Dr. Akila Harishchandra

Education

• Ph.D. in Marine Biology, University of Maine, Maine, United States – 2023
• B.Sc. in Fisheries and Marine Sciences, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka – 2011

Biography

Dr. Akila Harishchandra is an environmental big data analyst, marine conservationist, climate advocate, and a PADI Rescue–certified SCUBA diver who currently serves as a Senior Lecturer (Grade II) at the Department of Bio Process Technology. After completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Ruhuna in 2011, he joined the Oceanography Division of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) as a Scientist, where he worked for seven years.

In 2019, he left NARA to pursue doctoral studies in Marine Biology at the School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, USA. His research expertise centers on environmental big data analytics, including climate data analysis, IPCC model downscaling, and multi-omics approaches. After completing his Ph.D. in 2023, Dr. Harishchandra began a postdoctoral appointment at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, North Carolina, where he gained extensive experience in developing integrated climate–omics analytical pipelines to assess human and environmental health degradation in the Anthropocene.

Currently, Dr. Harishchandra leads and collaborates on research projects that examine the impacts of climate change on human and marine ecosystem health by integrating genomic and climate data analytics. His work particularly focuses on developing methods to assess atmospheric and domestic humid heat variability and its implications for human health, identifying climate-resilient coral species to support Sri Lanka’s national coral restoration initiatives, and promoting environmental big data–driven climate-smart agricultural practices in Sri Lanka.

Teaching Courses

• BPT3302: Bioinformatics
• BPT3203: Bioprocess Instrumentation
• BPT2203: Genetics and Evolution
• BPT1202: Cell Biology

Publications

• Akila Harishchandra, Luke Parson, Nishad Jayasundara. Closing Humid Heat Data Gaps for Better Climate Change Preparedness in LMICs: ERA5-WBGT Validation and Insights from Sri Lanka (under review), Environmental Science and Technology Letters
•  Emily M. Green, Akila Harishchandra, John F. Rawls, Colin R. Lickwar, Richard T. Di Giulio, Nishad Jayasundara. The External Microbiome Communicates with the Developing Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryo Through the Protective Chorion and Influences Developmental Trajectory, (under review), Royal Society Proceedings B
•  Akila Harishchandra. Revealing ENSO-Linked Oceanic and Atmospheric Controls Driving Coral Bleaching: Lessons from Sri Lanka’s Fringing Reef Systems (under review), Coral Reefs
•  Emily M. Green, Akila Harishchandra, John F. Rawls, Colin R. Lickwar, Richard T. Di Giulio, Nishad Jayasundara. Environmental Microbial Responses in Vertebrates: Insights from the Zebrafish (Danio rerio)  Emily M. Green, Akila Harishchandra, John F. Rawls, Colin R. Lickwar, Richard T. Di Giulio, Nishad Jayasundara. Environmental Microbial Responses in Vertebrates: Insights from the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Model, Molecular Ecology
•   I.G.S.S Ekanayaka, K.M.L.B Kulasekara, H. K. S. de Zoysa, Akila Harishchandra, T.C Bamunuarachchige. Bridging Barriers and Solutions for Better Climate-Adapted Agriculture in Low- to Middle-Income Countries, Agriculture and Environmental Letters
•   Akila Harishchandra,Richard D Giulio, Nishad Jayasundara. Transcriptomic and methylomic analyses show significant shifts in  biosynthetic processes and reduced intrapopulation variance in PAHs- adapted Atlantic killifish, Environmental Science and Technology  
• Babich R, Merutka I, Craig E, Harishchandara A, De Silva PMCS, Gunasekara TDKSC, Jayasundara N. 2024, Transcriptomic and behavioral analyses reveal unique target tissues and molecular pathways  associated with embryonic exposure to low-level glyphosate and metal  mixtures in zebrafish, The Science of the total environment
•   Akila Harishchandra, Huijie Xue, Santiago Salinas, Nishad Jayasundara. 2022, Thermal Physiology integrated species distribution model predicts profound habitat fragmentation for estuarine fish with ocean warming, Scientific Reports
•  P Mangala CS De Silva, EMDV Ekanayake, TDKSC Guna sekara, WAKG Thakshila, PMMA Sandamini, PA Abeysiriward- hana, KGD Nishara, Akila Harishchandra, PH Chaminda De Silva, Nipuna Siribaddana, EPS Chandana, SS Jayasinghe, Sisira Siribaddana, Nishad Jayasundara. 2022, Occupational heat exposure alone may not explain chronic kidney disease of uncertain aetiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka, Journal of Climate Change and Health
•  Ashani Arulananthan, Venura Herath, Sivashanthini Kuganathan, Anura Upashantha, Akila Haishchandra. 2021, The status of the coral reefs of the Jaffna Peninsula (northern Sri Lanka) with 36 coral species new to Sri Lanka confirmed by DNA barcoding, Oceans
•  K.A.D.A.T Harishchandra and K.Arulananthan. 2015 Seasonal variability of mixed layer depth in the Bay of  Bengal,  20-30, Journal of National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency, Sri Lanka