DGHI Adjunct Professor, Sri Lankan Collaborators Honored

DGHI’s Sri Lankan collaborators were honored at this year’s Vice Chancellor’s Awards at the University of Ruhuna in Galle. Recipients of the prestigious awards include Drs. P.L. Ariyananda and Bilesha Perera – individuals who have been key to the Ruhuna-Duke Collaboration.

Ariyananda, senior professor of medicine at the University of Ruhuna Faculty of Medicine and DGHI adjunct professor, was honored with the Award of Emeritus Professorships for his 32 years of service. In 2011, Ariyananda was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to visit DGHI to find new ways to improve teaching and increase collaboration.

Perera, senior lecturer in the department of community medicine at the University of Ruhuna Faculty of Medicine, was awarded the Most Outstanding Scholar Award. Perera is the primary Sri Lankan investigator of the NIH-funded Sri Lanka Healthy Minds Study with DGHI faculty member Joanna (Asia) Maselko, investigating cognitive impairment, depression and caregiving among elderly Sri Lankans. Perera has also worked with DGHI faculty on other studies related to adolescent health, and is currently involved with the DGHI undergraduate summer research training program.

The University of Ruhuna Faculty of Medicine has been a Duke partner dating back to 2004 as a response to the devastating tsunami. The collaboration was initially spearheaded by DGHI faculty Chris Woods and Truls Ostbye with Ariyananda, who was then the Dean. Today, the collaboration is producing important studies in areas like dengue, occupational health, aging, behavioral risk factors, road traffic accidents, and other emerging infections.