Dr. Lathika Athauda obtained her PhD in Health Sciences from the University of Auckland, New Zealand in 2021 where she studied the alcohol marketing policy environment and its influence on adolescent drinking in Sri Lanka. She holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Kelaniya and is a medically qualified doctor in Sri Lanka. She also obtained a Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Charted Institute of Marketing, UK.

• Tobacco, alcohol and food policy environments
• Non-Communicable Disease
• Health policy and Global Health.
• Mixed methods research
• Qualitative Research in Health Care research

• It’s normal to drink, isn’t it? A qualitative study on factors influencing adolescent drinking in Sri Lanka.Athauda L K,Wickermasinghe A R,Peiris-John R,McCool J.Poster presentation at the 132^nd Anniversary International Conference of the Sri Lanka Medical Council held in Colombo Sri Lanka in September 2021
• Alcohol Drinking and Social Media Use Among School Going Adolescents In Sri Lanka.Athauda LK, Peiris-John R, McCool JP, Wickremasinghe AR,Oral Presentation made at the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health 2020 International Virtual conference held in Colombo Sri Lanka in December 2020
• Gaps and Issues in the alcohol policy environment in Sri Lanka,Athauda L., Peris-John R., McCool J., Ameratunga S., Wickremasinghe R.Oral Presentation made at the Global Alcohol Policy Conference organized by the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance held in Dublin, Ireland in March 2020.
• Shortening the lag between evidence and impact by changing community perceptions: A lesson learnd from tobacco control,Athauda L, Perera K M N., Wickremasinghe R.Oral Presentation made at the Public Health and Global Governance of Alcohol, Thematic Meeting of the Kettil Brun Society in Melbourne Australia in October 2019
• Factors influencing alcohol use among adolescents in South Asia: a systematic review of the literature ,Athauda L., Peris-John R., McCool J., Ameratunga S., Wickremasinghe R.Poster Presentation made at the 1^st South East Asia Regional Group Meeting of the International Epidemiological Association organized by the College of community Physicians of Sri Lanka, September 2019
• Usability of a prototype mobile application for patient record keeping n the war setting at the National Cancer Insittue, Sri Lanka (NCISL).Deduwela RS., Marasinghe RBM., Athauda LK., Siribaddhana P.Poster presentation at the 132^nd Anniversary International Medical Congress of the Sri Lanka Medical Association 2019, Sri Lanka – July 2019
• Exposure To Alcohol Marketing Among Adolescents In Colombo District: A Mixed Methods Study,Athauda L K,Wickermasinghe A R,Peiris-John R,McCool J.Poster presentation at the 132^nd Anniversary International Medical Congress of the Sri Lanka Medical Association 2019, Sri Lanka – July 2019
• Awareness and practices of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alochol (NATA) Act No. 27 of 2006 in Ragama Town,Pathiraja CK, Pathirana AC, Pathiraja SK, Nonis WM, Nimrod D. Athauda LK,Poster presentation at the 13st^d Anniversary International Medical Congress of the Sri Lanka Medical Association 2018, Sri Lanka – July 2018
• Coconut consumption and cardiovascular disease incidence, is there an association? A case control study in Sri Lankan population,L K Athauda,  A Kasturiratne, A R Wickremasinghe,Oral presentation at the 15^th International Nutrition and Diagnostics Conference, Prague Czech Republic – October 2015
• King Coconut Water, Tender Coconut Water, Gatorade and ORS: Which rehydrates athletes best?K. Athauda, A Kasturiratne, A. P. de Silva, A. R. Wickremasinghe,Poster Presentation at the Sri Lanka Medical Association 128^th Anniversary International Medical Congress – July 2015
• Trend of smoking and tobacco use in Sri Lanka 1960 – 2010: Is it affected by cigarette pricing?L K Athauda,  A R Wickremasinghe,Poster Presentation at the Sri Lanka Medical Association 128^th Anniversary International Medical Congress – July 2015
• Three-wheeler drivers in Wattala Urban Council: Does their earning power depend on the involvement with Commercial Sex trade?MAPS Gunawardhana, WDK Ganga, LNU Gunasekera, UPUGRP Gunathilaka, GSNGunathilaka, LK Athauda,Poster Presentation at the Sri Lanka Medical Association 128^th Anniversary International Medical Congress – July 2015
• Policy analysis on tobacco smoking in Sri Lanka,LK Athauda, AR Wickremasinghe,Oral Presentation presented at The International Conference on Public Health, Colombo Sri Lanka – May 2015
• Policy analysis on tobacco smoking in Sri Lanka,LK Athauda, AR Wickremasinghe,Oral Presentation presented at Research Symposium on Combating Alcohol, Tobacco and Other drugs in National Development – Alcohol and Drug Information Center, Colombo Sri Lanka – March 2015
• Does consumption of coconut products increase the risk of CVD mortality?LK Athauda, B Kumarendran, A Kasturiratne, PR Wickremasinghe,Poster presentation at 44^th Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health Conference–Colombo, Sri Lanka  October 2012
• Challenges faced by parents in bringing up a child with cerebral palsy,P Perera, N R Ranatunga, LK Athauda,Poster presentation at 16^th Annual Scientific Congress of the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians – 2012
• Negative health effects of coconut; are they real at the population level?LK Athauda, B Kumarendran, A Kasturiratne, AR Wickremasinghe,Oral presentation presented at Sri Lanka Medical Association 125^th Anniversary International Medical Congress – June 2012
• Traditional beliefs and activities in peuperium; knowledge, attitudes and practices of women ,LK Athauda, R Basnakyake, M Gunawardena, MV Isywarya, RS Deduwela, URR Mendis, WSD Lakmuthu, AARY Siriwardhana, MG Nadeesha, MP Ranga, HTK Disnani, S Fernando,Poster presentation at Sri Lanka Medical Association 125^th Anniversary International Medical Congress – June 2012

• Recipient of the: Short Placement Award for Research Collaboration, Round 3 (2023) granted by Global Health Research, National Institute of Health Care Research, United Kingdom. Research work conducted in collaboration with the Business School, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
• Outstanding Early Career Researcher Merit Award, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya 2021
• Recipient of the award; Doctoral publication excellence scholarship recipient 2020 – School of Population Health, University of Auckland, for the paper; “Athauda, L.K., Peiris-John, R., Ameratunga, S., McCool, J., Wickremasinghe, R. (2020) Factors influencing alcohol use among adolescents in South Asia: a systematic review. Journal of studies on alcohol and other drugs, 81 (5)”.
• University Grants Commission Financial Assistance for University Teachers. 1.1 million LKR grant for PhD studies 2017 – 2020
• University of Kelaniya Postgraduate Studies Grant Scheme for PhD Studies 2017 - 2020

• Communicating Research through Social Media, resource person for the Research Communication Workshop organized by the GHRU University of Kelaniya through the GHR, NIHR UK CADA Grant, August 1 – 6^th 2023
• Dr F A Wickremasinghe Oration of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, 3^rd February 2023. Oration title; What determines alcohol drinking among adolescents in Sri Lanka?

• Post -Doc researcher of the Study titled, A population-based health promotion intervention to reduce the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes in Sri Lanka: Happy Village Plus Project under the Global Health Research Unit for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease, a multi country study based conducted in  UK, Singapore, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• Member of the International Alcohol Control Study group which studies the global alcohol policy environment.

• Coordinator, Master of Public Health in Epidemiology Degree Programme, Department of Public Health since 2022
• Academic Counsellor for the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Medicine
Career Guidance Unit Coordinator University of Kelaniya since 2022
• Secretary, Kelaniya University Faculty of Medicine, Teachers’ Association since 2022
• Member Board of Study in Medical Sciences since November 2022
• Member Curriculum Committee Faculty of Medicine
• Member Student Academic Affairs Committee, Faculty of Medicine Since August 2022