Teaching

• Adjunct Associate Lecturer, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Australia (2021- present)

• Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (2012-present)

• Sessional Academic Staff (Casual), School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Australia (2016-2020)

• Problem Based Learning Facilitator (Casual academic), School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Australia (2016)

• Casual Lecturer in Musculoskeletal Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Australia (2016)

• Temporary Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (2011-2012)




Research

• Research Assistant (part-time), School Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle (2018-2020)

• Research Assistant (casual), School Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle| Hunter Medical Research Institute, Australia (2016, 2019-2020)

• Research Content Advisor, BSc Physiotherapy module PT4070, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle (2018-2019)

• Peradeniya University Research Session (PURSE) Organizing Committees (2013-14)

Member


• Cochrane Member

• COVID19-International Task Force- core team

• Sri Lanka Medical Council

• The Ceylon Medical College Council (proficiency as a Physiotherapist)

• Sri Lanka Society of Physiotherapists


Awards


• Irish Health Service Executive (SHE) Open Access Research Awards 2020 (applied by Dónal O'Mathúna)

• Faculty of Health and Medicine Grant in Aid, The University of Newcastle

• Travel Grant (RHD), School of Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle for International Ankle Symposium, Amsterdam (2019)

• UON Graduate Research funded position in the Premium PhD 2 Postdoc course, The University of Newcastle (2019)

• Travel Grant (RHD), School of Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle for WCPT congress, Geneva (2018)

• Travel Grant (RHD), School of Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle for APA conference, Sydney (2017)

• Travel Grant (RHD), School of Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle for SMA conference, Melbourne (2016)

• University of Newcastle IPRS (International Postgraduate Research Scholarship) and APA (Australian Postgraduate Awards) Scholarships (2015)

• Travel Grant of International Research Centre, University of Peradeniya (for 13th AFSM Congress at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2013)

• Peace building & Education programme for SAARC emerging leaders- Peace building explorer Scholarship for the programme, Nepal (2012, declined)

• Evidence synthesis

• Systematic Reviews

• Scoping Reviews

• Physical Activity

• Chronic Diseases

2021
• Downs, C., Snodgrass, S. J., Weerasekara, I., Valkenborghs, S. R., & Callister, R. (2021). Injuries in Netball-A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine - Open, 7(1), 3.

2020

• Weerasekara, I., Osmotherly, P. G., Snodgrass, S., Tessier, J., & Rivett, D. A. (2020). Is the fibula positioned anteriorly in weight-bearing in individuals with chronic ankle instability? A case control study. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 1-8.

• Borges do Nascimento, I. J., von Groote, T. C., O'Mathúna, D. P., Abdulazeem, H. M., Henderson, C., Jayarajah, U., Weerasekara, I., . . . Jeroncic, A. (2020). Clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics and outcomes of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection in humans: A systematic review and series of meta-analyses. PloS one, 15(9) (Irish Health Service Executive (SHE) Open Access Research Awards 2020)

• Borges do Nascimento, I. J., Marušić, A., Ćaćić, N., Abdulazeem, H., Abdar Esfahani, M., Jayarajah, U., Jeroncic, A., von Groote, T., Civile, V., Junior, N., Weerasekara, I., Poklepović Peričić, T., Zakarija-Grkovic, I., Guimaraes, S., Bragazzi, N., Sofi-Mahmudi, A., Tian, M., Arcani, D. M. C., & Marcolino, M. S. (2020). Novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in humans: a scoping review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine 9 (4), 941

• Weerasekara I, Deam H, Bamborough N, Brown S, Donnelly J, Thorp N, Rivett DA: Effect of Mobilisation with Movement (MWM) on clinical outcomes in lateral ankle sprains: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Foot 2020, 43:101657.

• English, C., Weerasekara, I., Carlos, A., Chastin, S., Crowfoot, G., Fitzsimons, C., Holliday, E., Janssen, H. C., Mackie, P., Mead G. & Dunstan, D. (2020). Investigating the rigour of research findings in experimental studies assessing the effects of breaking up prolonged sitting - extended scoping review. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy [published online ahead of print]


2019

• Mackie P, Weerasekara I, Crowfoot G, Janssen H, Holliday E, Dunstan D, English C: What is the effect of interrupting prolonged sitting with frequent bouts of physical activity or standing on first or recurrent stroke risk factors? A scoping review. PLOS ONE 2019, 14(6):e0217981.

• Weerasekara I, Osmotherly PG, Snodgrass SJ, Tessier J, Rivett DA: Effects of mobilisation with movement (MWM) on anatomical and clinical characteristics of chronic ankle instability: a randomised controlled trial protocol. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2019, 20(1):75.

• Weerasekara I, Tennakoon SUB, Suraweera HJ: Pain Level, Range of Motion, and Foot Volume Do Not Differ in Recurrent and First-Time Ankle Sprains. Foot & Ankle Specialist 2019:1938640019843331.

• Zwiers R, Dobbe J, Streekstra G, Blankevoort L, Wiegerinck J, Maas M, ... Weerasekara, I. et al. Exorotated radiographic views have additional diagnostic value in detecting an osseous impediment in patients with posterior ankle impingement. Journal of ISAKOS: Joint Disorders & Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (BMJ journals). 2019: jisakos-2019-000272. (On behalf of the Ankle Platform Study Group)


2018

• Weerasekara I, Osmotherly P, Snodgrass S, Marquez J, de Zoete R, Rivett DA: Clinical benefits of joint mobilization on ankle sprains: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2018, 99(7):1395-1412.e1395.

• Marquez J, Weerasekara I, Chambers L: Hippotherapy in adults with acquired brain injury: A systematic review. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 2018:1-12.

• Hunter DJ, Rivett DA, McKiernan S, Weerasekara I, Snodgrass SJ: Is the inclinometer a valid measure of thoracic kyphosis? A cross-sectional study. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy 2018.


2017

• Weerasekara I, Hiller CE: Chronic musculoskeletal ankle disorders in Sri Lanka. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2017, 18:219.


2016

• Weerasekara I, Tennakoon SUB and Suraweera HJ (2016). Contrast therapy and heat therapy in subacute stage of grade i and ii lateral ankle sprains. Foot & Ankle Specialist 9(4): 307-323.

Books

• Home Exercise Guide for Ankle Sprain (2014), LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany    view article

Peer Review

• Journals: Sports Biomechanics (tandofonline), British Medical Journals (BMJ), Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports (Elsevier), Clinical Biomechanics (Elsevier), Physiotherapy Theory and Practice (Taylor & Francis), Nutrients (MDPI), Foot & Ankle Specialist (SAGE publishers), Journal of Foot and Ankle Research (Springs Nature), Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (IOS press), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (Taylor & Francis)

• Conferences: WCPT Congress 2019 (Geneva, Switzerland), WCPT Congress 2021 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

• Awards: The Global Undergraduate Awards 2020

Collaborations

• COVID-19 International Task Force

• Cochrane Croatia International Mobility Programme

• University of Exter, UK; University of Oxford, UK; Loughborough University, UK; University of Nottingham, UK; The University of Newcastle, The University of Sydney, Australia, The University of Sydney, Australia; University College Dublin, Ireland; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States

• Ankle Platform Study Collaborative – Science of Variation Group