The World Class University Project, USJP organized a Guest Lecture on the “Science of Sleep: Historical Perspective and Emerging Trends on 13th February 2019 by Dr. Kamalesh K. Gulia, who is a Scientist in-charge of the Division of Sleep Research at the Biomedical Technology wing of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), An Institute of National Importance under Govt. Of India, Trivandrum, Kerala, India, at the Auditorium, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, USJP. This guest lecture, which was valuable to the medical students and faculty helping them think out of the box and become innovative was the result of Prof. Ranil De Silva’s, director of World class university project, the academic collaborations with Dr. Gulia . Sleep science in Sri Lanka is ignored to the extent that it is unheard of alien , but sleep medicine should be taken seriously and looked at with an open eye owing to the fact that almost every disease is related to imbalances in the amounts of sleep since the human body recharges itself, detoxification and neurological aspects such as memory formation takes place during sleep.
A Flash from the past Prof. Ranil with Dr. Gulia and late world renown neuroscientist Prof. Masao Ito
Japan Neuroscience Society Conference, Kyoto, 2006
This guest lecture highlighted the importance of sleep for a healthy body and mind. Over 100 million humans in the world are reported to have sleep disorders; over 80% of the cases are undiagnosed due to lack of awareness. According to the National Sleep (2007) journal, 79% of pregnant women suffer from sleep disorders and may this increase from 13 to 80 percent in the first trimester of 66 to 97 percent the third trimester. Dr.Gulia shared her current research about how sleep can affect maternal mental, physical, and mood disorder and she emphasized the need for reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in pregnant women to extend prenatal care and delivery that leads to maternal and childhood health outcomes. Prof. Ranil de Silva, giving plague to Dr. Kamalesh.k. Gulia The most important risk factor and predictor of depressed mood during post partum was prenatal depression and 50% of women with depression during pregnancy were depressed after delivery , Not only lead to complications in the mother and baby after delivery, It also led to the birth of premature infants during pregnancy, low birth weight, poor health behaviors Include: substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs) not to go for prenatal care and pre-eclampsia, IUGR. Newborns in women, experience restlessness, priority, giving of health services to the health of pregnant women is one of the Millennium Development Goals, Early detection and follow her depression during pregnancy is important. This could be a stepping stone towards the realization of the motto “Healthy mother and healthy child”.
About 100 guests including students and faculty members attended the lecture. The goal of the lecture and discussion was for an increase in public knowledge about how adequate sleep can improve health, productivity, wellness, quality of life, and safety on the roads and in the workplace. Mainly to initiate a joint scientific research and training project between the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, India. Several beneficial outcomes in Sri Lanka were highlighted during the discussion, including initiating possible collaborative research with Dr. Kamalesh Gulia and USJP.
