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Contribution to the Undergraduate Program

Medical Parasitology

Medical Parasitology course is a mandatory course offered to students who have got through the pre-clinical course, following the introductory clinical appointments in the 5th semester of the medical course. The syllabus consists of tropical parasitoses including infections caused by protozoa and helminths, medical entomology and toxinology (snakes and snakebite, bites and stings by arthropods and marine animals).

The department provides a clinically oriented, comprehensive programme that includes a rich blend of conventional methods such as lectures, practical demonstrations, hands-on practicals, large group tutorials as well as activities where students take leadership such as small group case-based learning activities, seminars and creative activities. The course covers work extended over two semesters (5th and 6th semesters) of 15 weeks each.

At present, the students are evaluated twice (continuous assessments – CAs) and the final evaluation is at the 3rd MBBS Part I examination at the end of the 6th semester of the course. The first CA is at the end of the 5th semester and the second in mid-6th semester. The CAs include SEQs. The final evaluation at the 3rd MBBS Part I will be with 6 SEQs, 30 MCQs, and an OSPE that includes 20 stations.

The department awards Prof. Sarath Edirisinghe Gold Medal for the best overall performance in parasitology for the student who scores the highest mark.

Undergraduate Research

The department facilitates undergraduate research projects from Rajarata University as well as other universities.

Contribution to the Postgraduate Program

The department has a strong research background that facilitates postgraduate research projects at the masters and doctoral levels. These postgraduate programs are supervised in collaboration with the leading scientists in the respective fields of study, both local and foreign.

The key postgraduate research areas currently explored are snake envenoming and intestinal parasitoses with the project including epidemiological, clinical and experimental laboratory studies related to snakebite and intestinal parasitoses.

The current postgraduate students and their projects:

Dr. Subodha Waiddyanatha (PhD) : Long-term effects of snake envenoming

Dr. Supun Wedasinghe (PhD) : Bedside coagulation assays for detecting venom-induced consumption coagulopathy

Ms. Umesha Madhushani (M.Phil) : Investigation of the role of antivenom for local effects of snake envenoming.

Dr. Nalini Jayakody (M.Phil) : Prevalence, intensity and factors associated with intestinal nematode infections among school children in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka

Dr. Asela Wijesekara (M.Phil) : Exploration of the snakebite exposure patterns of Sri Lanka and their implications towards prevention of snakebite.

Ms. Jithmi Galappaththige (M.Phil) : Investigation of in-vitro neuromuscular effects of Krait (Bungarus sp.) venoms in Sri Lanka and their neutralisation by commercial anti-venoms.

Mr. Prabhath Amarisinghe (M.Phil) : Exploration of the role of immune response in the outcome of snake envenoming in Sri Lanka

Publications (indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded) originated from the M.Phil and PhD projects of current postgraduate students  

  1. Waiddyanatha S, Silva A, Wedasingha S, Siribaddana S, Isbister GK. Incidence of serum sickness following Indian polyvalent antivenom therapy in a cohort of snake-envenomed patients in rural Sri Lanka. Clinical Toxicology. 2023 Jul 14:1-6.
  2. Waiddyanatha S, Silva A, Weerakoon K, Siribaddana S, Isbister GK. Does snake envenoming cause chronic kidney disease? A cohort study in rural Sri Lanka. Clinical Toxicology. 2023;61(1):47-55. doi: 10.1080/15563650.2022.2147843.
  3. Jayakody NK, Kumbukgahadeniya PL, Silva A, Wickramasinghe ND, Wickramasinghe S, McManus DP, Weerakoon K. The accuracy of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) in detecting human intestinal nematode infections: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS ONE 2022; 17(12): e0278920. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0278920
  4. Wedasingha S, Silva A, Siribaddana S, Seneviratne K, Isbister GK. Comparison of bedside clotting tests for detecting venom-induced consumption coagulopathy following Sri Lankan viper envenoming. Clinical Toxicology 2022;60(12):1328-1335. doi: 10.1080/15563650.2022.212881.
  5. Waiddyanatha S, Silva A, Weerakoon K, Siribaddana S, Isbister GK. Long-term health effects perceived by snakebite patients in rural Sri Lanka: A cohort study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022;16(9):e0010723. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010723
  6. Thakshila P, Hodgson WC, Isbister GK, Silva A. In Vitro Neutralization of the Myotoxicity of Australian Mulga Snake (Pseudechis australis) and Sri Lankan Russell’s Viper (Daboia russelii) Venoms by Australian and Indian Polyvalent Antivenoms. Toxins. 2022; 14(5):302. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14050302
  7. Madhushani U, Thakshila P, Hodgson WC, Isbister GK, Silva A. Effect of Indian polyvalent antivenom in the prevention and reversal of local myotoxicity induced by common cobra (Naja naja) venom from Sri Lanka in-vitro. Toxins 2021;13(5):308. doi: 10.3390/toxins13050308
  8. Madhushani U, Isbister GK, Tasoulis T, Hodgson WC, Silva A. In-Vitro Neutralization of the Neurotoxicity of Coastal Taipan Venom by Australian Polyvalent Antivenom: The Window of Opportunity. Toxins 2020; 12, 690. doi: 10.3390/toxins12110690.
  9. Wedasingha S, Isbister G, Silva A. Bedside Coagulation Tests in Diagnosing Venom-Induced Consumption Coagulopathy in Snakebite. Toxins 2020; 12(9):583. doi: 10.3390/toxins12090583.
  10. Waiddyanatha S, Silva A, Siribaddana S, Isbister GK. Long-term effects of snake envenoming. Toxins 2019; 11:193