Tell us about your role at UHN and how long you have been in this role.
I am a postdoctoral researcher at Dr. Catriona Steele‘s Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Lab at the KITE Research Institute. Our lab focuses on understanding feeding and swallowing difficulties in children and adults. My work specifically uses videofluoroscopy to study swallowing, which essentially uses a video X-ray to visualize how food is transferred into the intestines.
I joined the KITE Research Institute in January of 2023 and was previously a university lecturer and speech-language pathologist in Sri Lanka.
What are you passionate about in your role at UHN?
My role at UHN as a postdoctoral researcher has allowed me to work with so many wonderful people from various cultural and socio-demographic backgrounds. I get to engage with fellow researchers and trainees at different phases in their professional journey and share our diverse experiences. I am fortunate to have found such an enriching and positive work culture.
How does your work help to advance UHN's vision of A Healthier World?
My purpose as a researcher is to find answers to clinical questions to improve care for individuals with swallowing disorders. UHN’s vision of A Healthier World aligns with my aim of improving evidence-based health care. My work is about offering the best we have for our children and ensuring that our adult populations continue to thrive with improved health care for all.
What does health research mean to you? What makes UHN an ideal place to advance health research?
As health care researchers, it is our responsibility to find avenues to promote accessible health care systems for everyone and equip our clinicians to offer optimal care for people—ultimately, enabling a better quality of life.
The research standards maintained by UHN are world-renowned and I am very proud to call myself a UHN team member. KITE Research Institute is a state-of-the-art rehabilitation institute offering innovative technology to support high-quality research and improve health care globally.
What do you see for the future of health research, and what gets you excited about it?
It is exciting to see people become more conscious about the importance of scientific evidence and bring more attention to health research in the community, media, and policymaking. As a researcher from Sri Lanka, I have worked and learned in various socio-cultural settings and contexts. I have observed that inter-disciplinary research collaborations are most beneficial to optimizing research capacity. I am very excited to see these types of collaboration increase and look forward to better platforms for health research in Canada and worldwide.
Do you have any interests outside of work?
Outside of work, I am very interested in cooking meals from different cuisines and baking. I also love watching cricket, which is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka and a big part of our culture. If I am spending time outside, my go-to place is a beach. Water adventures are my absolute favourite outdoor activity. I love swimming and kayaking, and I am a big fan of adventure sports.
How to Participate in You @TeamUHN
You @TeamUHN is a campaign to highlight the important scientific contributions that research lab staff, trainees and learners, administrative staff, core facilities staff, Research Solutions & Services staff, and volunteers make towards A Healthier World through discovery and innovation. If you’re interested in sharing your story, we invite you to complete this form here (Open to UHN staff, trainees and volunteers).