Department of Botany

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Prof. Priyanga Wijesinghe

Professor in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

B.Sc. (Perad.), Ph.D. (Wayne State, USA)

About Me

I earned my B.Sc. specializing in Botany with a First Class Honors from the University of Peradeniya in 2003. I received the Exceptional Service as a Graduate Teaching Assistant Award in 2010 and my PhD in Biochemistry from the Wayne State University, USA in 2012. One of my PhD thesis projects led to the discovery of a novel enzymatic function (efficient deamination of the DNA base 5-methyl cytosine into thymine). I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, USA in 2016. Having worked in the universities of Kelaniya and Sri Jayewardenepura respectively, I joined the Department of Botany, University of Peradeniya in 2018. Teaching biochemistry in a Botany department is a blessing in this "golden age of biology". According to Parker J. Palmer, "students who learn are the finest fruit of teachers who teach". To reap those fruits however, I believe in continuous updating and upgrading of the curriculum. I also believe in interdisciplinary research and would like to welcome fruitful collaborations in the fields of plant biochemistry, microbial genetics, cancer and genomics.

Contact Details

Positions Held

Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), Board of Study in Biomedical Sciences-Chairman- (2023 - to date)

Co-chair - Media and Networking, Wayne State University Postdoctoral Association- (2016)

Co-organizer - 3rd Michigan B-cell Molecular Biology conference, Wayne State University- (2011)

Co-organizer - 11th Annual Chemistry Graduate Research Symposium, Wayne State University- (2009)

President - University Botanic Society, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka- (2002)

Junior Treasurer - Society of Molecular Biology (Molecular Biology Association), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka- (2002)

Junior Treasurer - University Botanic Society, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka- (2001)

Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), Board of Study in Biomedical Sciences-Coordinator- (2019 - to date)

Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), Board of Study in Biomedical Sciences-Secretary- (2019-2022)

Ongoing Research and Projects

Potential of white rot fungal laccases on polythene degradation and dye decolorization

Fusion genes and their detection through Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Diagnostic tools for antimicrobial resistance

Awards, Scholarships, Memberships & Fellowships

2023- Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), Board of Study in Biomedical Sciences-Chairman

2023- to date Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Board of Study in Health Sciences- Member

2022- University of Peradeniya Research Excellence Award of the Faculty of Science

2021- University of Peradeniya Excellence in teaching Award of the Faculty of Science

2020- Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Award (PGIS/2020/17) Rs. 1000,000.00

2019- to date Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), Board of Study in Biomedical Sciences-Coordinator

2019-2022 Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), Board of Study in Biomedical Sciences-Secretary

2019-2020 University of Peradeniya Science Alumni Association (UPSAA) – Treasurer

2019- Recipient of the grant AHEAD/ELTA/ELSE. Rs. 1 M

2018- Recipient of the grant University grant URG/2018/38/S Rs. 334,950.00

2018- Recipient of the grant AHEAD/RA3/ICE/PDN/SCI. Rs. 3 M

2015- Michigan State University Next Generation Sequencing Data Analysis Summer Course, Course Director: Dr. Titus Brown, UC Davis (got selected to a class of 24 out of 159 applicants)

2014 - American Association for Cancer Research Associate Member

2012 - Wayne State University Summer Dissertation Fellowship

2012- Wayne State University Summer Dissertation Fellowship

2010 - Wayne State University Exceptional service as a Graduate Teaching Assistant

2009 - Member of the Phi Lambda Upsilon National Honorary Society

2004 - University of Peradeniya University Award for Academic Excellence

My Teachings

BIO1152: Biomolecules/ Biomolecules and their applications

BT207: Plant Biochemistry I

BT403: Plant Toxicology

BT405: Plant Biochemistry II

BT406: Plant Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology

MB221: Enzymology

MIC303: Gene Regulation in Microbes

MIC308: Introduction to Bioinformatics

My Publications

2017 2 2016 1 2015 2 2012 1 2010 1

Sci Rep.

Bao B, Mitrea C, Wijesinghe P, et al. (2017). Treating triple negative breast cancer cells with erlotinib plus a select antioxidant overcomes drug resistance by targeting cancer cell heterogeneity. Sci Rep., 7: 44125.

Bioinformatics

Mitrea C, Wijesinghe P, Dyson G, Kruger A, Ruden D, Draghici S, Bollig-Fischer A. (2017). Integrating 5hmC and gene expression data to infer regulatory mechanisms. Bioinformatics, .

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btx777

Adv Exp Med Biol,

Wijesinghe, P., & Bollig-Fischer, A. (2016). Lung Cancer Genomics in the Era of Accelerated Targeted Drug Development. . Adv Exp Med Biol,, 890: 1-23.

Journal of Thoracic Oncology

Wijesinghe, P., Bepler, G., and Bollig-Fischer, A. (2015). A Mass Spectrometry Assay to Simultaneously Analyze ROS1 and RET Gene Fusions in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, . Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 10: 381-386.

Oncotarget

Bollig-Fischer, A., Michelhaugh, S. K., Wijesinghe, P., et al. (2015). Cytogenomic profiling of breast cancer brain metastases reveals potential for repurposing targeted therapeutics. Oncotarget, 6(16): 14614-14624.

Nucleic Acids Res

Wijesinghe, P. and Bhagwat, A.S. (2012). Efficient Deamination of 5-Methylcytosines in DNA by Human APOBEC3A, but not by AID or APOBEC3G. Nucleic Acids Res, 40: 9206-9217.

DNA Repair (Amst)

Carpenter, M.A., Rajagurubandara, E., Wijesinghe, P. and Bhagwat, A.S. (2010). Determinats of sequence-specificity within human AID and APOBEC3G. DNA Repair (Amst), 9: 579-587.

Conferences

Molecular Therapeutics Annual Research Symposium
Fine-mapping 5-hydroxymethyl-cytosine in breast cancer reveals a path to activating NOTCH1. Poster presentation.
- (2014)

Molecular Therapeutics Annual Research Symposium
A Novel Assay to simultaneously Analyze ROS1 and RET Gene Fusions in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Clinical Specimens. Poster presentation.

Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA - (2013)

Sequenom MassArray User Group Meeting and Advanced Technical Workshops
Invited Participant of the Roundtable Discussion on “Future Software needs for the Sequenom MassArray System”.

San Diego, CA, USA - (2013)

4th Michigan B cell Molecular Biology Conference
Can AID Play a Role in DNA Demethylation ? Oral presentation.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA - (2012)

Keystone symposium. Mutations, Malignancy and Memory - Antibodies and Immunity
Reexamination of the DNA-cytosine deaminases to Deaminate 5-methyl cytosine. Poster presentation.

Boston, MA, USA - (2012)

Research Interests (Research Fields/ Projects)

Phytochemicals as anti-cancer agents, Biochemical assay development, Plant and cancer genomics, Antimicrobial resistance

Higher Education Qualifications

PhD
Wayne State University - USA (2012)

BSc
University of Peradeniya - Sri Lanka (2003)

Key Publications

Nucleic Acids Res - (2012)

Efficient Deamination of 5-Methylcytosines in DNA by Human APOBEC3A, but not by AID or APOBEC3G.

Sci Rep. - (2017)

Treating triple negative breast cancer cells with erlotinib plus a select antioxidant overcomes drug resistance by targeting cancer cell heterogeneity.