Research team

Danesh Jayatilaka (PhD, Cmb) - Chairman

Danesh Jayatilaka is a Researcher working on forced migration issues. He has a PhD in economics and masters and bachelor’s degrees in business administration. Danesh has worked with several agencies and research institutions in various capacities for nearly 20 years.

Danesh’s personal page

Ranmini Vithanagama (PhD, Cmb) - Director

Ranmini Vithanagama has a PhD in economics and is a consultant researcher at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES). She holds a BA (Economics) from the University of Colombo and a Master’s in Economics from the University of Colombo. She is also an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Her research interests span internal displacement, gender and poverty-related issues, and macroeconomic studies in developing countries. She has worked with Oxford Policy Management, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank as a country researcher and consultant on various assignments related to her research interests. She is also a freelance financial analyst with a special interest in the banking sector.

Ranmini’s personal page

Abdhullah Azam (B.Sc., Wayamba)

Abdhullah Azam is a Masters student in Economics at the University of Colombo. He is also doing an LL.B at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). He holds a B.Sc in Business Management from the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. He has sound experience in the field of research activities as a Research Assistant and Project Manager. His research interest areas include urban migration, infrastructure economics, poverty and macroeconomic studies.

Azam’s personal page

Anoji Ekanayake (MDS, Cmb)

Anoji Ekanayake is a research professional with extensive experience in research on migrant workers in the Gulf region. Her work has appeared in various international outlets such as Migration and Development (Routledge) and Comparative Migration Studies (Springer). She holds a Masters in Development Studies from the University of Colombo and a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours from the University of Peradeniya.

Anoji’s personal page

Shashini Gamage (PhD, La Trobe)

Shashini Ruwanthi Gamage is a researcher, journalist, and filmmaker, based in Australia and Sri Lanka. She is a PhD (2012-16) of La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Her research interests are gender, media, and migration, utilising ethnography, video and photographic methods. As a Research Associate, Sociology, at La Trobe University, Melbourne, she is affiliated to the Australian Research Council project ‘Ageing and New Media’, examining older Sri Lankan migrants’ use of digital and new media in Australia. She is also affiliated with the ‘Healthy Futures’ project of La Trobe University, examining the barriers and enablers for accessing healthcare in rural Australia, working with Karen refugee migrants of Myanmar.

Shashini’s personal page

Malki Rodrigo (B.Sc., Moratuwa)

Malki Rodrigo is a Town and Country Planning graduate from the University of Moratuwa and is currently reading for her Masters in Environment Management at Brunel University, London. She specializes in spatial data analysis and visualization using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). She has worked as a Research Officer in the SEVANATHA Urban Resource Centre, performing spatial data analysis and literature research for the Greater Colombo water and sanitation improvement project and Inclusive urban infrastructure. Her research interests include spatial data science, sustainable cities, and climate change.

Malki’s personal page

Nayana Godamunne (MSc, Oxford)

Nayana holds a Masters degree in Forced Migration from the Department of international Development at the University of Oxford and a Bachelors degree in Politics and Sociology from the University of Bristol. Her interests include social protection and development related to aspects of forced migration including displacement in both conflict and development, resettlement and social safeguards. She has a number of international publications and has contributed to policy development.

Nayana’s personal page

Shiyana Gunasekara (MA, Johns Hopkins)

Shiyana Gunasekara is a energy and climate consultant in Washington, DC, and a Pacific Forum Young Leader. With an M.A. in international economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University, SAIS, she specializes in international energy markets and trade and development in the Indian Ocean Region. Ms. Gunasekara was a U.S. Fulbright Researcher to Sri Lanka in 2014-2015.

Shiyana’s personal page

Maneka Jayasinghe (PhD, Griffith)

Maneka is a lecturer in Economics in the Asia Pacific College of Business and Law, Charles Darwin University, Australia. Her research interests include, Consumer Demand Analysis, Poverty, Gender and Income Inequality, and Tourism Economics. She has a PhD in Economics from Griffith University, Australia.

Maneka’s personal page

Indika Samarakoon (MSc, McGill)

Indika Samarakoon is an independent consultant with 18 years of experience in international development. She has worked for the World Bank, Canadian International Development Agency, Care International in Sri Lanka and Vietnam, Centre for Poverty Analysis, Chrysalis GTE and Diageo PLC on urban development, poverty alleviation with a focus on gender, livelihoods and youth development. She is currently consulting for the World Bank on social and human development projects.

Krishnamoorthy Charith (BBA, Peradeniya)

Charith is a professional-turned-academic who works for the Department of Computer Science and Informatics, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka. He is professionally qualified as a management accountant (CIMA, UK). He is reading for a MBA in Finance at the University of Colombo and his research areas are corporate finance, risk management and data visualizations.