Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

I have been working at the National Diabetes Centre which is run by the Diabetes Association of Sri Lanka since 2014 and currently the Deputy Medical Director. We conduct screening for complications of diabetes, wellness clinics, Education and Awareness programmes and Prevention and Risk Assessment of diabetes and NCDs. We also conduct day and residential camps for T1DM young persons. We also have a Young leaders group.
I have taken part in residential camps the NDC has organized in the last 3 years. We have monitored their blood level fluctuations after physical activities as well at night and been able to adjust the dosages for better control. I have also been involved with educational programmes for care givers, parents and family where we try to find solutions to their problems. This involves counseling where my training in adult, geriatric and crisis team in Psychiatry in the UK has helped immensely. I speak at awareness programmes and on TV often.

I have been involved with numerous Education, Awareness and Screening sessions where I have spoken about Non-Communicable Diseases in public settings. Most significant of which was as the opening speaker of a panel discussing ‘scaling up prevention of NCD’s’ at the civil society interactive hearing organized by the UNGA in New York in July 2018. It was highlighted that it’s vital to carry out interventions to curb the burden of disease by intervening early in life. Also, that lifestyle modification is the most effective way to halt the acceleration of incidence of preventable NCD’s in the world.
I was privileged to attend a NCD Council Meeting which was chaired by Honourable Minister of Health. It was attended by all stakeholders.
As part of local advocacy work, I have given public lectures on NCD’s to approximately three hundred persons from the corporate sector sponsored by a global health insurance company. Question and Answer sessions were tabled in where anyone can ask questions related to their health.
Furthermore, I assisted Dr Mahen Wijesuriya, Executive Director of NCDAL to create short video clips in order to create awareness through a phone app that is being developed by a major media company in Sri Lanka.
In addition, I have been invited by ‘Diabetes Voice’ which is the online magazine of the International Diabetes Federation to write their guest editorial as well as a full article about the work we do at the Diabetes Association of Sri Lanka.
I continue to be involved with medical research pertaining to identifying changes namely in retinas and blood vessels before the onset of disease hoping that someday by using this technology we will be able to identify those who are at high risk.
NCDAL hope to educate and screen more than 5000 persons in the coming year. I will be playing an active role in educating most of them.

When I was ten, my father developed a life-threatening heart condition. I watched in awe as a team of doctors worked tirelessly to restore his health, performing a five-hour double bypass operation to give him a new lease of life. This incredible experience strengthened my desire to someday do similar work. Ultimately I decided to read medicine at University so that I can offer my help and support to persons living with NCDs and their families as I have experienced the stress and worry one goes through as a care giver.

I was one of 2 that represented Sri Lanka to participate in a regional meeting held by International Diabetes Federation held in October 2016 in Hyderabad India. I have has been involved with writing articles on researches conducted by DASL. I presented three posters at the International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes World Conference held in Innsbruck Austria in October 2017. One of which was the National Registry of Type 1 diabetes in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, I was selected to attend a workshop in advocacy and public speaking - ‘Our Views, Our Voices’ which was held in Geneva, Switzerland in May 2018. I have co-authored a paper which was presented at the 40th Annual International Conference of the Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers - Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society held in Honolulu, USA in July 2018.
Also, I have completed online short courses on Diabetes management for Physicians from International Diabetes Federation and on Public Health by Johns Hopkins and Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Diabetes has reached a pandemic level with 425 million persons living with diabetes across the world. In Sri Lanka, 2.1 million persons afflicted and another 2.3 million persons with abnormal glucose levels (Pre-diabetes). In addition, there is a significant reduction in age of onset which is alarming. With 1 in 5 persons affected and with no cure in sight, prevention before illness is the only way. The alarming thing is that 1 in 2 persons are unaware they have diabetes. I feel the main method to prevent Diabetes is through increased Education and Awareness. I will continue my advocacy work at both National and International level in the future.

Laura  MBChB (2008)
Paediatric ST5  (Health, social care and psychology)

Accepts questions from students about their career