Parasitic Diseases Research Unit – PDRU

The Parasitic Diseases Research Unit of the Department of Parasitology was formerly known as the Malaria Research Unit (MRU) (1988-2016). With the Department of Parasitology giving wider attention to all parasitic diseases of public health importance, the name change took place in 2016.

Number of research projects are carried out at the Parasitic Diseases Research Unit (PDRU) contributing to the research and development activities in Sri Lanka. The PDRU also provides diagnostic services for various parasitic diseases.

The permanent staff members attached to the Department of Parasitology actively involve in the activities of the PDRU. In addition there are research assistants who are carrying out various research projects at the PDRU.

 

Head’s message

“Welcome to the Parasitic Diseases Research Unit (PDRU) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. PDRU started its journey as Malaria research Unit (MRU) in 1988 under the leadership of Professor Kamini Mendis who is a globally renowned pioneering researcher in the field of malaria. Along with the successful elimination of malaria in Sri Lanka MRU was later on converted to PDRU with a view to cater to the growing needs in the broad fields in parasitology. Research work of the PDRU is currently supported by researchers and academics of the department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo and a large number of local and international collaborators.

At present, PDRU focuses on research and training in a number of parasitic diseases that are of national and global significance. Leishmaniasis, which is a recently established growing health issue in the island, filariasis, helminthiases, entomology and zoonotic infections are to name a few. In addition, PDRU contributes to the essential surveillance based research activities that are going on at a national scale for malaria in Sri Lanka. In addition MRU/PDRU has immensely contributed to many successful stories in the field of parasitology in Sri Lanka. Elimination of malaria, helminthaises, filariasis are few of these achievements in which our past and present academic staff members have contributed as pioneers.

Leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka presents a unique scientific problem and a growing health issue to the country. PDRU and department of Parasitology has pioneered many key research projects and provided diagnosis and training support in many diseases in the country. Though Sri Lanka is declared a malaria free nation in 2016, the PDRU is carrying out research on malaria to support Sri Lanka’s prevention of re-introduction phase of malaria . Similarly, research on filariasis is also being carried out by this unit.

Many post graduate level research, training and diagnostic activities are carried out in the PDRU. This unit continues to serve many young scientists, local and international medical and other professionals, para medics while strengthening its scientific collaborations with many international institutions.

We are thankful to all our researchers, trainers, supporters and well-wishers who have contributed to the development of this unit in numerous ways.”

Achievements

Forty Ph.D.s and six M.Phil.s have been produced through PDRU.

Books on research

This book would be of interest to persons who are working in the health sector, patients with leishmaniasis and the general public who wish to know the basics about leishmaniasis – by Dr. N.H. Silva

News and Events

Grants awarded

  1. Grant received – University of New South Wales, Australia – To Prof. Deepika Fernando

New projects – ongoing research

  1. Novel and innovative strategies to control Anopheles stephensi and other malaria  vectors for prevention of re-introduction of malaria in Sri Lanka – PI Prof. S.D Fernando
  2. Dengue infection in a cohort of Sri Lankan patients- Development of diagnostic and risk prediction models for use in clinical setting – PI Prof S.D Fernando
  3. Studying the profile of imported malaria patients – PI Prof S.D Fernando
  4. To gain better insights in to the occurrence and the spread of leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka and Bhutan using biological, epidemiological and molecular tools – PI Prof N.D Karunaweera –NIH – TMRC Project

Publications in 2025

  1. Selvapandiyan A, Shital S, A’gitok Sangma D, Jain M, Karunaweera N, Ganguly NK (2025). An update on clinical and pathogenic spectra of leishmaniasis. Expert Rev Mol Med. 2025:1-33.
  2. Piyasiri SB, Senanayake S, Smaranayake N, Iniguez E, Valenzuela JG, Piyasiri NN, Kamhawi S, Karunaweera ND (2025). Effectiveness of Long-Lasting Insecticide-Impregnated Bed Nets in Controlling Phlebotomus argentipes in Sri Lanka: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, jiaf359. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf359
  3. Riyal H, Samaranayake N, Amarathunga P, Munidasa D, Karunaweera N (2025) Immunohistochemical Characterisation of Innate Immune Cellular Responses in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania donovani. Trop Med Int Health. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 2025 Sep 28.  doi: 10.1111/tmi.70040https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tmi.70040
  4. Karunaweera ND, Silva NH (2025). kannt, dass sie Malaria beim Menschen ver-ursachen. Von diesen verursachen 4 Arten (näm-lich P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale und P. Lehrbuch der parasitären Zoonosen, 169
  5. Moallemi S, Tedla N, Sigera C, Weeratunge P, Fernando D, Rajapakse S, Lloyd A, Rodrigo C (2025). Early circulating biomarkers to predict plasma leakage in dengue fever. Journal of Infection.90. 106401. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106401
  6. Ranasinghe S, Fernando D, Gunathilaka N, Mallawaarachchi K, Wickremasinghe R (2025). Leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka: Surmounting obstacles towards achieving elimination as a public health problem by 2028. Annals of Medical Science and Research. 4:S93-102.
  7. Wickremasinghe R, Fernando D, Newby G, Perera R, Caldera A, Mendis K (2025). Evaluating Sri Lanka’s malaria re-establishment prevention using IHR and JEE frameworks. Malaria Journal
  8. Ahsanul Kabir KM, Sigera C, Maduranga S, Weeratunga P, Rajapakse S, Fernando D, Lloyd AR, Bull RA, Rodrigo C (2025). Chikungunya masquerading as dengue infection in Sri Lanka uncovered by metagenomics. PLoS One. 20(7):e0326995. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0326995
  9. Senarathne S, Gunathilake H, Dayananda S, Rathnayake T, Gunawardena S (2025). An audit of human infection by Dirofilaria repens: Retrospective analysis of cases reported by the Department of Parasitology of the University of Colombo from 2007 to 2023: Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases. DOI:http://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v15i2.8740
  10. Malalasekera AP, Somasundaram P, Neththikumara N, Sirisena N, Samaranayake N, Ediriweera D, Mathangasinghe Y, Goonewardena SAS, Perera ND, Abeygunasekara A, Jayasekara RW, Wettasinghe K, Lokuhetty MDS, Dissanayake VHW (2025). Somatic genetic variants associated with aggressiveness of urothelial bladder cancer: a prospective cohort study. DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-6553154/v1. Research Square
  11. Deepachandi B, & Siriwardana HVYD et al. First report on characterization of immune-dominant protein antigens of dermotropic Leishmania donovani. BMC Microbiology, Primarily accepted. Subsequent version with responses to reviewer comments submitted.

Ph.Ds/ M. Phils awarded 2025

1. S. B Piyasiri, Ph. D. (Antibody response to sand fly salivary antigens of Phlebotomus argentipes as potential biomarkers of vector exposure and effect of vector control measures)

Supervisors – Dr. S.A.S.C Senanayake, Prof. N.D Karunaweera, Prof. T.N Samaranayake

Announcements
Workshop on Laboratory Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis

Workshop on Laboratory Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis

All Announcements