Biography

I joined the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences in 2009 as a lecturer in nursing after 10 years of work at the Ministry of Health as a nursing officer and a tutor. I graduated from the Open University of Sri Lanka in 2008 with a BSc in nursing degree with honors, and completed my M Phil at University of Ruhuna and PhD in Nursing at University Sarawak Malaysia in 2021. I have 14 years of experience as an academic member in nursing and as a visiting lecturer and examiner for other universities and Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka. Heath education and promotion, fundamentals of research in nursing, pediatric nursing and clinical nursing are my teaching areas. I have been involved in nursing research in the fields of aging, mental health, NCD and health services. I have published many papers and presented abstracts in several national and international journals and scientific conferences. I was awarded the best presenter award in a number of conferences. I have mastered a number of statistical data analysing packages including SPSS and AMOS and have a good ability in quantitative data analysis. I have more than 10 years of administrative and management experience in nursing in the government health sector and in the university sector. I have also been involved in curriculum development, program reviewing and accreditation activities in nursing and other Allied Health Science degree programmes. I also have been working as research project coordinator, course unit coordinator, ethics committee member and as the deputy senior student counsellor. Currently, I am working as the Head of the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences.

Research and Publications

Present Research Interests

Older care, health service research, Health promotion, Nursing education

Research Publications (full paper)

• Wickramarachchi, B., Torabi, M. R., & Perera, B. (2023). Effects of Physical Activity on Physical Fitness and Functional Ability in Older Adults. Gerontology & geriatric medicine, 9, 23337214231158476. https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214231158476
• Wickramarachchi, B.I., Siop, S.J. & Perera, B. (2022). Associated factors of doctor visits made by urban-dwelling older adults in Sri Lanka: an application of Anderson’s model of health service utilization. BMC Geriatric, 22(571): https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03249-3.
• Wickramarachchi, B., Siop S., & Perera, B. (2021). Sinhalese Version of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Reliability and Validity. Aging and Health Research, 1 (1): 100016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahr.2021.100016.
• Wickramarachchi, B. I., Siop, S. J., & Perera, B. (2021). Personal Determinants for Physical Activity Behavior of Urban-Dwelling Older Adults in Sri Lanka. Gerontology & geriatric medicine, 7, 23337214211023684. https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214211023684
• Wickramarachchi B, Siop S., Perera, B. (2020). Physical Activity of Urban- Dwelling Older People in Sri Lanka. Indian Journal of Community Health. 32(4):717-721. https://doi.org/10.47203/IJCH.2020.v32i04.018
• Perera, B., Wickramarachchi, B., Samanmalie C, Hettiarachchi M. (2021). Psychological experiences of healthcare professionals in Sri Lanka during COVID-19. BMC Psycholgy. 2021 Mar 24;9(1):49. doi: 10.1186/s40359-021-00526-5.
• Perera, B., Fernando, N., Perera, R., & Wickramarachchi, B. (2019). Non-communicable disease burden and quality of life of selected group of older people in Galle, Sri Lanka. Galle Medical Journal, 24(2), 5-10.doi: https://doi.org/10.4038/gmj.v24i2.7993
• Perera, B., Fernando, S., Perera, R., & Wickramarachchi, B. (2017). Generative concern; a promising health promotion component for wellbeing of the elderly in Galle, Sri Lanka. Galle Medical Journal, 22(2), 6-10.DOI: https://doi.org/10.4038/gmj.v22i2.7968

Published Abstracts of Oral Presentations

• Wickramarachchi, B., Siop, S, Perera, B., Perera, R., The role of physical activity on physical fitness and functional ability in community-dwelling older people in Western Sri Lanka: A structural equation model. 4th Research Symposium of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences University of Ruhuna, 26th August 2021.
• Wickramarachchi B.I., Gamage M.W.K., Perera, R. and Perera, B. (2018), Cognitive ability and Physical activity behaviour of elders in Galle, Proceedings of International Mental Health Nursing Conference National Institute of Mental Health, Sri Lanka, pp. 40, 19-21 July 2018.
• Wickramarachchi, B., Samanmalie, C., Hettiarachchi, M., Perera B,. Nurses experience of the availability of personal protective equipment and depressive symptoms during COVID 19: points to ponder. National Conference on COVID 19: Impact, Mitigation, Opportunities and Building Resilience THEME: “From Adversity to Serendipity” 27th-28th January 2021 | BMICH, Colombo
• Perera, B., Wickramarachchi, B., Ramani, P., (2018). Generativity, self-rated health and smoking behaviour of older people in Sri Lanka, 17th world conference on Tobacco or Health, 1th -9th March 2018. Cape town, South Africa.
• Wickramarachchi, B, I., Hettiarachchi M., Perera, B., 2013. The effectiveness of a health education programme designed for Public Health Midwives (PHMs) on screening for Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH), Southern Sri Lanka. 11th Academic Sessions, University of Ruhuna.
• Perera, B., Wickramarachchi, B., Ramani, P., (2020). Age-friendly communities in Sri Lanka: less dependency and more social interactions are imperative to have successful ageing British Society of Gerontology, 49th Annual conference.
• Perera, B., Wickramarachchi, B., A comparative study of barriers in controlling type 2 diabetes in Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, APHA’s 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo, November 2 to November 6, Philadelphia.
• Wickramarachchi et, al, 2019. Factors associated with physical activity behaviour in older people in urban community, ICOPE 2019, Malaysia.
• Wickramarachchi, B. I., Siop S., Perera B. (2020). Sinhala Version of Global Physical Activity Questionnaire; Reliability and Validity. International Virtual Conference on Public Health. 28th August 2020.
• Kaushalya, H.H.S., Ponnamperuma, T., Wickramarachchi, B. (2017). Post traumatic Stress Symptoms among Adolescents, Who were Exposed to Ammunition Deport Balst; Salawa - Sri Lanka. 10th International Research Conference, Kothalawala Defence University (2017).
• Perera, B., Fernando, S., Perera, R., Wickramarachchi, B. I. (2016). Generative behavior and psychological health among older people in Galle, Sri Lanka. 3rd Ruhuna International Science & Technology Conference, University of Ruhuna.
• Perera, B., Torabi, M., Wickramarachchi, B. (2017). Disseminating qualitative research findings: Heterogeneous returns to health of older people. APHA 2017 Annual Meeting and Exopo, 4th November – 2nd November 2016.
• Perera, B., Torabi, M., Wickramarachchi, B. (2017). Availability and accessibility to counseling services in sexual matters: Do adolescents in Sri Lanka have this basic right?. APHA 2017 Annual Meeting and Exopo, 4th November – 2nd November 2016.
• Jayasinghe, J. D. D. H., De Silva, A., Wickramarachchi, B. I. Mothers’ knowledge on developmental Millstones of infants in Bope-Poddala MoH area, 6th Academic sessions of the faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Galle.
• Perera, B., Torabi, M., Wickramarachchi, B. (2016). Use of culture and the built environment in motivating older adults’ for physical activity. – The 6th international congress on Physical Activity and Public Health (ISPAH), Bankook. Thailand.
• Perera, B., Torabi, M., Wickramarachchi, B. (2016). Sri Lankan older adults’ experiences and views on access and right to health, APHA 2016 Annual Meeting and Exopo, 29th October – 2nd November 2016.
• Wickramarachchi, B. I., Hettiarachchi. M., Perera, B.,Liyanage, C., 2015. System barriers in diffusion of innovation: a case in promoting newborn screening behavior in postnatal mothers. 3rd Academic sessions of the faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Galle.
• Perera, B., Wickramarachchi, B., Thathsarani, D., Fernando, N., 2012. Factors associated with Health and well-being of Elder in Southern Sri Lanka. Jaffna University International Research Conference.
• Perera, B., Fernando, N., Wickramarachchi, B., Torabi., M., Prevalence of and factors associated with non-communication diseases in the elderly in Sri Lanka. 12th Global conference on Ageing, Hyderabad. India.
• Perera, B., Fernando, N., Wickramarachchi, B., Obstbye, T., Maselko, J. (2014). Correlates of cognitive impairment among the Sri Lankan elderly. 12th Global conference on Ageing, Hyderabad. India.
• Perera, B., Ranabahu, S., Wickramarachchi, B. (2012). Østbye T, Maselko J. Perceived Social support, distress and suicidal ideation among elders in Sri Lanka. International Congress on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine 2012, New Delhi, India, 27-29 February 2012.

Published Abstracts of Poster Presentations

• Wickramarachchi, B., Siop, S. (2017). Physical Activity status of the elderly population in Sri Lanka: Literature Review. The 5th International Health Literacy and population health conference, Malaya University, Malaysia.
• Wickramarachchi, B., Perera, B. (2017). Treatments seeking behavior of the elderly in Galle, Sri Lanka for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD). The 5th International Health Literacy and population health conference, Malaya University, Malaysia.

Membership of professional associations

• Graduate nurses foundation Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka Nurses association