Professor Srianthie Ayoma Deraniyagala is a Senior Professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of Colombo. Her 42 years of service in the Permanent Carder at the University of Colombo is praiseworthy. She is a product of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo. She graduated with a 1st Class Honours in Chemistry in 1978. After serving as a Temporary Assistant Lecturer in the Department, she was absorbed to the Permanent Cadre in April 1979. She started her Postgraduate studies in Dalhousie University, Canada in September 1979. During her graduate studies she won the Sir lzaak Walton Killam Scholarship, awarded to highly performing international students. She returned to the department in 1984 after obtaining her PhD in Bio-Organic Chemistry. She was the 1st internal academic to teach Biochemistry in the department. In 1987, she was appointed as the convener of a subcommittee to formulate a Biochemistry course for the Faculty of Science. Subsequently she was appointed as the first coordinator of the interdepartmental Biochemistry course of the Faculty in 1990.

During her first sabbatical leave at Wesleyan University, Connecticut, USA in 1992, Prof Deraniyagala carried out research in the area of inhibitors for Beta-lactamases. She went to Wesleyan University through a fellowship for Science in Developing Countries, offered by the National Science Foundation (USA).

On returning to the University she introduced Medicinal Chemistry into curriculum of the Special degree program in Chemistry .

Her research has been predominantly in the areas of Food Chemistry, Natural Product Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry. Her work has been published in international as well as local journals. Her present h index is 12 with 543 Citations. Her research has been recognized at the national level where she was awarded the Presidential Award for Research in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Her research work has been funded by the grants from the University of Colombo, NARESA (NSF) and TWAS.

She is the author of several books and monographs as well. She obtained her Associate Professorship in 1991, Professorship in 2001 and Senior Professorship in 2008.

She has served in numerous committees in the university as well as in national level advisory committees. She was awarded the Yeomen Service Award 2019 by the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon.

After 42 years of service at the University of Colombo, Prof. Deraniyagala will be retiring on the 18th of April 2021. However, even after her retirement from the Department, she will continue to serve the field of Chemistry in the country as she is the President Elect of Institute of Chemistry 2020/2021 and will be serving as the President of the Institute of Chemistry in 2021/2022.

On behalf of the department, I would like to thank Prof. Srianthie Deraniyagala for her invaluable service to the Department and wish her good luck in her future endeavors.