In 2006, I won a prestigious NSERC (National Sciences and Engineering Research Council) University Faculty Award and joined Dalhousie University in September 2006. I have been doing research on programmed cell death (PCD) since 1996 and have worked with three different systems: cell death during aerenchyma formation in maize roots, Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Ion Channel (CNGC) family genes-induced hypersensitive cell death in tobacco leaves, and leaf morphogenesis in lace plant and Monstera. The accessibility and predictability of perforation formation in lace plant leaves and the ability to propagate lace plant in sterile conditions make the lace plant an attractive model system for the study of developmentally-regulated PCD in plants. Because of this, I selected lace plant as a “model plant” to carry out further in depth research on programmed cell death.  I am currently collaborating with two researchers at the Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University to investigate the effect of lace plant leaf anthocyanin extracts on cancer cells. I am passionate about my research on PCD and very much enjoy mentoring my undergraduate and graduate students!

2024 (from 01 July)

Faculty of Science Killam Professorship

2022 Discovery Awards Science Champion recipent

https://discoveryawards.ca/

https://twitter.com/DiscoveryCntr/status/1595576639592833024

Rooted in community: Dalhousie innovators celebrated for their impact in Nova Scotia and beyond at Discovery Awards - Dal News - Dalhousie University

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC’s) Discovery Accelerator Supplements (DAS) for 2017-2020

https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/news-events/news/2017/09/18/dalhousie_researchers_secure_over__8_million_to_further_discoveries.html

Canadian Botanical Association's Magister Teaching award 2016

http://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/news-events/news/newsletter/2016_05_30__2016_06_03.html

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGCNqzWkUcB/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGKOlohEUeI

Dalhousie Alumni Association Award of Excellence for Teaching 2013

http://www.dal.ca/news/2013/10/04/celebrating-our-outstanding-alumni-.html?utm_source=dalnewsWeekly&utm_medium=email&utm_content=253&utm_campaign=dalnews

http://www.dal.ca/news/2013/06/21/a-shared-education.html

Outstanding Graduate Advisor Award 2013

Faculty of Science Killam Prize for exceptional research ability 2011/2012

Dalhousie Student Union Teaching Excellence Award 2010/2011

NSERC University Faculty Award 2006-2011

Contact Information:

Arunika Gunawardena, PhD
Professor
Dalhousie University
Biology Department
Life Sciences Centre,
1355 Oxford Street,
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2
Nova Scotia, Canada

e-mail: arunika.gunawardena@dal.ca

Tel: (902) 494-1594
Fax: (902) 494-3736

http://www.dal.ca/academics/programs/undergraduate/biology/a_day_in_the_life/faculty/arunika_gunawardena.html