WIJITHA U. NILAWEERA, M.D.

 

Research interests

Cerebellum in control of motor behaviors

 

Education

 

1994 – 1997         -     MD (Doctor of medicine), Kuban State Medical Academy, Krasnodar, Russia. 

1989 – 1993         -     BS in medicine, Tashkent State University and Second Tashkent State Medical Institute, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

 

Professional experience

 

2008 –                       Postdoctoral Associate, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona         

2006 – 2008        -     Research Associate, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

 

2001 – 2006         -    Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

 

1999 – 2000        -     Family Physician in Private Practice, Sri Lanka.

 

1997 – 1998        -      Physician-House Officer in Sri Lanka Army Headquarters Hospital, Sri Lanka.

 

Publications

(A)  Peer-reviewed articles

 

1.       Grozdanic S, Kecova H, Harper MM, Nilaweera WU, Kuehn MH, Kardon RH. Functional and structural changes in a canine model of hereditary primary angle-closure glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Aug 6. [Epub ahead of print] link

 

2.     Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD, Bracha V.  Inactivation of cerebellar output axons impairs acquisition of conditioned eyeblinks.  Brain Res., 1122(1): 143-53, 2006. link

 

3.     Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD, Bracha V.  Inactivation of the brachium conjunctivum prevents extinction of classically conditioned eyeblinks.  Brain Res., 1045: 175-184, 2005. link

 

4.     Bracha V, Nilaweera W, Zenitsky G, Irwin K.  Video recording system for the measurement of eyelid movements during classical conditioning of the eyeblink response in the rabbit.  J. Neurosci. Meth., 125: 173-181, 2003. link

 

(B)  Manuscripts in preparation

 

1.    Nilaweera WU, Beloozerova IN. Activity of lateral nucleus of cerebellum during visually guided locomotion.

 

2.    Nilaweera WU, Irwin K, Zenitsky GD, Bracha V. Effects of cerebellar output inactivation on deep cerebellar nuclear cell activity.

 

 

(C)  Poster and oral presentations

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Beloozerova IN. Neurons of lateral nucleus of cerebellum change their step-related frequency modulation when visual control of stepping is required. Society for Neuroscience, 367.25 (2009). (poster)

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD, Bracha V. Inactivating the cerebellar cortex with muscimol and tetrodotoxin: effects on the expression of classically conditioned eyeblink. Society for Neuroscience (2006). (poster)

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD, Bracha V. Unilateral inactivation of the lateral lemniscus does not impair acquisition of conditioned eyeblinks in the rabbit. Society for Neuroscience (2005).  Program No. 197.11. (poster)

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD, Bracha V. Cerebellar cortical involvement in memory consolidation of classically conditioned eyeblinks. Society for Neuroscience (2005).  Program No. 197.12. (poster)

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD, Irwin KB, Bracha V.  Assessing diffusion of tetrodotoxin in the rabbit brain: suppressing conditioned eyeblinks by brachium conjunctivum inactivation, Society for Neuroscience (2004).  Program No. 136.4. (Oral presentation)

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD, Bracha V. Inactivation of the brachium conjunctivum disrupt the acquisition of classically conditioned eyeblinks in the rabbit.  Society for Neuroscience (2004).  Program No. 136.5.  (Oral presentation)

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD, Irwin KB, Bracha V.  Effects of inactivation of the superior cerebellar peduncle on extinction of classically conditioned eyeblinks in the rabbit. Society for Neuroscience (2003).  Program No. 87.18.  (poster)

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Irwin K, Zenitsky GD, Aksenov DP, and Bracha V.  Are feedback loops involved in the cerebellar neuronal correlates of conditioned eyeblinks?  Midwest Neurobiology Meeting (2003), Program No.P21.  (poster)

 

  1. Aksenov DP, Zenitsky G, Irwin K, Nilaweera W, and Bracha V. Stimulus specificity of neuronal responses in the interposed nuclei during the expression of conditioned eyeblinks.  Society for Neuroscience (2002).  Program No. 79.5.  (poster)

 

  1. Nilaweera WU, Irwin K, Zenitsky GD, Aksenov DP, and Bracha V.  Are feedback loops involved in the cerebellar neuronal correlates of conditioned eyeblinks? Society for Neuroscience (2002), Program No. 79.6.  (poster)

 

Awards and Honors

 

ü      Full scholarship from the Russian (former USSR) government to study human medicine in the Soviet Union.  1989-1993

ü      Full scholarship from the Russian government to study human medicine in the Russian Federation.  1994-1997

ü      The outstanding international student award in essentials in internal medicine, the Second Tashkent Medical Institute, Uzbekistan.  (Fall semester 1992)

ü      The outstanding international student award in topographical anatomy, the Second Tashkent Medical Institute, Uzbekistan.  (Spring semester 1993)

 

Memberships

 

ü        Society for Neuroscience (member)

ü        American Physiological Society (member)

ü        Midwest Neurobiologists (member-2003)

ü        Giving Friends International (an NPO) (treasurer since 2005)

ü        Sri Lanka Student Association, Kuban State Medical Academy, Krasnodar Russia (President, 1995-96)

ü        Sri Lanka Student Association, Second Tashkent State Medical Institute, Uzbekistan (President, 1993)

ü         Sri Lanka – Soviet friendship youth circle, Colombo, Sri Lanka, (executive committee member, 1987-88)

 

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