Senior Lecturer
B.Sc. (Chem. Special, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka), M.Phil. (Moratuwa, Sri Lanka), Ph.D. (Texas, USA)
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Biosketch:
B.Sc. (Chem. Special) – University of Peradeniya/Sri Lanka/2007
M.Phil. – University of Moratuwa/Sri Lanka/2011
Ph.D. – University of Texas at Dallas/USA/2015
Postdoctoral scholar – University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, USA, 2015-2018
Assistant Professor in Chemistry –Texas A&M University, USA, 2018-2019
Scientist – Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology, 2009-2011
Research Interest:
- Nanotechnology for drug delivery/pharmaceutical applications, agricultural applications and water purification applications.
- Development of nanomaterials from natural resources for various industrial applications
Divisions:
- Inorganic Chemistry
Selected Publications and Patents:
- Chenchen Bing, Yu Hong, Christopher Hernandez, Megan Rich, Bingbing Cheng, Imalka Munaweera, Debra Szczepanski, Yin Xi, Mark Bolding, Agata Exner, Rajiv Chopra, Characterization of different bubble formulations for blood-brain barrier opening using a focused ultrasound system with acoustic feedback control, Scientific Reports, 2018, 8, 7986.
- Imalka Munaweera, Sumbul Shaikh, Danny Maples, Ashish Ranjan, David Greenberg, Rajiv Chopra, Temperature-Sensitive Liposomal Ciprofloxacin for the Treatment of Biofilm on Infected Metal Implants using Alternating Magnetic Fields, International Journal of Hyperthermia, 2018, 34, 189-200. (Special issue – Thermal Therapy and Infectious diseases)
- Rajiv Chopra, Sumbul Shaikh, Yonatan Chatzinoff, Imalka Munaweera, Bingbing Cheng, Seth M. Daly, Yin Xi, James J. Howard, Joris Nofiele, Chenchen Bing, Dennis Burns, David E Greenberg, Employing high-frequency alternating magnetic fields for the non-invasive treatment of prosthetic joint infections, Scientific Reports, 2017, 7, 7520.
- Nadeesh Madusanka, Chanaka Sandaruwan, Nilwala Kottegodaa, Dinaratne Sirisena, Imalka Munaweera, Ajith De Alwis, Veranja Karunaratne, Gehan A.J. Amaratung, Urea–hydroxyapatite-montmorillonite nanohybrid composites as slow release nitrogen compositions, Applied Clay Science, 2017, 150, 303–308. (Journal impact factor 3.641)
- Rohit S Mulik, Chenchen Bing, Michelle Ladouceur-Wodzak, Imalka Munaweera, Rajiv Chopra, Ian R Corbin, Localized delivery of low-density lipoprotein docosahexaenoic acid nanoparticles to the rat brain using focused ultrasound, Biomaterials, 2016, 83, 257-268.
- Imalka Munaweera, Michael Trinh, Jessica Hong, and Kenneth J. Balkus Jr. Chemically Powered Nanomotor as a Delivery Vehicle for Biologically Relevant Payloads, Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2016, 16, 9063-9071.
- Bhuvaneswari Koneru, Yi Shi, Imalka Munaweera, Mary Wight-Carter, Humam Kadara, Hong Yuan, Anthony J Di Pasqua, Kenneth J Balkus Jr. Radiotherapeutic bandage for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, Nuclear medicine and biology, 2016, 43, 333-338.
- Imalka Munaweera, Shi Yi, Bhuvaneswari Koneru, Ruben Saez, Ali Aliev, Anthony J. Di Pasqua, Kenneth J. Balkus Jr. Chemoradiotherapeutic magnetic nanoparticles for targeted treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, Pharmaceutics, 2015, 12, 3588–3596.
- Imalka Munaweera, Yi Shi, Bhuvaneswari Koneru, Amit Patel, Mai H. Dang, Anthony J. Di Pasqua, Kenneth J. Balkus Jr. Nitric oxide and cisplatin releasing wrinkle amine mesoporous silica nanoparticles for treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma, Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 2015, 153, 23-31.
- Imalka Munaweera, Ali Aliev, Kenneth J. Balkus , Jr. Electrospun cellulose acetate-garnet nanocomposite magnetic fibers for bioseparations, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2014, 6, 244–251.
- Imalka Munaweera, Bhuvaneswari Koneru, Yi Shi, Anthony J. Di Pasqua, Kenneth J. Balkus Jr. Chemoradiotherapeutic wrinkled mesoporous silica nanoparticles for use in cancer therapy, APL Materials, 2014, 2, 113315 (Invited paper).
- Imalka Munaweera, Daniel Levesque-Bishop, Shi Yi, Anthony J. Di Pasqua, Kenneth J. Balkus Jr. Radiotherapeutic bandage based on electrospun polyacrylonitrile containing holmium-166 iron garnet nanoparticles for the treatment of skin cancer. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2014, 6, 22250–22256.
- Imalka Munaweera, Jessica Hong, Alicia D’Souza, Kenneth J. Balkus Jr. Novel wrinkled periodic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles for hydrophobic anticancer drug delivery. Journal of Porous Materials, 2014, 22, 1-10.
- Nilwala Kottegoda, Imalka Munaweera, Nadeesh Madusanka and Veranja Karunaratne, A green slow release fertilizer composition based on urea modified hydroxyapatite nanoparticles encapsulated wood, Current Science, 2011,101, 73-78.
- Iron garnet nanoparticles for cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Anthony J. Di Pasqua, Kenneth J. Balkus Jr., Imalka Munaweera, Yi Shi (United States Patent US9808543 – Granted & Licensed).
- Iron garnet nanoparticles for cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Anthony J. Di Pasqua, Kenneth J. Balkus Jr., Imalka Munaweera, Yi Shi (United States Patent and US10195297- Granted & Licensed).
- Compositions for sustained release of agricultural macronutrients and process thereof, Nilwala Kottegoda, Imalka Munaweera, Nadeesh Madusanka and Veranja Karunaratne. (United States Patent Publication: US8361185 B2- Granted & Commercialized)
- A cellulose based sustained release macronutrient composition for fertilizer application, Nilwala Kottegoda, Imalka Munaweera, Nadeesh Madusanka, Sunanda Gunasekara, Lilantha Samaranayake, Ajith De Alwis and Veranja Karunaratne (United States Patent Publication: US8617284 B2- Granted & Commercialized).
- Elastomeric polymer/spinel nanoparticles composites to introduce special properties to dipped articles, W.S.Fernando, L.P.Nethsinghe, N.S.Kottegoda and T.I.S.Munaweera (Publication No: WO/2010/046789, International Application No: PCT/IB2009/051158).
- Dipped gloves based on elastomeric nanocomposites, W.S.Fernando, L.P.Nethsinghe, N.S.Kottegoda and T.I.S.Munaweera. (Sri Lankan Patent Application No: 15164).
Awards:
- Award for Translational Pilot Grant Program 2017-2018, UT Southwestern Center for Translational Medicine (CTM), USA, 2017.
- Society for Thermal Medicine New Investigator Travel Award (Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation), USA, 2017
- Research Day Award: Best Basic Science Poster Presentation, 2016
Radiology department, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA
- Natural sciences and mathematics scholarship, 2011-2015
School of natural science and mathematics, University of Texas at Dallas, USA
- 1st Place – American Chemical Society meeting in miniature graduate student competition, USA, 2015
- Finalist – The Fiber society’s graduate student paper competition- USA, 2014
- Betty and Gifford Johnson graduate scholarship, 2013
School of natural science and mathematics, University of Texas at Dallas, USA
- National science & technology award, Sri Lanka, 2010
Category – Innovative advanced technologies with commercial potential
(Awarded by the president of democratic socialist republic of Sri Lanka)
Affiliations:
- Member American Chemical Society
- Member Royal Society of Chemistry
- Member Golden Key International Honour Society
Contact information:
Web : http://scholar.sjp.ac.lk/Imalka, https://www.linkedin.com/in/imalkamunaweera
Email: imalka@sjp.ac.lk