About Me
Infectious disease and molecular epidemiologist/Geneticist/Veterinarian/One Health advocate
Research Focus
Understanding how pathogens emerge, evolve, and spread across human, animal, and environmental systems through integrative computational, statistical, and epidemiologic approaches.
Research Overview
My research explores how infectious diseases emerge, evolve, and spread across human, animal, and environmental systems. I integrate statistical and computational modeling with epidemiologic frameworks to analyze genomic, epidemiological, clinical, environmental, and population-level data, addressing key questions in pathogen adaptation, transmission dynamics, and treatment response—including antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and vaccine escape under immune pressure.
A central focus of my work is understanding the molecular, immunological, ecological, and human-mediated drivers of these processes. By integrating diverse data sources, my research aims to generate actionable insights that inform disease surveillance, risk prediction, and prevention strategies within a One Health framework.
In addition to my primary focus, I have contributed to broader epidemiological, ecological, and genetic studies, and I enjoy mentoring students and early-career researchers.
Background
I am a molecular epidemiologist and computational biologist with training in veterinary medicine and genetics, currently a postdoctoral scholar at the Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance (CADMS) at UC Davis (2025-present). I earned my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (2013) and MPhil in Genetics (2017) from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, as well as a Master’s in Preventive Veterinary Medicine (2019) and a PhD in Epidemiology (2024) from UC Davis.
Skills
- Computational & Bioinformatics: next-generation sequencing (NGS) data workflows (e.g., FastQC/MultiQC, trimmomatic, bowtie, SAMtools, GATK, BCFtools, SPAdes, Velvet, MEGAHIT); sequence preprocessing workflows; phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses (IQ-TREE, BEAST, Nextstrain, HyPhy); microbiome analysis (16S rRNA gene sequencing, shotgun metagenomic sequencing, QIIME 2, DADA2, Mothur); diversity analysis (alpha/beta metrics); genome-wide association studies (GWAS); Linux/Unix command-line bioinformatics; Conda environment management; GitHub
- Programming languages: R; Unix shell scripting
- Statistical & data analysis: R, SPSS, STATA; statistical modeling; network analysis; time-series analysis; machine learning (supervised and unsupervised); spatial and geostatistical analysis (qGIS, ArcGIS)
- Laboratory techniques: DNA extraction; PCR, qPCR, RT-PCR; ELISA; microbial culture; antimicrobial susceptibility testing
- Field techniques: Epidemiological study design (e.g., case-control studies, crossover clinical trials); environmental and animal sample collection; rodent trapping; soft tick sampling and identification; survey design, field implementation, and data collection
Opportunities
I welcome collaborations and inquiries from students and researchers interested in pathogen genomics, infectious disease epidemiology, and One Health research.
Outside of work
Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, traveling, sports, and photography.