OWSD Early Career
2022
Nahallage Dona Asha
About the project
Research project: Determination of the feasibility of paratransgenesis approach for controlling sand fly vectors in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka.
Field of Specialization
About the institution
September 2014
Asha Nahallage Dona > Other Awards
WHO/TDR Postgraduate Research Grant award for Ph.D. research training worth of US $ 49, 924/- by the World Health Organization (WHO), Switzerland.
December 2014
Asha Nahallage Dona > Other Awards
Presidential Award for Scientific Publication awarded by the National Research Council, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
December 2013
Asha Nahallage Dona > Other Awards
Outstanding Postgraduate Research Award for Medicine – 2013, Hiran Tillekeratne Research Fund with a cash
award for M.Phil. Research degree. awarded by the University Grant Commission (UGC), Ministry of Higher
Education and Highways, Sri Lanka.
December 2013
Asha Nahallage Dona > Other Awards
Commendation Postgraduate Research Award - 2012 for contributions of research in Sri Lanka for M.Phil. Research degree awarded by the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), Sri Lanka.
Full Member
Dr. Asha Nahallage Dona
Membership since:
2020
Field of activity:
Other Memberships/Affiliations
Sri Lanka Association for Advancement of Science, Sri Lanka
Degrees:
2018
Doctorate
Biological Systems and Organisms
2010
Master
Biological Systems and Organisms
2006
Undergraduate
Agricultural Sciences
Publications resulting from Research
Journal Articles
1. Wijegunawardana, N. D. A. D., Ramanayaka, S. M. S. D. 2005. Induction of callus and plant regeneration in Momordica dioica. Proceedings the 5thAgriculture research symposium, University of Wayamba, Sri Lanka. 1, pp10-14.
2. Wijegunawardana, N. D. A. D., Gunewardene, Y. I. N. S., Manamperi, A. and Abeyewickreme, W. 2012. GIS mapping of Lymphatic filariasis endemic areas in Gampaha district Sri Lanka; based on the epidemiological and entomological screening. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 43(3) May: pp557-566.
3. Wijegunawardana, N. D. A. D., Gunawardane, Y. I. N. S., Manamperi, A., Hapuarachchi, C. and Abeyewickreme, W, Latif, B.2013. Evaluation of Polymerase Chain Reaction as a tool for monitoring transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti in District of Gampaha, Sri Lanka. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 3(5) May: 381-7. doi: 10.1016/S2221-1691(13)60080-5.
4. Ramakrishna U. Rao, Kumara C. Nagodavithana, Sandhya D. Samarasekera, Asha N. Wijegunawardana, Welmillage D. Y. Premakumara, Samudrika N. Perera, Tilaka S. Liyanage, Sunil Settinayake, J. Phillip Miller , Udaya S. B. Ranasinghe, Gary J. Weil. 2014. A Comprehensive Assessment of Persistent Lymphatic Filariasis in Sri Lanka Six Years after Cessation of Mass Drug Administration. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 8(11) November: e3281
5. Wijegunawardana, N. D. A. D., Gunawardane, Y. I. N. S., Hapuarachchi, C., Manamperi, A., Gunawardena, N. K. and Abeyewickreme, W. 2017. Comparison of five DNA extraction methods for the recovery of Wuchereria bancrofti DNA from human blood as assessed by polymerase chain reaction. Bulletin of Trends in Biological Sciences. 1(1): pp12-17.
6. Gunathilaka, N., Ranathunge, T., Udayanga, L., Wijegunawardana, A., Abeyewickreme, W. 2017. Oviposition preferences of dengue vectors; Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Sri Lanka under laboratory settings. Bulletin of Entomological Research. Cambridge University Press. pp 1-9.
7. N. D. A. D. Wijegunawardana, W. Abeyewickreme, Y. I. Nilmini Silva Gunawardene, R. S. Dasannayaka, N. Chandrasena, L. Udayanga (2019) Evaluation of the effects of Aedes vector indices and climatic factors on Dengue incidence in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. BioMed Research International.
Volume 2019, Article ID 2950216, pp 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2950216
8. N. D. A. D. Wijegunawardana, Y. I. N. Silva Gunawardene, W. Abeyewickreme, T. G. A. N. Chandrasena, R. S. Dassanayake, A. Manmperi. (2020) Optimization of Aedes albopictus rearing procedures for combined strile insect techniques (SIT) and Wolbachia-based laboratory studies in Sri Lanka. Int J Trop Insect Sci. http://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-020-00134-7.
9. N. Gunathilaka, T. Ranathunge, L. Udayanga, N.D.A.D. Wijegunawardana, J.R.L. Gilles, W. Abeyewickreme. Use of mechanical and behavioral methods to eliminate female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus for Sterile Insect Technique and Incompatible Insect Technique applications. Parasite & Vectors. 12(1), Article no. 148. doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3398-7.
10. D. O. Carvalho, J. Torres-Monzon, P. Koskinioti, N. D. A. D. Wijegunawardana, A. A. Augustinos, G. Pillwax, Z. Xi, K. Bourtzis. Ae. aegypti lines for combined sterile insect technique and incompatible insect technique applications: the importance of host genomic background. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata.
https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12892
11. 10. Nayana Gunathilaka, Hirunika Perera, Tharaka Wijerathna, Wasana Rodrigo, Asha Wijegunawardana. The diversity of midgut bacteria among wild caught Phlebotomus argentipes (Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), the vector of Leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka. BioMed Research International.
Volume 2020, Article ID 5458063.
1. Wijegunawardana, N. D. A. D., Ramanayaka, S. M. S. D. 2005. Induction of callus and plant regeneration in Momordica dioica. Proceedings the 5thAgriculture research symposium, University of Wayamba, Sri Lanka. 1, pp10-14.
2. Wijegunawardana, N. D. A. D., Gunewardene, Y. I. N. S., Manamperi, A. and Abeyewickreme, W. 2012. GIS mapping of Lymphatic filariasis endemic areas in Gampaha district Sri Lanka; based on the epidemiological and entomological screening. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 43(3) May: pp557-566.
3. Wijegunawardana, N. D. A. D., Gunawardane, Y. I. N. S., Manamperi, A., Hapuarachchi, C. and Abeyewickreme, W, Latif, B.2013. Evaluation of Polymerase Chain Reaction as a tool for monitoring transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti in District of Gampaha, Sri Lanka. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 3(5) May: 381-7. doi: 10.1016/S2221-1691(13)60080-5.
4. Ramakrishna U. Rao, Kumara C. Nagodavithana, Sandhya D. Samarasekera, Asha N. Wijegunawardana, Welmillage D. Y. Premakumara, Samudrika N. Perera, Tilaka S. Liyanage, Sunil Settinayake, J. Phillip Miller , Udaya S. B. Ranasinghe, Gary J. Weil. 2014. A Comprehensive Assessment of Persistent Lymphatic Filariasis in Sri Lanka Six Years after Cessation of Mass Drug Administration. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 8(11) November: e3281
5. Wijegunawardana, N. D. A. D., Gunawardane, Y. I. N. S., Hapuarachchi, C., Manamperi, A., Gunawardena, N. K. and Abeyewickreme, W. 2017. Comparison of five DNA extraction methods for the recovery of Wuchereria bancrofti DNA from human blood as assessed by polymerase chain reaction. Bulletin of Trends in Biological Sciences. 1(1): pp12-17.
6. Gunathilaka, N., Ranathunge, T., Udayanga, L., Wijegunawardana, A., Abeyewickreme, W. 2017. Oviposition preferences of dengue vectors; Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Sri Lanka under laboratory settings. Bulletin of Entomological Research. Cambridge University Press. pp 1-9.
7. N. D. A. D. Wijegunawardana, W. Abeyewickreme, Y. I. Nilmini Silva Gunawardene, R. S. Dasannayaka, N. Chandrasena, L. Udayanga (2019) Evaluation of the effects of Aedes vector indices and climatic factors on Dengue incidence in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. BioMed Research International.
Volume 2019, Article ID 2950216, pp 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2950216
8. N. D. A. D. Wijegunawardana, Y. I. N. Silva Gunawardene, W. Abeyewickreme, T. G. A. N. Chandrasena, R. S. Dassanayake, A. Manmperi. (2020) Optimization of Aedes albopictus rearing procedures for combined strile insect techniques (SIT) and Wolbachia-based laboratory studies in Sri Lanka. Int J Trop Insect Sci. http://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-020-00134-7.
9. N. Gunathilaka, T. Ranathunge, L. Udayanga, N.D.A.D. Wijegunawardana, J.R.L. Gilles, W. Abeyewickreme. Use of mechanical and behavioral methods to eliminate female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus for Sterile Insect Technique and Incompatible Insect Technique applications. Parasite & Vectors. 12(1), Article no. 148. doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3398-7.
10. D. O. Carvalho, J. Torres-Monzon, P. Koskinioti, N. D. A. D. Wijegunawardana, A. A. Augustinos, G. Pillwax, Z. Xi, K. Bourtzis. Ae. aegypti lines for combined sterile insect technique and incompatible insect technique applications: the importance of host genomic background. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata.
https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12892
11. 10. Nayana Gunathilaka, Hirunika Perera, Tharaka Wijerathna, Wasana Rodrigo, Asha Wijegunawardana. The diversity of midgut bacteria among wild caught Phlebotomus argentipes (Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), the vector of Leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka. BioMed Research International.
Volume 2020, Article ID 5458063.
74th Annual Sessions of the Sri Lanka Association for Advancement of Science, Sri Lanka.
2025
University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
A combined sterile insect technique (SIT) and a Wolbachia-based approach (Incompatible Insect Technique, IIT) as an additional tool in the integrated dengue vector control for control of Aedes albopictus population in Sri Lanka.
Peradeniya University International Research Sessions, Sri Lanka
2025
Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka
Establishment and maintenance of laboratory colonies of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
WHO/TDR Crowdfunding capacity building workshop
2025
Geneva, Switzerland
BioVision, the World Life Sciences Forum
2025
Lyon, France
2nd National Symposium of Current Research Activities on Dengue
2025
Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya
Biological Modelling
2025
RACP, University of Kelaniya
Effective Research Proposal Writing
2025
Research Division of the National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka
Sampling, Identification and Preservation of Mosquitoes
2025
Institute of Biology, at University of Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka