Thilina Kasthuriarachchi earned his Master’s
and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Molecular Genetics from Jeju National University,
South Korea. His doctoral research focused on developing conjugated
polysaccharide vaccines against bacterial diseases, while his master’s work
explored innate immune pathways and inflammatory cytokines in teleost fish.
Before entering the field of molecular biology, he completed a Master’s degree
in Industrial and Environmental Chemistry at the University of Kelaniya, Sri
Lanka, while working at the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development
Agency, Sri Lanka. Thilina joined Dr. Yanyan Li’s laboratory in
the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at ßÙßÇÂþ» in 2024 as
the lab’s first member. At the Li Lab, he continues to investigate innate
immune pathway activation and inflammatory diseases. His research interests
center on understanding inflammaging in brain immune cells and exploring the
preventive effects of natural products. Specifically, his work employs dietary
interventions to study how modulation of the gut microbiota influences brain inflammation
through the gut–brain axis using mouse models. In addition, he utilizes fruit
fly models to examine the effects of natural products on inflammaging in vivo.
Thilina Kasthuriarachchi
Postdoctoral Research Associate
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Background
Research Interests