Mangala Gunatilake

Mangala Gunatilake is a veterinarian and professor at the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Prof. Gunatilake has pioneered immunogenicity studies in canines following anti-rabies vaccination in Sri Lanka. Results of the studies were used to revise the canine vaccination protocol in Sri Lanka in 2013.

She is the founder President of the Sri Lanka Association for Laboratory Animal Science established in 2012 and introduced several alternative models including Zebrafish embryo model to Sri Lankan Researchers.

Prof. Gunatilake has introduced laboratory animal science (LAS) education to Sri Lanka in 2011 by conducting the first certificate course in LAS in the Asian region with the support of international LAS organizations.

She is the country representative in International Council of Laboratory Animal Science and was a member of the Asian Federation for Laboratory Animal Science Associations.

Prof. Gunatilake is the Founder Director of the 3Rs Centre for Laboratory Animal Science in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, she is the Joint Secretary of the South Asian Association of Physiologists since 2012 and a member of the Education Council of Federation of Asian Oceanian Physiological Societies.

Prof. Gunatilake was awarded National Honours "Vidya Nidhi" in 2019. She has received several National and international awards and scholarships in recognition of her achievements and contributions to science and technology. She has many publications to her credit in the form of conference papers, journal and newsletter articles, books and e-learning publications.

Areas of expertise: Immunogenicity studies related to rabies and laboratory animal science

Academic history

Prof. Gunatilake graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Animal Science, University of Peradeniya in 1991 with Second Class Honours and Distinctions in Microbiology, Parasitology and Public Health.

She joined the department of Physiology in 1993 and obtained her PhD from the University of Colombo in 2001.

Selected publications

Manual on Determination of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
Dr Mangala Gunatilake, Dr ArundathiKurukulasuriya, Dr Kusum de Abrew Skills Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo
Publication year: 2003

Severe acute kidney injury following Sri Lankan Hypnale spp. envenoming is associated with thrombotic microangiopathy
Eranga S Wijewickrama, Lalindra V Gooneratne, AriaraneeGnanathasan, IndikaGawarammana, Mangala Gunatilake, Geoffrey K Isbister.
Clinical Toxicology, (2020): DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2020.1810695
Publication year: 2020

Thrombotic microangiopathy and acute kidney injury following Sri Lankan Daboia russelii and Hypnale species envenoming.
Eranga S. Wijewickrama, Lalindra V. Gooneratne, AriaraneeGnanathasan, IndikaGawarammana, Mangala Gunatilake& Geoffrey K. Isbister.
Clinical Toxicology, (2020): DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2020.1717509
Publication year: 2020

Sri Lanka Elderly Study: Phase 1 (SLES:1), A descriptive study of the health status and physiological parameters of institutionalized elderly in Colombo district: The protocol.
Amarasiri WADL, Atapattu PM, Dalpatadu KPC, Dissanayake WDN, Fernando ADA, Fernando NHD, Gunatilake M, Jayawardena R, Jayaweera SK, Kumarasiri MAHP, Ranawaka HAR, Sathkumara BL, Thisera HCC, Udagedara UAH, Upekshani AVNN, Vamasiwan N, Vithanage K, Waidyarathne AOK, Wanninayake WMLV, Wasalathanthri S, Wickramasinghe N
Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians, 2019, 50, 34-40
Publication year: 2019

Health in rural Sri Lanka: A cross-sectional survey of three rural districts.
U Senarath, SSenanayake, S Pathirana, NKarunaweera, M CWeerasinghe, N Gunawardena, IMunugoda, S Jayasinghe, P Amarathunga, E Corea, V De Silva, DFernando, R Fernando, AGnanathasan, MGunatilake, SGunawardena, PKatulanda, SRajapakse, NSamaranayake, YSiriwardana
Ceylon Medical Journal, 2019; 64:103-110.
Publication year: 2019