After a long pause due to Covid, we are back at sample and data collection for the study – “Respiratory Infection Severity and Etiology in Sri Lanka: The Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Severity of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections” at THK. This study mainly aims to determine the epidemiology of LRTIs among children and adults, the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of colonizing streptococcus pneumonia, and to evaluate the performance of a host response signature and biomarkers (procalcitonin and C-reactive protein) in identifying bacterial and viral etiologies of LRTIs. The principal investigator of the study is Dr. Gayani Tillekeratne and the Co-investigators of the study: Prof. Champica Bodinayake, Prof. Ajith Nagahawatte, Dr. Vasantha Devasiri, Dr. Gaya Wijayaratne, Dr. Lakmal Fonseka, Ms. Ruvini Kurukulasooriya, Dr. Muhunthan Sellathurai, Dr. Bhagya Piyasiri, Dr. Iroshini Kodikara, D. T. K. Gamage, and Prof. Christopher Woods, Dr. Sky Vanderburg, Dr. Larry Park, Prof. Truls Ostbye.

                          And,

we started a new study named ” Genomic and Epigenomic Characterization and Observation in Sri Lanka (Dengue ECHO)” at the THK. This study mainly aims to develop and validate clinical epigenetic predictors of dengue virus exposure and illness. The principal investigators of the study are Prof. Champica K. Bodinayake, Prof. Ajith Nagahawatte, (Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna), Prof. Christopher Woods, and Dr. Gayani Tillekeratne (Duke University, USA).

Co-Investigators of the study: Prof. Vasantha Devasiri, Prof. Gaya Wijayaratne, Ms. Ruvini Kurukulasooriya (University of Ruhuna), Dr. Bradly Nicholson, Mr. Jack Anderson, Ms. Tianchen Sheng (Duke University).