Maternal Health and Wellbeing Research Team

We are an established, multidisciplinary research group. Through theoretical and pragmatic enquiry, our research explores issues around the care and support of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. Maternal health during and immediately after pregnancy is strongly correlated with access to and quality of prenatal medical care; nutrition; and food security. Our research is highly applied, helping to inform policy, clinical guidelines and education, improve healthcare professionals’ practice and provide better maternal care for women in Sri Lanka and internationally.

Team Leader

S.P. Suhashini Marian Silva

(MSc. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences)

Head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences/ Senior Lecturer Gr.

 

The research team leader is qualified in Masters in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Moreover, she has conducted an extraordinary research on Lipid metabolism in normal weight and overweight pregnant women. Leader posses strong research skills on Biochemistry, Molecular biology and molecular techniques. She is interested on conducting research on maternal health and wellbeing. Furthermore she has the capability to obtain enormous support from gynecologists from government hospitals to recruit patients and obtain samples for research.

Vision

To have ‘healthier mothers, healthier children and healthier families’ by advancing science as it relates to women’s health and building bridges for community engagement and advocacy.

 

Mission

To pursue equity in maternal health by reducing maternal morbidity and mortality locally, nationally, and globally by building and strengthening community-academic partnerships, developing a competitive translational research program, and offering interdisciplinary and professional training.

Projects

Project carried out by myself as the research project of Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.

  1. Lipid metabolism in Normal weight and overweight pregnant women 2019.

 

Supervision of following BSc(Hons) in Biomedical Sciences undergraduate projects at Faculty of Health Sciences, CINEC Campus, Malabe

  1. Comparison of placental morphology and lipid profiles between normal weight and overweight pregnant women- A preliminary Study

Research team : . Peshila Rathnayake, Ms. Hirushi Heshani, Ms. Hansani Prabodha, Mr. Saumya Weerakoon, Ms. Ushani Maneesha and Prof. Rukshan Fernandopulle (Gynaecologist) conducted in the year 2023/2024

 

  1. Utility of urine testing in the assessment of maternal health in a hospital setting

Research team : Ms. Shamanga Sooriarachchi, Ms. Hansi Wijesekara, Mr. Abhishek Randeniya and Prof. Rukshan Fernandopulle (Gynaecologist) conducted in the year 2023/2024

 

  1. Comparison of morphology and and zinc concentration in umbilical cord tissues in gestational diabetes and non-gestational diabetes pregnant women – A preliminary Study

Research team : Ms. Sachini Fernando, Ms. Yasuri Kavindhya, Ms. Sachini Piyumika Perera, Mr. Dulshan Chamika, Ms. Tharushi Rasheni, Mr. Rajitha Samanjana and and Prof. Rukshan Fernandopulle (Gynaecologist) conducted in the year 2024

Publications

 

Silva SPSM, Senanayake H, Thoradeniya ST. PRE-PREGNANCY BODY MASS INDEX IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RATES OF LIPOLYSIS IN HUMAN ADIPOCYTES: AN EX VIVO ANALYSIS. Sri Lanka

Association for Laboratory Animal Science (SLALAS) Seventh Annual Scientific Sessions and International Conference 2019/2020. Free paper No 01

 

Silva SPSM, Chandrasekaran NV, Senanayake H, Kajan M, Thoradeniya ST. DEEP ADIPOSE TISSUE DEPOT: THE MOST METABOLICALLY ACTIVE DEPOT IN BOTH NORMAL WEIGHT AND OVERWEIGHT

PREGNANT WOMEN. Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science Proceedings of the 75th Annual Sessions – 2019. 106/A.

Silva SPSM, Chandrasekaran NV, Senanayake H, Kajan M, Thoradeniya ST. ADIPOCYTE SIZE IS ASSOCIATED WITH ELEVATED RATES OF LIPOLYSIS AND EXPRESSION OF HORMONE SENSITIVE

LIPASE (HSL) GENE IN PREGNANT WOMEN. 132nd Anniversary International Medical Congress of the Sri Lanka Medical Association. AB277.

Silva SPSM, Chandrasekaran NV, Senanayake H, Kajan M, Thoradeniya ST. AN OPTIMIZED PROTOCOL FOR EXTRACTION OF RNA FOR THE ANALYSIS OF EXPRESSION OF HORMONE- SENSITIVE LIPASE GENE IN ADIPOSE TISSUES OF PREGNANT WOMEN. Colombo Medical Congress 2020. PP A15

Silva SPSM, Is pre-pregnancy BMI sufficient to access consequences of maternal obesity? Postgraduate Research Communication Day, Research and Higher Degrees Committee (RHDC), Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, 2019.

Research Awards

Awarded the Dr. Sharmini Jayasekara award for the best oral communication at the Seventh Annual Scientific Sessions and International Conference 2019/2020 of Sri Lanka Association for Laboratory Animal Science (SLALAS). – For publication on PRE-PREGNANCY BODY MASS INDEX IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RATES OF LIPOLYSIS IN HUMAN ADIPOCYTES: AN EX VIVO ANALYSIS.