Biography

Prof. K.G. Imendra is the Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at University of Ruhuna since March 09, 2019. He was the former Head of the Department of Nursing. He started his academic career as a probationary lecturer in the Department of Physiology of Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna and later became a Senior Lecturer in the same Department. After serving for a short period as a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences of University of Peradeniya in 2008, He again joined the Allied Health Sciences program of Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna in 2009. Prof. K.G. Imendra graduated with a Second Class Honors in Bachelor of Dental Surgery and completed his Ph.D. at University of Nagasaki in Japan. His research interest focuses on changes of taste in disease and job satisfaction, improvement of standard and quality of nursing profession. He has published/ presented his research findings in international journals and conferences.

Course/Modules Teaching for undergraduates

• Human Physiology

Administrative Positions

• Dean of the Faculty – Faculty of Allied Health Sciences
• Senior Lecturer Grade II, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, 2008-2009
• Senior Lecturer Grade II, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna 2003 - 2007.
• Probationary Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, 1995 – 2003
• Senior House Officer, Dental Institute, National Hospital, Colombo 1991 -1995
• House Officer, Dental Institute, National Hospital, Colombo 1990 -1991

Research and Publications

Present Research Interests

• Changes of taste in disease
• Job satisfaction, improvement of standard and quality of nursing profession

Research Publications (full paper)

• Utilization pattern of Self Medication among Allied Health Undergraduates with focus on Knowledge and Attitudes N Rathnayake, T Abeygunasekara, K de Silva, S Karunanayake and KG Imendra 9 th international Research Conference, KDU, 2016.
• Job satisfaction among nurses in Teaching Hospitals Karapitiya and Mahamodara K G Imendra1, L Uduwilarachchi 2, W G C Kumara3 KDU International Research Symposium–2014.
• High extracellular Ca2+ stimulates Ca2+-activated Cl- currents in frog parathyroid cells through the mediation of arachidonic acid cascade. Okada Y, Imendra KG, Miyazaki T, Hotokezaka H, Fujiyama R, Toda K. PLoS One. 2011 Apr 29;6(4):e19158.
• Significant correlation of hepatic ISI with BMI/BW after short term pioglitazone therapy via triglyceride metabolism in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Lukshmy M. Hettihewa, Lalith P. Dharmasiri Journal of Diabetes and Endocrinology Vol. 2(1), pp. 8-13, January 2011.
• Remission of diabetes mellitus after treatment with pioglitazone SS Jayasinghe, LM Hettihewa, SW Gunasekara1, S Palangasinghe1, KG Imendra, TP Weerarathna, Galle Medical Journal, 2009.
• Correlation between changes of blood pressure with insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus with 4 weeks of pioglitazone therapy. Hettihewa LM, Jayasinghe SS, Imendra KG, Weerarathna TP. Int J Diabetes DevCtries. 2008 Jan;28(1):26-30. doi: 10.4103/0973-3930.41983.
• A calcium-receptor agonist induces gustatory neural responses in bullfrogs. Okada Y, Imendra KG, Miyazaki T, Hotokezaka H, Fujiyama R, Zeredo JL, Toda K. Cell MolNeurobiol. 2007 Sep;27(6):771-81. Epub 2007 Jul 17.
• Significant correlation between BMI/BW with insulin resistance by McAuley, HOMA and QUICKI indices after 3 months of pioglitazone in diabetic population Lukshmy M. Hettihewa, Lalith P. Dharmasiri, Chamil D. Ariyaratne, Sudheera S. Jayasinghe,Thilak P. Weerarathna, Imendra G. Kotapola International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries July 2007.
• Correlation between BMI and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients on pioglitazone treatment Lukshmy M Hettihewa , Lalith P Dharmasiri , Chamil D Ariyaratne , Sudheera S Jayasinghe , Thilak P Weerarathna , Imendra G Kotapola Galle Medical Journal, Vol. 12: No.1, September 2007.
• Lipid abnormalities in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Sri Lanka Lukshmy Menik Hettihewa , Sudari Wijewickrama Gunasekera , Sudheera Sammanthi Jayasinghe , Shalika Palangasinghe , Thilak Priyantha Weerarathna , Imendra Kotapola Galle Medical Journal, Vol. 12: No.1, September 2007
• Biophysical properties of voltage-gated Na+ channels in frog parathyroid cells and their modulation by cannabinoids Yukio Okada, Kotapola G. Imendra, Toshihiro Miyazaki, Hitoshi Hotokezaka, Rie Fujiyama, Jorge L. Zeredo, Takenori Miyamoto and Kazuo Toda The Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 4747-4756, 2006.
• Genetic association between insulin resistance and total cholesterol in type 2 diabetes mellitus Hettihewa Lukshmy Menik, Jayasinghe Sudheera Sammanthi, Weeraratna Tilak Priyantha, Gunasekara Sudahari Wijewickrama, Palangasingha Shalika, Imendra Kotapola Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences Vol 4, 2005.
• Serotonin Differentially Modulates the Electrical Properties of Different Subsets of Taste Receptor Cells in Bullfrog K. G. Imendra, T. Miyamoto, Y. Okada, M. and K. Toda European Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 16, 2002.
• Serotonin Inhibits Voltage-gated Sodium Current by Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate-Dependent Mechanism in Bullfrog Taste Receptor Cells K. G. Imendra, R. Fujiyama, T. Miyamoto, Y. Okada and T. Sato Neuroscience Letters 294, 2000 Nov 24;294(3):151-4.

Published abstracts of oral presentations

• Effects of acetic acid on intracellular Ca2+ concentration in bullfrog taste disc cells K. G. Imendra, T. Miyamoto, Y. Okada, M. kosuke and K. Toda Japanese Journal of Taste and Smell. Vol. 9 No. 3, 531-534, 2002.
• Modification of rat chorda tympani responses by cardiovascular medications T. Miyamoto, K. G. Imendra, R. Fujiyama, Y. Okada and T. Sato Japanese Journal of Taste and Smell. 2002.
• Assessment of knowledge and practice about oral hygiene among mothers of preschool children Imendra KG, D. W. A. J. Chathurangika Oral presentation, Annual Sessions, Sri Lanka Dental Association, 2014.
• Perceived Stress in 2nd MBBS Medical Students two Weeks Prior to the Examination Somasiri KG, Jayawardene AJPM, Gunawardena S, ImendraKG, Oral presentation, Kandy Society of Medicine, 2007.
• How sensitive are the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome of the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) in detecting Sri Lankan diabetic subjects with Insulin Resistance? TP Weerarathna, LM Hettihewa, KG Imendra, Oral presentation, Annual Academic Sessions of College of Physicians, September 2005.

Published abstracts of poster presentations

• Knowledge and practices among school teachers in Thambuththegama educational division on suitable first aid needed at a trautaic event to prevent spinal cord complications Weerakoon WMNP, Gamage NK, Imendra KG 3rd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Approaches 2016.
• Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices regarding Contraceptives among Tea Estate Workers in Hiniduma Area in Galle, Sri Lanka T Mirihagalla, K Imendra and T Sundarapperuma KDU International Research Conference - 9 2016.
• Prevalence of insulin resistance in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus by different assessment methods Weerarathna TP, Hettihewa LM, Imendra KG Poster presentation, March SLMA 2005.
• Effects of different regimes of Oral Hypoglycemic Agents on Indices of Insulin Resistance in patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Hettihewa LM, Weerarathna TP, Imendra KG, Oral presentation, Annual Academic Sessions of College of Physicians September 2005.
• Dual effects of serotonin on the intracellular calcium concentration in taste receptor cells of bullfrog KG Imendra, Takenori Miyamoto, Yukio Okada, Kazuo Toda 24th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, Kyoto, Neurosci Res 25, 2001.
• Serotonin Inhibits Voltage-gated Sodium Current by Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate-Dependent Mechanism in Bullfrog Taste Receptor Cells K. G. Imendra, R. Fujiyama, T. Miyamoto, Y. Okada and T. Sato Neuroscience Letters 294, 2000.

Membership of professional associations

• Life member, Sri Lanka Dental Association
• Life member, Physiological Society of Sri lanka