About
My name is Sameerika D. Mudiyanselage, and I am a PhD student in the Plant Pathology department, working under the guidance of Dr. Samuel Martins and co-supervised by Dr. Romina Gazis. I earned my BSc with a specialization in Biology from Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka. My research experience includes working as a research assistant on projects focused on tropical plant diseases, such as anthracnose and stem-end browning. Following this, I joined Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, where I worked on characterizing the alpha-amylase gene in Thielaviopsis ethacetica using E. coli. My academic journey has nurtured a deep interest in biotechnology, fungal biology, and plant disease diagnostics.
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Education
2023-present Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, University of Florida, USA
2011-2015 BSc (Hons) in Biology, Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka
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Research
My current research interests include rain microbiome and its function on promoting plant health, plant disease diagnostics and metagenomics.
- Publications
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Awards
- First place for the poster presentation, 1st Biennial Department of Plant Pathology Research and Professional Development Symposium, University of Florida (2024).
- Grinter Graduate School Fellowship, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Dept of Plant Pathology, University of Florida (2023).
- Merit award for the oral presentation Wayamba University Research congress Sri Lanka, (2019).
- Honorable best poster award for the presentation, NextGen Genomics, Bioinformatics and Technologies (NGBT) conference in Jaipur, India. (2018).
- GYAN scholarship, NextGen Genomics, Biology, Bioinformatics and Technologies (NGBT) conference in Jaipur, India (2018).