WIJITHA U. NILAWEERA, M.D.
Research interests
Cerebellum, thalamus, and cortex in control
of motor behaviors
Education
1994 – 1997
- MD (Doctor of medicine),
1989 – 1993
- BS in medicine, Tashkent State
University and Second Tashkent State Medical Institute, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Professional experience
2008 – Postdoctoral
Associate, Barrow Neurological Institute,
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,
1999
– 2000 - Family
Physician in Private
1997 – 1998 - Physician-House
Officer in
Publications
(A) Peer-reviewed articles
1. Marlinski V, Nilaweera
WU, Zelenin PV, Sirota MG, Beloozerova IN.
Signals from the ventrolateral thalamus to the motor cortex during
locomotion. J. Neurophysiol., 107(1): 455-472, 2011. link
2. 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., 51(1): 255-263,
2009. link
3. Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD,
Bracha V. Inactivation of cerebellar output axons impairs acquisition of
conditioned eyeblinks. Brain Res., 1122(1): 143-53,
2006. PDF
4. Nilaweera WU, Zenitsky GD,
Bracha V. Inactivation of the brachium
conjunctivum prevents extinction of classically conditioned eyeblinks. Brain
Res., 1045: 175-184, 2005. link
5. 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.
Armer MC, Nilaweera WU, Dasgupta NM, Rivers TJ, Beloozerova
IN. Effect of light on the activity of motor cortex during locomotion.
2.
Nilaweera WU, Beloozerova IN. Activity of lateral nucleus
of cerebellum during visually guided locomotion.
3.
Nilaweera WU, Irwin K, Zenitsky GD, Bracha V. Effects
of cerebellar output inactivation on deep cerebellar nuclear cell activity.
(C)
Poster and oral presentations
- Beloozerova IN, Nilaweera WU, Viana di Prisco G,
Sirota MG, Marlinski V. Sparse
locomotion-related activity of cortico-cortical projection from parietal
area 5b to motor cortex.
Society for Neuroscience, 803.08 (2011). (poster)
- Armer MC, Nilaweera WU, Dasgupta NM, Rivers TJ,
Beloozerova IN. Walking in the light: Responses of motor cortical
neurons. Society for
Neuroscience, 802.04 (2011). (poster)
- Favorov OV, Nilaweera WU, Miasnikov AA,
Beloozerova IN. Profound activity of somatosensory responsive neurons in
high subdivisions of SI cortex during simple locomotion. Society for
Neuroscience, 178.15 (2010). (poster)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Nilaweera WU, Irwin K, Zenitsky GD, Aksenov DP,
and Bracha V. Are feedback loops
involved in the cerebellar neuronal correlates of conditioned eyeblinks?
- 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)
- 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
ü Full scholarship
from the Russian government to study human medicine in the
ü The outstanding
international student award in essentials in internal medicine,
the Second Tashkent Medical Institute,
ü
The outstanding international student award in topographical
anatomy, the Second Tashkent Medical Institute,
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,
ü
Sri Lanka Student Association, Second Tashkent State Medical
Institute,
