The Department of Chemistry, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, is pleased to announce that
Mr. Ranan Hewawasam, a final-year undergraduate of the Department, has secured First Place
at the Inter-University Undergraduate Research Competition 2026, organized by Section E2
(Chemical Sciences) of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), held
on 19 th September, 2026.
Mr. Hewawasam received this prestigious recognition for his research project, titled “Sorption
Studies of Inorganic Carbon in Carbonated Aqueous Solutions by Alpha-Titanium Phosphate.”
The study investigated the potential of alpha-titanium phosphate (α-TiP) for the sorption of
inorganic carbon, with particular relevance to the capture of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from
aqueous systems and its potential application in addressing the challenges associated with
global warming.
Special appreciation is extended to his supervisor, Snr. Prof. Pradeep M. Jayaweera, for his
invaluable guidance and dedicated mentorship throughout the research project. The
Department also gratefully acknowledges the continued support and guidance provided by all
academic staff members, especially the Head of the Department, Prof. Theshini Perera, whose
commitment to fostering academic excellence and research continues to contribute to the
success of the Department’s undergraduates.
We are delighted to congratulate Ms. Pulmini Alwis, an MPhil student in Chemistry, on achieving the First Runner-Up position at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition organized as part of the CINEC International Research Symposium (CIRS 2026).
Ms. Alwis achieved this outstanding recognition for her effective presentation of her MPhil research project entitled “Synthesis and evaluation of novel metal complexes towards potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications,” which she is conducting under the supervision of Prof. Theshini Perera. Her research focuses on the development and evaluation of novel metal complexes with potential applications in therapeutics and diagnostics, contributing to the growing area of medicinal inorganic chemistry.
The achievement reflects Ms. Alwis’s dedication to research, as well as her ability to effectively communicate complex scientific concepts to a general audience. Her success at the CIRS 2026 3MT Competition is a notable accomplishment for both her and the Department of Chemistry.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Ms. Pulmini Alwis and her supervisor, Prof. Theshini Perera, on this remarkable achievement and wish Ms. Alwis continued success in her MPhil research and future academic endeavors.
We are delighted to congratulate Ms. Saranya Selvaraj Lavan on being awarded the Kandiah Memorial Award for Applied Chemistry 2026, one of the prestigious research awards presented by the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon during its 55th Annual Sessions. The award recognizes outstanding postgraduate research in chemistry related applied interdisciplinary fields where chemistry plays a central role.
Ms. Lavan received this distinguished recognition for her exceptional research contributions in MPhil degree in Chemistry under the supervision of Prof Laksiri Weerasinghe. Prof Inoka C. Perera (University of Colombo), Prof Nilwala Kottegoda, and Dr. Tharindu Senapathi also contributed to this work as co-supervisors. Her MPhil research was supported by the Faculty Research Grant of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and focused on the project titled “Evaluation of Naturally Derived Peptides for Selective Anticancer and Antibacterial Therapy.”
Her research has contributed to several publications in SCI-indexed journals and has been presented at numerous national and international scientific conferences. She has been also awarded the Gold Medal for Research Excellence at the 51st Convocation of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura for MPhil program under the Board of Study in Physical Sciences of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Deakin University, Australia.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Lavan on this outstanding achievement and wish her continued success in her future research and academic endeavors.