Dr. Chandana Hewawasam

• Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (2022 onwards)
• Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (2015 – 2022)
• Temporary Lecturer, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (08.2013 – 12.2013)
• Reviewer for the Springer Nature journals (since 2021)
• Reviewer for the BMC Psychiatry journal (since 2022)
• Executive committee member, Physiological Society of Sri Lanka (2022 onwards)
• Member, Ethical Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. (2015 onwards)
• Module coordinator, Preclinical curriculum revision committee, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (2018 onwards)
• Reviewer of the Internal Review Process of Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, 2022
• Warden – male hostels (2023 onwards)
• Student counselor, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (2022 onwards)
• Mentor for Medical Undergraduates, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (2015 onwards)
• Medical officer in chemical pathology, Teaching hospital Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (2014 - 2015)
• Intern medical officer in Medicine, Teaching hospital Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (12.2013– 05.2014)
• Intern medical officer in Surgery, Teaching hospital Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (05.2014 – 12.2014)

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (Rajarata University of Sri Lanka)

Master of Philosophy (Cognitive neuroscience)

• Best oral presentation award for the presentation “subclinical memory impairment in unaffected siblings of patients with dementia” at Annual Scientific sessions of 8^th Biennial Conference of the South Asian Association of Physiologists 2022.

• Best oral presentation award for the presentation “Cognitive functions in siblings of patients with dementia” at Annual Scientific sessions of physiological society of Sri Lanka 2019.

• Best poster presentation award for the poster - Gastrointestinal symptoms among asthmatic adolescents in Sri Lanka. 6th Global congress for consensus in paediatrics, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2017

• Research grant of LKR 226,000/= from Research and Publication Committee of Rajarata University for the project proposal titled “cognitive performance of sibling of dementia patients” for the year 2017 (Grant no: RJT/R&PC/2017/FMAS/R/03)

• Research grant of LKR 603,000/= from Research and Publication Committee of Rajarata University for the project proposal titled “cognitive performance of sibling of dementia patients” for the year 2018 (Grant no: RJT/R&PC/2018/Med/R/02)

• Travel award from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia to participate International Training Course on Good Clinical Practice (GCP), organized by the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, 2016

Full-text Research Publications in Peer-Reviewed Journals:

• Hewawasam, C., Weerakoon, H. S., Thilakan, V., Lelwala, T., Prasanka, K., Rathnayaka, A. S.,  & Agampodi, S. (2020). Is leishmaniasis adequately notified in Sri Lanka? A survey among doctors from an endemic district, Sri Lanka. BMC public health, 20(1), 1-6.
• Dassanayake, T. L., Hewawasam, C., Baminiwatta, A., Samarasekara, N., & Ariyasinghe, D. I. (2020). Sex-, age-and education-adjusted norms for the WHO/UCLA version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test for Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankan adults. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 34(sup1), 127-142.
• Dassanayake, T. L., Hewawasam, C., Baminiwatta, A., & Ariyasinghe, D. I. (2021). Regression-based, demographically adjusted norms for victoria stroop test, digit span, and verbal fluency for Sri Lankan adults. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 35(sup1), S32-S49.

Research Conference Presentations / Published Abstracts:

• Kumara HECS, Weerakoon H, Prasanka K, Lelwala T, Thilakan V, Gamage S, Rathnayake A, Bandara P, Wijerathna BTB, Agampodi SB. Is Leishmaniasis adequately notified in Sri Lanka? A survey on knowledge, attitude and practice among Sri Lankan Medical officers. 49th Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, Incheon, South Korea. 2017; 787.
• Kumari AMMV, Amarasiri L, Rajindrajith S, Kumara HECS, Wickramage SP, Devanarayana NM. Gastrointestinal symptoms among asthmatic adolescents in Sri Lanka. 6th Global congress for consensus in paediatrics, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2017 Nov 13;135.
• Kumari AMMV, Amarasiri L, Rajindrajith S, Rajapakse RMSI, Kumara HECS, Wickramage SP, Devanarayana NM. The impact of asthma on adolescent health in Sri Lanka. 6th Global congress for consensus in paediatrics, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2017 Nov 13;292.
• Kumari AMMV, Amarasiri L, Rajindrajith S, Rajapakse RMSI, Kumara HECS, Wickramage SP, Devanarayana NM. The impact of asthma on quality of life of adolescents in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka. Annual Scientific Sessions, Physiological Society, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2017 Nov 25; 45.
• Abewardana UGDB, Adikari AAKT, Adikari AASM, Alahakoon KMODK, Amarasinghe MTA, Ambillapitiya LHMNJ, Kumara HECS. Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding myocardial infarction among school teachers in the Nachchyadoowa division of Anuradhapura educational zone Sri Lanka. Annual Scientific sessions of physiological society of Sri Lanka 2018.
• Sewanda VGKM, Shaazina JFRJ, Shaliya ALF, Soysa VSS, Siriwardana GK, Kumara HECS. Effect of Heroine on visual reaction time. Second undergraduate research symposium of Faculty of medicine and Allied sciences, Rajarata University 2019.
• Baminiwatta A.K.A.B, Ariyasinghe D.I, Hewawasam C, Dassanayake T.L. Rey Auditory Verbal Test (RAVLT): Age, Sex and Education adjusted Normative data for the Sri Lankan population. Annual Scientific sessions, Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists, 2020.
• A. Baminiwatta, D.I. Ariyasinghe, C. Hewawasam, V. Shangesh, T. L. Dassanayake. Age-stratified percentile norms of the Raven Progressive Matrices for Sri Lankan adults. Annual Scientific sessions, Kandy society of Medicine 2020.

• Liyanamana S.T, Luthufi M.R.M, Maddumarala M.R.I.D, Madhuhansi K.M.V.R, Madhushan K.M.G, Kumara H.E.C.S. Effect of music on short term memory of medical undergraduates in rajarata university of sri lanka. undergraduate research symposium of Faculty of medicine and Allied sciences, Rajarata University 2021.
• Priethimali R.M.I, Pushpananda K.M.A.L, Rajapaksha S.J.M.S.S, Rajarathna H.G.E.H.K, Rajarathna W.M.I.S, Ramyanath I.M.K.C, Kumara H.E.C.S. The impact of digital device screen time on general intelligence in schoolchildren aged 14- 16 in Anuradhapura educational zone. Undergraduate research symposium of Faculty of medicine and Allied sciences, Rajarata University 2022.

Other:

Public engagement and crowd funding in health research: a practical guide

• Senior Lecturer in Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. (From February 2022 to date)
• Lecturer in Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. (From 2015 to 2022)
• Temporary Lecturer, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (From August 2014 to December 2014)

Preparing normative data in cognitive function assessment tests for the Sri Lankan population.

• Certificate Course in Teaching in Higher Education (CTHE) – 2016
• Certified trainer in Tai Chi Exercise for Arthritis at Tai Chi for health Institute Australia, (since January 2016).
• Participated to an International Training Course on Good Clinical Practice (GCP), organized by the Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University of, Indonesia 2016
• Completed an online course on Spirometry conducted by  University of Washington, USA 2016.
• Distinction in online Certificate Course on Statics in Medicine conducted by Stanford University, USA
• Merit Grade in online certificate course in Research writing conducted by AuthorAID
• Certificate Course on English (FCE) at British council, Colombo, Sri Lanka
•  High Distinction in Australian National Chemistry Quiz held by Royal Australian Chemical Institute -2004
•  High Distinction in Australian National Chemistry quiz held by Royal Australian Chemical Institute -2002