Dr. Madhavi Hewadikaram is a B.Sc. Zoology (special degree) graduate from the Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sri Lanka. She has got a first-class degree and was awarded the coveted 2011 Gold Medal for the best performing student in Zoology. She obtained her Master’s degree in Biology from the Central Michigan University USA in 2015. She was specialized in Genomics, Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology areas. Currently, PhD in Synthetic Biology and Molecular Biology from the Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology. Her research focuses mainly on molecular diagnostic techniques in human diseases and understanding biosynthetic pathways of important medicinal plants that are important in biopharmaceuticals. She aims to produce those essential metabolites via bacterial and yeast cells to increase the yield and cheaper products to the pharmaceutical industry.

She has served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and as a teaching assistant at the Department of Biology at Central Michigan University, the USA, during her eight years’ experience in academia. In addition, she has worked as a research scientist at the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology and was a pioneer member to implement molecular diagnostic LAMP KIT for SARS COV-2 Detection for Sri Lankan patients.

Research Interests & Memberships

Research Interests

• RNA Sequencing based transcriptome analysis to understand medically important unknown biosynthesis pathways in plants and animals and their end production in heterologous host species.

• Molecular detection techniques to diagnose upcoming human diseases in Sri Lanka

Research and Publications

Journal Publications

Articles in International Peer-Reviewed Journals

•  Hewadikaramge, M.E. and Linton, E. (2018), Intrageneric Chloroplast Genome Comparison in the Genus Euglena (Phylum: Euglenophyta) with Annotated Chloroplast Genomes of Euglena hiemalis and Euglena Clara, Journal of Applied Phycology, 30 (6), 3167-3177. doi.org/10.1007/s10811-018-1547-6
• Dhanushi T Welideniya, Ph.D; Adeesha Saseenda Jayathilaka, BS; Anjana Delpe Acharige, BS; Upamalika Samanthi, MS; Umayangani Wanninayake, Ph.D; Shashika Sevvandi Perera, BS; Weranga Rajapaksha, BS; Chamod C Fernando, BS; Madhavi Hewadikaram, BS; Janani Buddhika, BS; Pivini Gunasekara, BS; Veranja Karunaratne, Ph.D; G. A. J. Amaratunga, PhD, Practical and Scalable Synthesis of Beclomethasone Dipropionate, accepted in Steroids

Abstract Publications in International Conferences

• Ella Hewadikaramge Madhavi, Linton Eric, (2017), Intrageneric Chloroplast Genome Comparison in the Genus Euglena (Phylum: Euglenophyta) with Annotated Chloroplast Genomes of Euglena hiemalis and Euglena Clara, 8th Asian Pacific Phycological Forum, pp.114, October 8-14, 2017, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• E.H.M.M.Hewadikaram, C.J. Bandara, S.D.N. K. Bathige, V. Karunaratne and G. A. J. Amaratunga, (2018) “A novel method to identify unknown candidate genes in biosynthetic pathways of Camptothecin and Withanolides”, XVI Asian Symposium on Medicinal Plants Spices and Other Natural Products, pp 107, December 12-14 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• Madhavi M. Hewadikaram, Sanjaya Bathige, Veranja Karunaratne, In Silico Gene Expression Analysis of P450 87A3 Candidate Gene for Withanolides Production in Datura metal plant, PDB50, A special symposium celebrating 50th anniversary of the Protein Data Bank, held by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the World Wide Protein Data Bank on 4-5 May 2021 at the USA.
• Madhavi M. Hewadikaram, Kalindu Perera, Kasun P. Dissanayake, Madushika Ramanayake, S.C. Isurika, Anil Jayarathne, Aravinth Panch, Pradeep D. Pushpakumara, Gathsaurie N. Malavige, Chandima Jeewandara, S.D.N.K. Bathing, A.M. Mubarak, Development of Duplex and Multiplex Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) Assays for Clinical Diagnosis of SARS-COV-2 in Sri Lanka, International Meeting on Emerging Diseases conference, USA
• E.H.M.M. Hewadikaram, P.J. Kumarasiri, D.P.W. Jayatunga, I.N. Harischandra, B.G.D.N.K. De Silva, (2012) “Phylogenetic relationships of some Anopheles species, subgenus Cellia and Anopheles ( Diptera: Culicidae) in Sri Lanka using ITS2-rDNA cistron”, Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science Symposium on December 10 2012

Memberships

• Member-Just One Giant Lab in France
• Member- American Society of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
• Member- American Society of Pharmacognosy
• Member – Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science
• Member- Institute of Biology of Sri Lanka