Please tell us where you are from (brief details of your country, state/province, and town/village.

I hail from Gampola, situated in the Kandy District, Central Province, Sri Lanka. Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is a tropical island. Gampola was once the capital of the island during the mid-fourteenth century. The Central Province is one of the most attractive provinces to foreigners due to its diverse wildlife, historical and religious sites (Temple of the Tooth), numerous waterfalls, and stunning mountains. In terms of demographics, Gampola is home to a mix of communities.

Tell us about your work at UB chemistry. 

I am a 4th year PhD student advised by Dr. Diana Aga. My work focuses on developing sensitive analytical methods for blood analysis of heavy metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).  I am using several analytical approaches, including combustion ion chromatography (CIC), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography coupled to ion mobility separation with the time of flight (LC-IMS/QToF), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), to explore contaminant analysis in human blood.

Tell us more about yourself and your story.

During my high school years, my fascination with the STEM field began to blossom. Despite the challenges posed by limited resources in Sri Lankan state universities, I was fortunate to be among the approximately 20% of students who secured admission. My journey led me to the esteemed University of Sri Jayewardenepura, where I pursued my passion for Chemistry and earned a B.Sc. degree.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Champa Jayaweera, despite the constraints on research facilities, my undergraduate research in analytical chemistry ignited a profound passion within me. Dr. Jayaweera's guidance not only motivated me to explore the field of analytical chemistry further but also instilled in me a desire to pursue higher studies. This fueled my ambition to further my career in analytical chemistry, ultimately leading me to join Dr. Aga's group at the University at Buffalo to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry.