Research Profile

Research Fellow in Mechatronics for Medical Devices | The Moazen Lab|  PI: Prof. Mehran Moazen

Nov 2023 - Present

Mechanical Engineering, University College London, UK

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Surgical Robotics | STORM Lab|  PI: Prof. Pietro Valdastri

Dec 2021 - Oct 2023

School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, UK

Leading Robotics research at the STORM Lab.

- Applied engineering research to design and develop of soft magnetic continuum robots, and the magnetic manipulation of such robots for application in minimally invasive surgical procedures.

- Conducting foundational scientific research to create a new navigation mechanisms of tethered long slender soft robotic structures in endoluminal.

Manager of research, dissemination, and administrative activities of Leeds EPSRC Minimal Invasive Technologies for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment project. Coordinating the research of RAs, PhD, and MSc students. Total budget £1.5M.

Adviser/mentor MSc and PhD students at the STORM Lab.

- Direct supervision of 5 PhD/MSc/MRes students, resulting in 5 publications.

- Lead bi-weekly group meetings with all lab PhD/MSc/MRes students with engineering projects providing guidance.

Management of external collaboration projects: Ultrasurge , devise the technical aspects of collaborative works between PDRAs in other groups and my team members. 

Presentation of research outcomes in stake holder meetings: e.g. Edinburgh University, Birmingham University.

Research collaborations: Prof. Koko Lam (Glasgow); Prof. Arianna Menciassi (SSSA, Pisa, Italy) – Applications of Magnetic Soft Continuum Robots

Senior Lecturer in Mechatronics | Sep 2016 - Nov 2021

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Successfully secured £80k+ in research funding as PI and Co-I for Robotics, Mechatronics, and Controls projects.

Lab supervisor of Computational Sensing and Smart Machines Laboratory (CSSM) 

- Initiated, staffed and equipped the lab, developed hands-on sessions and experiments for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

- Conducted consultancy services to industries and provided support for departmental research activities. 

- Managed research in sensors, Actuators, orthotic devices and robotics

- Produced 5 MSc by research degrees, 1 PhD degree and 12+ undergraduate capstone projects . 

- Produced 4 journal papers and 10+ conference publications by the team.

Research collaboratiohns: 


Visiting Researcher | Morph Lab | PI: Thrishantha Nanayakkara | Oct 2014 - Jan 2015

Department of Informatics, Kings' College London, UK