Faculty of Allied Health Science| Dr. Imalka U.P.Tennakoon

Education Qualification

PhD (Queensland University of Technology, Australia, 2015)

B.Sc. Special in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology (University of Peradeniya,2007)

Appointments (Selected)

Head of the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya from 2024 to the present.
Member of the faculty library committee 2019
Member of the faculty publication committee 2019
Sectional editor for the Sri Lankan Journal of Health Sciences from 2021 to the present.
Secretary of the University of Peradeniya committee to monitor sexual and gender- based violence (SGBVC) from 2023 to the present.
Member of the University of Peradeniya committee to monitor sexual and gender- based violence (SGBVC) from 2018 to the present.
Conference Chair, Sri Lankan Society for Microbiology (SSM) Annual Scientific sessions and conference, 2023.
QA tier 1 writer for standard 1- Institutional review 2023, University of Peradeniya.
Senior Lecturer (Grade I) from 2022 to the present.
Chairperson, Faculty English Committee from 2019 to present.
Member of the Faculty Library Committee from 2019 to present.
Member of the faculty publication committee from 2019 to present.
Board of Management member, University Pharmacy (Joint project of the University of Peradeniya and State Pharmaceutical Corporations (SPC), Sri Lanka). From 2019 - 2021 and from 2024 to the present.
Member of the Editorial subcommittee, Peradeniya University International Research Sessions (iPURSE)-2021
Senior Student Counselor 2018,2019,2020,2021
Member of University of Peradeniya committee to monitor sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) 2018, 2019,2020,2021
Faculty representative, International affairs office 2018,2019,2020
Member of the Editorial subcommittee, Peradeniya University International Research Sessions (iPURSE)-2019
Member of the faculty library committee 2019,2020,2021
Member of the faculty publication committee 2019,2020,2021
Chairperson, Advertising and Fundraising sub committee, iPURSE 2017
Member of the editorial board of the Hanthana Vision Research magazine 2018,2019,2020,2021
Sessional academic, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Australia (2013-2015)
Sessional Academic, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Australia (2014)
Member of the Faculty Ethical Committee-2011
Faculty representative for the Programme and Registration subcommittee, Peradeniya University Research Sessions (PURSE) - 2010
Member of the Technical Evaluation Committee 2010, Department of Pharmacy
Lecturer in charge of the Department ofPharmacy from 2010-2012, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya

Memberships / Awards

Council member of Sri Lankan Society for Microbiology (SLSM) 2020/2021
Member of the Sri Lankan Society for Microbiology (SLSM) since 2017
Member of the Australian Society for Microbiology, Australia
International Post Graduate Research Scholarship (IPRS), 2012-2015)
Australian Post graduate Award (APA), 2012-2015
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI/Australia) top up scholarship, 2012-2015
Top ranked undergraduate student in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology 2007
Award of Academic excellence 2007 University of Peradeniya

Research Interests

Pharmaceutical Microbiology
Molecular Microbiology
Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
Sri Lankan honey and its therapeutic applications

Research Publication(Recent)

Ranasinghe R.A.D.M.., Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., “Antibacterial activity of a laboratory made cosmetic cream Vs marketed creams containing bee honey”, accepted as a conference abstract in Annual Proceedings of the Sri Lankan Society for Sri Lankan Society (October 2021)
Jiffry N., Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., “In vitro antimicrobial activity of Sri Lankan raw bee honey with turmeric”, Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases 2021 Vol 11 (Supplement) S2:21, DOI : http://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v11i0.8384
Thayananthan A., Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., “Environmental microbial contaminants in selected retail pharmacies of Sri Lanka”, Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases 2021 Vol 11 (Supplement) S2:18, DOI : http://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v11i0.8381
Premarathne H.B.C.M, Madushani J.S., .Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., Sudeshika T. , “Prevalence of Headaches Among Undergraduatesin Sri Lanka: Cross-Sectional Analysis”, DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-75577/v1 (preprint)
Vinodini L.P.S., Amarasinghe N.R., Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., “Determination of the biological profiles of Sri Lankan raw honey”, Proceedings of the faculty of allied health sciences undergraduate research sessions 2019,volume 1, 17th June 2019
Bandara G.Y.M.H., Herath H.M.D.R., Amarasinghe N.R., Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., “Formulation characterization and evaluation of anti-inflammatory cream incorporating Carica papaya L. leaf extract”, Proceedings of the faculty of allied health sciences undergraduate research sessions 2019,volume 1, 17th June 2019
Madushan T.G.A., Athukorala A.D.S.N.P., Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., Gama-Arachchige N.S., “Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of a probiotic strain isolated from a commercial probiotic supplement”,Proceedings of the faculty of allied health sciences undergraduate research sessions 2019,volume 1, 17th June 2019
W.M.S.N.Warnasooriya and Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., “Determination of physical and chemical profiles of raw honey varieties in Sri Lanka”,Asian symposium on medicinal plants, spices and other natural products XVI (ASOMPS XVI 2018),12-14 December 2018
Jayakody J.A.D.T and Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K., “Determining the awareness of pharmacists on microbial spoilage of non-sterile pharmaceuticals during dispensing and storage”,Peradeniya University International Research Sessions (iPURSE) 2017,24th November 2017,volume 21,ISBN 978-955-589-240-7
Sivananthan R. and Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K.,”Determination of the usage of Sri Lankan honey in Sri Lankan healthcare system”, 2017
Manthreerathne P.M.A.T. and Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K.,”Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices about Burping in babies among pregnant women in Teaching hospital-Kandy”,Peradeniya University
International Research Sessions (iPURSE) 2017,24th November 2017,volume 21,ISBN 978-955-589-240-7
Abayagunawardhana I.N. and Tennakoon T.M.I.U.K.,”Determination of knowledge and perceptions of postnatal mothers regarding the use of pacifiers in the Teaching hospital, Kandy”,Peradeniya University International Research Sessions (iPURSE) 2017,24th November 2017,volume 21,ISBN 978-955-589-240-7
Broadbent, James & Broszczak, Daniel & Tennakoon, Imalka & Huygens, Flavia. (2016). “Pan-proteomics, a concept for unifying quantitative proteome measurements when comparing closely-related bacterial strains”. Expert review of proteomics. 13. 10.1586/14789450.2016.1155986.
Imalka Tennakoon, James A. Broadbent, Kenneth Beagley, Flavia Huygens, "Comparative analysis of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using a novel proteomic approach", 43rd Annual Scientific Meeting of Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM 2015), 12-15th July 2015, Canberra, Australia (Poster presentation).
Imalka U K Tennakoon, James Broadbent, Irani U Rathnayake, Kenneth Beagley, Flavia Huygens," Significant differential expression of genes revealed by RNA-seq analysis of four clinical MRSA strains: Hospital acquired Vs Community acquired", Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Symposium (B3), 25-26th November 2014, Brisbane, Australia (Poster presentation).
James A. Broadbent, Imalka U. K. Tennakoon, Daniel A. Broszczak, IraniRathnayake, Dayle L. Sampson, Sumeet Sandhu, Flavia Huygens, “A Novel Bioinformatics Pipeline for Pan-proteomic Analysis of Genetically Heterogeneous Bacterial Strains”, Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Symposium (B3), 25-26th November 2014, Brisbane, Australia (Oral presentation).
Tennakoon T M I U K, Beagley K., Broadbent, J, Huygens F., "Investigation of host cell response during infection with different Staphylococcus aureus strains", IHBI Inspires Postgraduate Student Conference, Annual Scientific meeting, 20th& 21st November 2014, Gold Coast, Australia (Poster presentation).
Imalka U K Tennakoon, James Broadbent, Irani U Rathnayake, KenethBeagley, Flavia Huygens, "RNA-seq analysis of two clinical CA MRSA strains: PVL+ Vs PVL -, reveals significant differences in gene expression", 16th International Symposium on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections (ISSSI 2014), 26-29th August 2014, Chicago, USA (Poster presentation).
S.H.T. Sudeshika, G.J.Panagoda, I.U.K. Tennakoon, “Microbiological quality of paediatric oral liquid drug formulations during consumption”, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, vol 4, Issue 9, September 2014 ISSN 2250-3153

Department of Pharmacy

Department of Pharmacy

Dr. T.M.I.U.K Tennakoon

Education Qualification

Education Qualification

Appointments (Selected)

Appointments (Selected)

Memberships / Awards

Memberships / Awards

Research Interests

Research Interests

Research Publication(Recent)

Research Publication(Recent)