Prof M. M Pathmalal appointed as the New Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies and commenced the duties on 14th of March, 2022. He was appointed as the 6th Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies for the second time.
Senior Professor M.M. Pathmalal is the professor of Zoology, the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Co-chair of the Research Council and the Director of the Centre for Water Quality and Algae Research at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He received his BSc (Honours) Degree with a first-class from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura in 1992, an MSc from the Department of Life Conservation Science in 1998, and a PhD from the Department of Microbial Ecology and Eco-toxicology, Ehime University, Japan in 2001. Prof. Pathmalal is a distinguished, highly cited researcher in eco-toxicology, water quality, bioremediation of natural and xenobiotic chemicals, and cyanotoxin, and have blazed track with the number of world-first records for the scientific field.
Internationally, Prof. Pathmalal is an incumbent honorary fellow scientist of Robert Gordon University, UK and Sydney University, Australia and have held many post-doctoral fellowships, namely, at the Institute of the Advanced Science and Technology, the Institute of Health and Safety Research, Japan (2004-2005), the Department of Phototoxin, School of Pharmacology, Robert Gordon University, UK (2006), Leverhulme Trust Post-Doctoral Visiting Research Fellowship UK (2007-2008), Global Centre for Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Japan (2010), and the Commonwealth Research Fellowship in UK (2013-2014), Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council Science, UK (2019).
Prof. Pathmalal has published more than 110 index journal publications in SCI and SCOPUS-indexed journals, three patents for water treatment and over 290 abstract and conference proceedings. He has authored a number of textbooks and international book chapters.
Prof. Pathmalal is a recipient of several national and international awards for research and national contribution, including CVCD Excellence award for most outstanding senior researcher of Biological Sciences including Agriculture and Allied Sciences in 2020, Best Professor in Zoology (Sri Lanka Leadership Award for Education) 2018, Vice-Chancellor’s Award for the Best Researcher (2016), Research Supervision Awards (SUSRED) by National Science Foundation (2017, 2018, 2020), young scientist research award by the President of Sri Lanka (2015), Environmental Award for Green Jobs-Education and Awareness Creation by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (2009), NRC merit awards (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), the “Bronze Award’ at the ‘Innovate Sri Lanka 2019’for the domestic water filter, Presidential awards for recognition of SCI high impact Index-Journal publications (2007-2019). The Research Excellence Gold Medal, Ehime University, Japan. He guided, supervised and completed 16 MPhil and PhDs.
Prof. Pathmalal secured competitive research grants from local and international donor agencies; to strengthen the research capacity of the university from the Ministry of Water, the Irrigation Department, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Research Council (NRC), the Medical Institute (MRI) Sri Lanka, the General Microbiology Society, UK, International Water Management Institute (IWM)I, the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) the USA and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), UK.
Prof. Pathmalal served as water and pollution prevention expert for many national development projects, namely; “Environmental Screening for Surveillance of COVID19 viruses in surface and groundwater”, “Controlling of Pollution and Improving the Quality in water associated with the Diyawanna Oya”, which is the river that flows alongside the House of Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the pollution expert for the “Master Plan on Coast Conservation and Tourism Development within the coastal zone from Negombo to Mirissa in Sri Lanka”, “Screening of pharmaceutical contamination status in environmental samples in Sri Lanka”, “Prevention of waste disposal to the Kelani River and protection of Kelani river lower basin”, “Identification of pollution source, analysis of water quality and development of integrated management plan for the coastal zone, Sri Lanka” and cyanotoxin specialist number of new drinking water treatments plants. He has served as a water quality and pollution expert member for more than 20 national consultancy projects.
