310. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106310
- Schuler BR, Daundasekara SS, Hernandez DC, Dumenci L, Clark M, Fisher J, Miller AL. Economic Hardship and Child Intake of Foods High in Saturated Fats and Added Sugars: The Mediating Role of Parenting Stress among High-Risk Families. Public Health Nutrition. 2020; 23(15), 27812792. doi: 10.1017/S1368980020001366
- Daundasekara SS, Schuler BR, Hernandez DC. Stability and change in early life economic hardship and the role of sex in predicting adolescent overweight/obesity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 2020; 49(8), 1645-1662. doi: 10.1007/s10964-020-01249-3
- Reitzel LR, Chinamuthevi S, Daundasekara SS, Hernandez DC, Chen T-A, Harkara Y, Obasi EM, Kendzor DE, Businelle MS. Association of problematic alcohol use and food insecurity among homeless men and women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(10), 3631. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17103631
- Daundasekara SS, O’Connor DP, Cardoso JB, Ledoux T, Hernandez DC. Risk of excess and inadequate gestational weight gain among Hispanic women: Effects of immigration generational status. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2020; 17(18), 6452. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186452
- Ledoux, TA, Daundasekara SS, Beasley AD, Robinson J, Sampson M. The association between pre-conception intuitive eating and gestational weight gain. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity. 2021; 26(2), 467-474. doi: 10.1007/s40519-020-00878-8
- Kamdar NP, Lester HF, Daundasekara SS, Greer AE, Hundt N, Utech A, Hernandez DC. Food Insecurity: Comparing odds between working-age veterans and non-veterans with children. Nursing Outlook. 2021; 69(2), 212-220. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2020.08.011
- Hernandez DC, Daundasekara SS, Walton QL, Eigege CY, Marshall AN. Feasibility of delivering an on-campus food distribution program in a community college setting: A mixed methods sequential explanatory investigation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18, 12106. doi:10.3390/ijerph182212106.
Conference Proceedings
- Daundasekara SS, Schuler B, Hernandez DC, Longoria A. Abstract P295: Synergistic Effect of Food Insecurity and Intimate Partner Violence on Maternal Depressive Symptoms. Circulation. 2019; 139 (Supp 1), AP295. doi: 10.1161/circ.139.suppl 1.P295
- Daundasekara SS. Persistent and Increasing Economic Hardship during Early Childhood Influences Weight Status during Middle Childhood. Society of Behavioral Medicine 2019 Annual Meeting Abstracts, Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2019; 53(Supp 1), S695-S695. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaz007
- Daundasekara SS, Hernandez DC, Alexander A, Maria DS, Reitzel LR, Kendzor DE, Businelle MS. Perceived Social Support Mediates the Association Between Cumulative Health Risk and Health Outcomes Among Homeless Adults. 2020 ABM Annual Meeting Abstracts Supplement, Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2020; 54 (Supp 1), S332-S332. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaaa009
- Daundasekara SS, Hernandez DC, Alexander A, Santa Maria D, Reitzel L, Kendzor DE, Businelle M. Perceived social support mediates the association between cumulative health risk on poor mental and physical health outcomes among homeless adults. The American Academy of Health Behavior 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting: “Transforming the narrative to meet emerging health behavior challenges”, Health Behavior Research. 2020;3(2), 30. doi: 10.4148/2572-1836.1091
- Daundasekara SS, Garcia N, Mejia, K, Hernandez DC. (2020). The impact of randomized control trial of a food assistance program designed for community college students. The American Academy of Health Behavior 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting: “Transforming the narrative to meet emerging health behavior challenges”, Health Behavior Research. 2020; 3(2), 61. doi: 10.4148/2572-1836.1091
- Mejia K, Garcia N, Daundasekara SS, Hernandez DC. (2020). Community college students food insecurity and mental health status after participating in the food scholarship program. The American Academy of Health Behavior 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting: “Transforming the narrative to meet emerging health behavior challenges”, Health Behavior Research. 2020; 3(2), 60. doi: 10.4148/2572-1836.1091
- Olmeda K, Eigege C, Daundasekara SS, Walton QL Hernandez DC. (2021). Food and Fotos: Using photos to transform the narratives of low-income community college students experiences with accessing food. The American Academy of Health Behavior 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting: “Transforming the Narrative to Meet Emerging Health Behavior Challenges”, Health Behavior Research. 2021; 4(3), 71-72. doi: 10.4148/2572-1836.1121
- Eigege C, Daundasekara SS, Olmeda K, Walton QL Hernandez DC. (2021). Conducting research six feet apart: Transforming qualitative research to meet the emerging research needs during a pandemic. The American Academy of Health Behavior 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting: “Transforming the Narrative to Meet Emerging Health Behavior Challenges”, Health Behavior Research. 2021; 4(3), 18-19. doi: 10.4148/2572-1836.1121
- Daundasekara SS, Eigege C, Olmeda K, Walton QL Hernandez DC. (2021). Food distribution program positively influence the dietary behavior of community college students: A mixed method study. The American Academy of Health Behavior 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting: “Transforming the Narrative to Meet Emerging Health Behavior Challenges”, Health Behavior Research. 2021; 4(3), 72. doi: 10.4148/2572-1836.1121
