Dr. Dinesha Jayasundara

Senior Lecturer in Microbiology 

Department of Microbiology

Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences

Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Member of Ethics Review Committee from 2015-2018

Faculty of Medicine

Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

MBBS (Peradeniya)

Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Microbiology (PGIM)

MPhil (Rajarata University of Sri Lanka)

“The Tissa Vitharana Gold Medal for Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Microbiology” (2020)

Best oral presentation at 12th annual academic sessions of Anuradhapura clinical society for the presentation on “Isolation and Characterisation of pathogenic Leptospira species from Anuradhapura district” (2018)

Coinvestigator of the United States Public Health Service Grant (NIH Grant)

Number: U19AI115658

Full papers

1. Agampodi S, Warnasekara J, Jayasundara D, et al. Study protocol: characterising the clinical, epidemiological and aetiological aspects of leptospirosis in Sri Lanka: a hospital based clinico-epidemiological study. BMJ Open 2019;9: e027850. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027850
2. Jayasundara D, Senavirathna I, Warnasekara J, Gamage C, Siribaddana S, Kularatne SAM, et al. (2021): 12 Novel clonal groups of Leptospira infecting humans in multiple contrasting epidemiological contexts in Sri Lanka. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 15(5): e0009471. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009272
3. Jayasundara D, Gamage C, Senavirathna I, Warnasekara J, Matthias MA, Vinetz JM, et al. (2021):Optimizing the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) panel for the diagnosis of Leptospirosis in a low resource, hyper-endemic setting with varied microgeographic variation in reactivity. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 15(7): e0009565. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009565
4. Senevirathna I, Jayasundara D, Lefler JP, Chaiboonm KL, Warnasekara J, Agampodi S, Matthias MA, Vinetz JM. Complete Genome Sequence of Leptospira interrogans Strains FMAS_KW1, FMAS_KW2 and FMAS_AW1 Isolated from Leptospirosis Patients from Karawanalla and Awissawella, Sri Lanka. J Genomics. 2020 Apr 22;8:49-52. doi: 10.7150/jgen.43953. PMID: 32494307; PMCID: PMC7256012.
5. Warnasekara J, Srimantha S, Kappagoda C, Jayasundara D, Senevirathna I, Matthias M, et al. (2022) Diagnostic method-based underestimation of leptospirosis in clinical and research settings; an experience from a large prospective study in a high endemic setting. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 16(4): e0010331. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010331
6. Agampodi S, Warnasekara J, Siribaddana S, Kularatna S, Gamage C, Jayasundara D, Senevirathna I, Srimantha S, Kappagoda C, Weerawansa P, Pilapitiya S, Lokunarangoda N, Sarathchandra C, Senanayake H, Matthias M, Vinetz J. Demographic, exposure, clinical, biochemical and diagnostic data of febrile patients recruited for the largest field study on leptospirosis in Sri Lanka. Data Brief. 2022 Jun 12;43:108378. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108378. PMID: 35770027; PMCID: PMC9234077.
7. Jayasundara, D.D., Imalka, M.P.G.R., Thelikorala, S.M., Udayani, N. and Yapa, L.G., 2021. First reported case of neck abscess caused by non–typhoidal Salmonella in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases, 11(2), pp.102–106. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v11i2.8357
8. S K Goonesinghe, M A Mallawatantri, A W P Manjula, B M S Bandaranayake Athauda, J M Dinesha Damayanthi. Penile compartment syndrome: Ischaemic priapism associated with chronic myeloid leukaemia; Teaching Hospital, Anuradhapura. The Sri Lanka Journal of Surgery. 2008 Dec 26( 2). pp.41-43

Abstracts

1. Jayasundara D, Senavirathna I, Warnasekara J. Isolation and characterization of pathogenic Leptospira species from Anuradhapura district. In:12th Annual Scientific Sessions of Anuradhapura clinical society. 2018
2. Jayasundara JMDD, Senavirathna RMISK, Warnasekara YPJN,Gamage CD, Matthias M, Vinetz JM, Agampodi SB.Culture isolation and geographical distribution of Leptospira spp in Sri Lanka. In:  67th conference of American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, New Orleans, USA. 2018
3. Dinesha Jayasundara, Indika Senavirathna, Janith Warnasekara, Chandika Gamage, Suneth Agampodi, Joseph Vinetz. Exploring the Diversity of Circulating Pathogenic Leptospira spp Causing Human Leptospirosis in Sri Lanka. In:11th International Leptospirosis Conference, Vancouver, B.C. 2019
4. Dissanayake DMPB, Duminda DMS, Gunathilaka MGRSS, Madusankha HPN, Jayasundara JMDD, Jayawardhana WMRL, Priyadarshana AHAK, Premathilake KMR, Illapperuma SC. Reverse osmosis- is it the answer to the burning water problem in anuradapura? (a preliminary study), , investing in biodiversity and ecosystem services. In: Proceedings of the 4th international research symposium Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, 2018 Oct 17 & 18
5. Gunathilaka MGRSS, Dissanayaka DMBP, Jayasundara JMDD, Illapperuma SC, Amarasinghe PMAT, Banadara HMIP, Tharaka DDI, Gunathilaka MRKM, W.W., 2017. Knowledge attitude and practices on rabies in a rural community. In Scientific Sessions , Faculty of Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, pp. 62–63.
6. Gunathilaka S, Premawardane N, Domingoarachchi D, Illapperuma C, Rupasinghe R, Caldera M, Weerasinghe M, Senanayake T, Jayasundara D. A retrospective study of rhinocerebral mucormycosis in Teaching hospital Anuradhapura. In: 12th Annual Scientific sessions of Anuradhapura Clinical Society.2018.

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

• Senior Lecturer (Grade-II) in Microbiology- (September 2021 – Present)

• Lecturer (Probationary)- (July 2015 – September 2021)

International collaboration of infectious diseases and research project (ICIDER)-2015 onwards