Chinthani Karandeni Dewage is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Life and Medical Sciences. She has expertise in the area of plant pathology, especially on diseases caused by fungal plant pathogens. Her current research aims to exploit plant and fungal genomics and molecular genetics to improve the understanding of major fungal diseases affecting oilseed rape cultivation in the UK. Her postdoctoral research focuses on developing integrated control strategies for phoma stem canker pathogens (Leptosphaeria maculans and L. biglobosa) on Brassica napus (oilseed rape). She has also been working on the B. napus-Pyrenopeziza brassicae (light leaf spot) pathosystem with emphasis on understanding specific host-pathogen interactions and identification of major gene-mediated and quantitative resistance against P. brassicae.  

Chinthani is a member of the Royal Society of Biology and the British Society for Plant Pathology. She represents the School of Life and Medical Sciences on the UH Research Development Group as the early career research representative for the school. 

• Molecular plant-pathogen interactions
• Exploitation of genetics and genomics to improve crop production
• Host resistance against fungal plant pathogens
• Molecular marker development and QTL mapping
• Pathogen population studies

       Education

       PhD (University of Hertfordshire, UK, 2019)

       MSc (University of Hertfordshire, UK, 2012)

       BSc (University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2009)