Biography

Ms Kanchana Wijesekera received a BSc (Honours Second Class Upper) degree in chemistry from University of Sri Jayewardenepura (2010). She worked as a research assistant and a demonstrator in the Department of Chemistry in the same University from 2010 to 2011. She started working as a Lecturer (Probationary) in the BPharm Degree Program of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna in October 2011. She was awarded with the prestigious Chulabhorn Graduate Institute – ASEAN Foundation Joint Post-graduate Scholarship for Master of Science degree in Chemical Biology at the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Bangkok, Thailand. She had completed her Master degree in the field of natural products chemistry with special attention to endophytes under the supervision of Prof. Prasat Kittakoop. Upon completion of her degree she resumed duties and was promoted to the post of Senior Lecturer (Gr II) in the year 2016. Since being recruited back in University of Ruhuna in 2016 her research has involved: (i) isolation and structure elucidation of novel organic metabolites produced by endophytes and marine organisms with ID and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (ii) activity guided isolation of natural products (iii) pharmaceutical formulation

Course/Modules Teaching for undergraduates

• Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy
• Pharmaceutical Analysis
• Advanced Medicinal Chemistry

Administrative positions

• Senate representative of the Faculty
• Faculty Representative - CINTA
• Member – Steering Committee Coordinator and resource person of the new degree programs (BSc Honors Public Health, Health Technology and Health Interventional Therapy) of the Faculty
• Convener – Faculty Research Committee
• Member – IQAC/FAHS
• Member – CD & EC/FAHS
• Member – Library and IT
• Committee/FAHS
• Member – Ethics
• Committee/FAHS
• Member – IT Committee of SLUG 2019
• IP – Social, Media and Logistics Committee - RuFARS 2019
• Member – Editorial BoardRuFARS 2019
• Member – Registration and Opening Ceremony Committee
• Member – Fund Raising Committee RuFARS 2019

Research and publications

Present research interests

Isolation and structure elucidation of novel organic metabolites produced by endophytes and marine organisms with ID and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Activity guided isolation of natural products

Pharmaceutical Formulation

Special awards and prizes

• Chulabhorn Graduate Institute – ASEAN Foundation Joint Post-graduate Scholarship for Master of Science degree in Chemical Biology

Research publications(full paper)

• Wijesekera, K., Mahidol, C., Ruchirawat, S., & Kittakoop, P. (2017). Metabolite diversification by cultivation of the endophytic fungus Dothideomycete sp. in halogen containing media: Cultivation of terrestrial fungus in seawater. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry, 25(11), 2868-2877.
• Bag, B. G., Barai, A. C., Wijesekera, K., & Kittakoop, P. (2017). First Vesicular Self-Assembly of Crotocembraneic Acid, a Nano-Sized Fourteen Membered Macrocyclic Diterpenic Acid. ChemistrySelect, 2(17), 4969-4973.
• Wijesekera, K. (2017). A bioactive diterpene; Nasimalun A from Croton oblongifolius Roxb. Prayogik Rasayan, 1(2), 41-44.
• Wijesekera, K. (2017). Cembrane type diterpenoids from the leaves of Croton oblongifolius Roxb. and their bioactivities. Ruhuna Journal of Medicine, 5(1), 7-11.
• Ghorai, S., Wijesekera, K.D., Napagoda, M.T., Bag, B.G. (2018). Critical vesicular concentration (CVC) of arjunolic acid in DMSO-water using hydrophobic pyrene as a fluorescent probe. Prayogik Rasayan, 2(1), 24-27.
• Panja, S.K., Wijesekera, K.D., Napagoda, M.T., Bag, B.G. (2018). Determination of critical vesicular concentration (CVC) of nano-sized oleanolic acid by using hydrophobic pyerene as a fluorescence probe. 2(2), 5-8.
• Nawarathne, N. W., Wijesekera, K., Wijayaratne, W. M. D. G. B., & Napagoda, M. (2019). Development of Novel Topical Cosmeceutical Formulations from Nigella sativa L. with Antimicrobial Activity against Acne-Causing Microorganisms. The Scientific World Journal, 2019.

Published abstracts of oral presentations

• Wijesekera, K. (2017). A potent antibacterial agent (-)- hardwickii acid from the leaves of Croton oblongifolius Roxb. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2017, p121-122.
• Nawarathne, N.W., Wijesekera, K., Napagoda, M.T., Wijayaratne, G.B. (2018). Formulation and in vitro evaluation of a face gel with seed extract of Nigella sativa L. for acne vulgaris. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Ayurveda and Indigenous Medicine 2018, p41.
• Niranga, E.K.S., Wijesekera, K., Wijayaratne, G.B., Napagoda, M.T. (2018). Antibacterial screening of chromatographic fractions from leave dichloromethane crude extract of Ziziphus jujuba (masan). Proceedings of the International Symposium on Ayurveda and Indigenous Medicine 2018, p47.
• Nawarathne, N.W., Wijesekera, K.D.*, Napagoda, M.T., Wijayaratne, G.B. (2018). Formulation and in vitro evaluation of a face gel with seed extracts of Coriandrum sativum L. for acne vulgaris. Proceedings of the 01st Research Symposium, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Ruhuna 2018, p27.
• Niranga E.K.S., Wijesekera K., Napagoda M.T., Wijayaratne G.B. (2018). Antibacterial Screening of Chromatographic Fractions from Dichloromethane Crude Extract of Leaves of Croton tiglium (Japala). Proceedings of the 01st Research Symposium, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Ruhuna 2018, p29.
• Nawarathne, N.W., Napagoda, M.T., Wijayaratne, G.B., Wijesekera, K.D. Anti-bacterial activity of novel gel formulations prepared with seed extracts of Coriandrum sativum L. and Nigella sativa L. against Staphylococcus aureus. Proceedings of the 06th Ruhuna International Science and Technology Conference (RISTCON) 2019, Sri Lanka, p55.

Published abstracts of poster presentations

• Wijesekera, K., Ruchirawat, S., & Kittakoop, P. (2015). Bioactive diterpenes from leaves of Croton oblongifolius Roxb. Proceedings of the Trends in Research on Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT-PERDO) 2015, p45-49
• Nawarathne, N.W., Napagoda, M.T., Wijayaratne, G.B., Wijesekera, K.D.. (2018). Anti-bacterial activity of seed extracts of Coriandrum sativum L. and Nigella sativa L. against Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus. Proceedings of the 16th Asian Symposium on Medicinal Plants, Spices and other Natural Products (ASOMPS XVI) 2018, Sri Lanka, p227
• Niranga, E.K.S., Napagoda, M.T., Wijayaratne, G.B., Wijesekera, K.D., (2018). Antibacterial activity of different solvent extracts of leaves of Croton tiglium and Ziziphus jujuba. Proceedings of the 16th Asian Symposium on Medicinal Plants, Spices and other Natural Products (ASOMPS XVI) 2018, Sri Lanka, p223.
• Wijesekera, K. (2018). A potent aromatase inhibitor from the leaves of Croton oblongifolius Roxb. 15th Academic Sessions, University of Ruhuna 2018, p31.
• Cooray, B.P.R., Hettihewa, L.M, Wijesekera, K. (2015). Comparison study of parenteral antibiotics prescribed in a tertiary care health facility in southern province, Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the International Conference of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines (ICPAM) 2015, Thailand, p55.

Editorial contribution

• Member of the Editorial Committee – 2 nd research symposium of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (RuFARS 2019)