University of Colombo
Dr. Deepika Fernando is Professor in Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She has a PhD in Malariology, a MD in Clinical Parasitology and a Diploma in Microbiology. Following completion of the MD she proceeded to the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, United Kingdom on a scholarship awarded by the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, Sri Lanka to further her knowledge on molecular epidemiology related to malaria. She has over ten years experience in teaching both undergraduate and post graduate students parasitic diseases.
She has received several awards for carrying out high quality research in Sri Lanka on parasitic diseases such as malaria, lymphatic filariasis, leishmaniasis and helminthic infections. These include, Presidential Research Awards in years 2000 and 2001, The Committee of Vice Chancellors and Directors award for the young researcher in Allied Sciences for the year 2006 and more recently the University Research Award for excellence in research during the years 2003-2006.
Her research work has contributed significantly towards the attempts to alleviate the socio-economic dysfunction of communities in Sri Lanka caused as a result of the morbidity associated with parasitic infections.