Sujani Rathnayake

I am a MSc student in the Integrative Biology department at the University of Guelph and I am supervised by Dr. Robert Hanner. I completed my BSc Honors Degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in 2017 at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. My expected MSc completion is in the winter of 2021. My passion to do science experimentation since I was in school brought me to science; I used to re-do the science experiments from scratch when I came back from school along with my father; who motivated and taught me how fascinating science is! Before I joined the Hanner Lab, I was a research assistant in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Peradeniya contributing to research publications through lab work and research writing. I was also a post-secondary teaching assistant at the University of Peradeniya and then at Rajarata University of Sri Lanka which enabled me to guide undergraduates in lab sessions, research, and coursework. My great interest in the field of food authentication and adulteration detection via DNA barcoding approaches made me apply for a position in the Hanner Lab. I am currently conducting research experimentation related to my Master's Thesis in the Hanner Lab, and my research interests include food authentication, food fraud detection, neglected and underutilized crops, and botany. I am also one of the Arrell Food Institute Scholars for the year 2019 and am actively engaged in the scholar outreach activities of AFI. Some of my hobbies include reading: I love to read motivational books and books written by scientists on their life experiences, watching movies on Netflix during my free time, composing poems when I am in the perfect mood, gardening, and enjoying outdoor camping in the summer. I wish to pursue my higher education and then hope to join the academia and research sector in the future.