dr_udeshika

Dr. Udeshika Yapa Bandara

Senior Lecturer

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Dr. Udeshika Yapa Bandara holds the position of Senior Lecturer within the Department of Biomedical Science at the Faculty of Science, NSBM. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Human Biology from the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Subsequently, she achieved her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Colombo.

With a distinguished academic career spanning twelve years, Dr. Udeshika has contributed her expertise to both private and government universities, including appointments at the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, the Faculty of Medicine at the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine, and the Faculty of Health at The Open University of Sri Lanka. During her tenure as a researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Dr. Udeshika was granted the prestigious International Foundation for Science (IFS) research grant and OSTP travel awards from NSF. Additionally, her work has been recognized with the YIR Grant for the 6th Asia Pacific Congress of Interventional Oncology (APCIO) in 2019, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and scholarships for participation and accommodation in the international workshop on “Translational Cancer Research” organized by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) in Cape Town, South Africa. She has also received a scholarship to attend the International Summer School in “Functional Genomics” organized by The Center for Computational and Functional Genomics at the University of Würzburg in Germany.

Currently, she is working as a Senior Lecturer attached to the Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, NSBM Green University.

Research Interest

  • Cancer molecular biology
  • Biopharmaceuticals
  • The discovery of natural product-based   drugs

Memberships

  • Full member – the Young Scientists Forum (YSF) – Registration No: Y/B/27
  • Lifetime member of Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), Sri Lanka
  • Council Member (2023/24) – Sri Lanka Association of Young Scientists (SLAYS)

Awards

  1. Annual Research Symposium 2017, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. – 1st Place poster presentation
  2. ICTTHM2018: 20th International Conference on Current Trends of Traditional Herbal Medicine, Singapore. – Best oral presentation award
  3. Semifinalist – 3MT thesis presentation, September 2018 organized by SLAYS and NSF.
  4. Best presenter – “Bus Stop Talk”, October 2018 organized by RHDC, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.

Journal Publications

  1. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Medicinal Herbs as a Treatment for Breast Carcinoma. Int. J. Herb.Med. 2018, 6 (1), 5–9. https://www.florajournal.com/archives/2018/vol6issue1/PartA/5-4-111-803.pdf
  2. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Extraction, Total Phenol Content, Flavonoid Content, Free Radical Scavenging Capacity and Phytochemical Screening of the Parts of Sri Lankan Pomegranate (Punica Granatum L.) Fruit. Curr. Trends Biotechnol. Pharm. 2020, 14 (1), 70–80. https://doi.org/10.5530/ctbp.2020.1.8.
  3. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. The Effectiveness of the Nimali Variety of Sri Lankan Punica Granatum L. Fruit Extracts on Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) Cells Concerning the Apoptotic Signaling Pathway. Asian Pacific J. Cancer Prev. 2022, 23 (2), 501–510. https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.2.501.
  4. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Induction of Apoptosis and Antiproliferative Activity of MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells with Sonicated Aqueous Peel Extract of Punica granatum L. (Nimali sp.). Asian Pacific J. Cancer Prev. 2024, 25 (11), 3967-3976.  https://doi.org/10.31557/apjcp.2024.25.11.3967

Conference (Full) Publications

  1. Bandara, U. Y. Prevalence of Selected Known Non-Communicable Diseases among a Group of Selected Government Sector Workers and a Group of Private-Sector Workers in a Selected Area of the Western Province. In Faculty of Medicine, South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine, Sri Lanka; 2014.
  2. Bandara, U. Y. ; Muhandiram, K. M. N. S.; Comparative Analysis of Solanum torvum and Aspirin in Attenuating Heat-induced Hemolysis: Implications for Natural Anti-Inflammatory Drug Development, YSCMR (Young Scientists’ Conference on Multidisciplinary Research) 2025, Young Scientists’ Association, National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka.
  3. Charuka, M. V. L.; Bandara U. Y.; Decoction, boiling and solvent extraction methods in extraction of anticancer compounds from natural plants, 1st International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2024.
  4. Yapa H. D. S.; Bandara U. Y.; Ultrasonic-Assisted and Enzyme-Assisted Extraction Techniques for the Identification of Antioxidant Compounds in Natural Plants, 1st International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2024.
  5. Yapa H. D. S.; Bandara U. Y.; Ethnobotanical Insights into five Immunostimulant Medicinal Plants of Sri Lanka with Relevance to Cancer Treatment, 2nd International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2025.
  6. B. C. Dehara.; Bandara U. Y.; Genetic predictors of cholinesterase inhibitor toxicity, 2nd International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2025.
  7. Godakanda G.K.J.J.; Bandara U. Y.; Germline Vs Somatic mutations in cancer susceptibility, 2nd International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2025.
  8. Munasinghe, K.K.I.D.; Bandara U. Y.; Plant-Derived Non-Coding RNAs as Therapeutic Agents Targeting Mutated Genes in Cervical Cancer, 2nd International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2025.
  9. Kumari, R.M.C.P.; Bandara U. Y.; Microbiome–Derived Natural Products as Drug Leads: From Gene Clusters to Chemistry, 2nd International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2025.
  10. Charuka, M.V.L.; Bandara U. Y.; Impact of Chronic Agrochemical Exposure on microRNA Expression and Its Implication in Cancer Development in Farmers, 2nd International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2025.
  11. Weerakoon, W. M. P. M. S.; Bandara U. Y.; Pharmacogenomics analysis of selected beta blockers, 2nd International Conference on Transformative Applied Research (ICTAR), NSBM Green University, Homagama, Sri Lanka, 2025.

Conference (Abstract) Publications

  1. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Impact on the Yield of Flavonoid and Total Phenolic Content from Pomegranate Fruit by Different Extraction Methods. In 20th International Conference on Current Trends of Traditional Herbal Medicine, Singapore; 2018.
  2. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Comparison of Anti- Proliferative Effect of Peel and Pericarp of Sri Lankan Pomegranate Fruit “Delum” (Punica Granatum) with Different Extraction Methods on Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) and VERO Cells. In 6th Asia Pacific Congress of Interventional Oncology-2019, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 2019.
  3. Bandara, U. Y.; Suresh, S. Oral Presentation and Abstract Published On “Oral Hypoglycaemic Effect of Bioactivity Guided Fractionations of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Nyctanthes Arbor- Tristis.” In Annual Scientific Sessions, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka; 2010.
  4. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. In- Vitro Antiproliferative Activity of Sri Lankan Punica Granatum Fruit Extracts on the Human Breast (MCF-7) and Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) Cancer Cells Compared to Extraction Methods. In The Sri Lanka College of Oncologists, Annual Scientific Sessions 2020, Sri Lanka; 2020.
  5. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Induction of Apoptosis by Punica Granatum Aqueous Sonicated Peel Extract via P53, P21, and Caspase-3 Dependent Pathway in Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) Cells. In The Sri Lanka College of Oncologists, Annual Scientific Sessions 2020, Sri Lanka; 2020.
  6. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Evaluation of Extracts from Different Extraction Methods Using Its Antiproliferative Activity on RD Cancer Cells Compared to Healthy VERO Cells. In SLAAS 75th Annual Scientific Sessions, Sri Lanka; 2019.
  7. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Cytotoxic Effect of Peel and Pericarp of Sri Lankan Pomegranate Fruit “Delum” (Punica Granatum) and Comparison of Different Extraction Methods. In 11th International Research Conference, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Sir John Kothalawala Defence University, Sri Lanka; 2018.
  8. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. Comparison of Extraction Methods from the Parts of Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) Fruit Based on Their Antioxidant Capacity. In Annual Research Symposium 2017, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo; 2017.
  9. Bandara, U. Y.; Witharana, C.; Soysa, P. In-Vitro Antiproliferative Activity and Induction of Apoptosis by Sri Lankan Punica Granatum L. Aqueous Fruit Extracts on the Human Breast (MCF- 7) Cancer Cells Compared to Different Extraction Methods. In Annual Research Symposium 2020, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; 2020.

Ongoing Research

  • Comparative Evaluation of mutations and molecular characterization of Brain tumor Biopsies in Sri Lankan cohort