• Stress & HPA Axis
• Transgenerational stress & Obesity
• Appetite & Energy balance
• Hypothalamic Therapeutic targets for Obesity

• 2014 Endocrine Society of Australia (ESA) Junior Scientist Finalist
• 2014 ESA Research Snapshots award to attend the annual general meeting in Melbourne
• 2014 Finalist at the annual scientific meeting of the Endocrine Society of Australia (ESA) for Novartis Junior Scientist award
• 2013 ESA Basic science award to attend the ESA annual general meeting in Sydney.
• 2012 Finalist for the Department of Physiology 3-minute thesis (3-MT) competition organised by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.
• 2012 Dr Paula Hansky OAM and Dr Jack Hansky AM PhD Prize for Research Excellence from Monash Obesity and Diabetes Institute (MODI)
• 2012 Monash University Faculty of Medicine Postgraduate Research Scholarship for PhD study
• 2011 Top Honours Student (First-Class, H1, highest GPA) in the Monash Obesity and Diabetes Institute MODI), Department of Physiology, Monash University.
• 2009 Awarded the Golden Key International Honour Society membership for outstanding academic performance in Bachelor of Biomedical Science
• 2007 Awarded the prize for outstanding academic performance in Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY)
• 2007 Awarded the prize for outstanding academic performance in English Language in MUFY

Orations/Guest lectures/Invited Speech/Plenary:

• 2024 Guest lecture titled “Stress and Time Management” at the ‘Study-Start’ program, organized by the Edith Cowan University (ECU), Australia, Sri Lankan branch.
• 2023 Keynote speaker, Teaching Seminar titled “Stress, divergence in stress response and obesity: The role of a simple stress challenge as a screening and a therapeutic strategy for obesity, Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore (NUS).
• 2023 Guest speech titled “The Australian Way” at the ‘Study-Start’ program, organized by the Edith Cowan University (ECU), Australia, Sri Lankan branch.
• 2023 Keynote speaker at the 3rd Biomedical Science Workshop organized by the ‘Bioholics’ Committee of Edith Cowan University (ECU), Australia, Sri Lankan branch.

• 2016 Sakda D. Hewagalamulage, Iain J. Clarke, Alexandra Rao and Belinda A. Henry, Ewes With Divergent Cortisol Responses to ACTH Exhibit Functional Differences in the Hypothalamo-Pituitary- Adrenal (HPA) Axis. Endocrinology. 2016 Sep;157(9):3540-9. doi: 10.1210/en.2016-1287. Epub 2016 Jul 14.
• 2016 Hewagalamulage SD, Lee TK, Clarke IJ, Henry BA. Stress, cortisol, and obesity: a role for cortisol responsiveness in identifying individuals prone to obesity. Domest Anim Endocrinol. 2016 Jul;56 Suppl:S112-20. doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2016.03.004. Epub 2016 Mar 31. Review.
• 2015 Sakda D. Hewagalamulage, Iain J. Clarke, I. Ross Young, Alexandra Rao and Belinda A. Henry, High cortisol response to ACTH identifies animals with reduced melanocortin signalling and increased propensity to obesity. J Neuroendocrinol. 2015 Jan;27(1):44-56. doi: 10.1111/jne.12233.
• 2013 Sakda Hewagalamulage, Iain J Clarke and Belinda Henry, Animals selected for high cortisol responsiveness have reduced melanocortin signalling and increased propensity to obesity, 2013, Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, 7:e64. (Conference Publication).
• 2013 Sakda D Hewagalamulage, Iain J Clarke and Belinda A Henry, Stress responsiveness predicts propensity to obesity in animals with altered melanocortin signalling, Endocrine Reviews, Volume 34, Issue 4 Supplement, August 2013. (Conference Publication).

• 2024 2nd International Conference – Emerging Trends in Healthcare Sciences (ICETHS 2024), Batticaloa, Sri Lanka - Abstract Titled “Body mass index and pre-eclampsia: Unveiling the association between pre- pregnancy body mass index and the risk of pre-eclampsia in Asia”.
• 2024 2nd International Conference – Emerging Trends in Healthcare Sciences (ICETHS 2024), Batticaloa, Sri Lanka - Abstract Titled “The effect of the benzo(a)pyrene exposure on the trophoblast cell viability and the decidualization of the endometrium leading to miscarriage”.
• 2015 Australian & New Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS) Conference, Melbourne – Poster presentation titled “Animals selected for high cortisol responsiveness have increased propensity to obesity and altered melanocortin signaling”
• 2015 ESA Early Career Researcher Conference, Adelaide – Oral Presentation Titled “Altered melanocortin signaling in animals with increased propensity to obesity”.
• 2014 8th International congress of Neuroendocrinology, Sydney, Australia – Poster presentation titled “High cortisol response to ACTH identifies animals with reduced melanocortin signaling”.
• 2014 The Annual Scientific Meeting of the Endocrine Society of Australia and the Society for Reproductive Biology 2014, Melbourne. Finalist for the Novartis Junior Scientist Award, oral presentation titled “Differences in cortisol response to ACTH marks an innate difference in the set-point of the HPA axis that is maternally inherited”.
• 2014 The annual Endocrine Society of Australia seminar, Tasmania – Oral presentation titled “Cortisol response to ACTH selects animals with innate differences in the HPA axis set point”.
• 2014  Victorian Obesity Consortium (VOC) talks, dinner and drinks, Melbourne (2014) - Poster presentation titled “Animals selected as high cortisol responders to an adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) challenge has increased propensity to obesity through reduced melanocortin signalling”
• 2013 Australian and New Zealand Obesity society (ANZOS) conference, Melbourne – Oral presentation titled “Animals characterized as High Cortisol Responders to a Synacthen (ACTH) Challenge show increased propensity to obesity through reduced melanocortin signaling”.
• 2013 The Annual Scientific Meeting of the Endocrine Society of Australia and the Society for Reproductive Biology 2013, Sydney – Oral presentation titled “Cortisol responsiveness to a Synacthen (ACTH) challenge predicts propensity to obesity in animals with altered melanocortin signaling”.
• 2013 US Endocrine Society’s 95th annual meeting and expo, San Francisco – Poster presentation titled “Stress responsiveness predicts propensity to obesity in animals with altered melanocortin signaling”. Published in: Endocrine Reviews (2013) Volume 34 Issue 4 Supplement, August 2013.
• 2013 ESA seminar weekend, Gold Coast – Oral presentation titled “Stress responsiveness predicts propensity to obesity in animals with altered melanocortin signaling”.
• 2012  Monash Obesity and Diabetes Institute (MODI) symposium, Melbourne (2012) – Poster presentation titled “Differential effects of hypothalamic appetite-regulating peptides in animals selected for high or low cortisol responsiveness”.
• 2012  Victorian Obesity Consortium (VOC) talks, dinner and drinks, Melbourne (2012) - Poster presentation titled “Differential effects of hypothalamic appetite-regulating peptides in animals selected for high or low cortisol responsiveness”

• 2024    Coordinator, Personal and professional development (PPD) program for MBBS curriculum, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
• 2024    Coordinator for academic calendars in the MBBS curriculum, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
• 2020    Member of the Academic Mentorship Program for Year 3 Medical Students at Monash University.
• 2020    Orientation Group Leader for Clinical Site Orientations for Year 3 Medical Students at Monash Medical Centre Hospital, Australia.
• 2012 – 2017 Treasurer of the Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Committee of the Department of Physiology, Monash University.

• 2022 – Current   Senior visiting lecturer in Physiology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University (ECU) Australia, Sri Lankan Campus.
• 2022 – Current   External examiner for Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences Program, Spectrum Institute of Science & Technology (SIST), Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• 2021    Conducted a Video Interview on “Obesity trends, Therapeutics for Obesity and Depression” in Vishvavahini Sri Lankan Media Channel, Melbourne. Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dda8-H2ZTCY&t=16s
• 2020   Conducted a Video Interview on “Current trends in COVID-19 around the World” with Melbourne’s popular Sri Lankan Journalist Mel-Sahan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1wywz49np8&t=903s

• Teaching
• Supervision
• Research
• Administration
• Clinical Service

Teaching physiology – conducting lectures, tutorials, PBTs, practical sessions for MBBS students

Teaching physiology – Endocrine and Reproduction modules for the Department of Disability Studies (DDS). 

• Department of physiology, UOK research study (HRV Study)
• Impact of undergraduate study stress on appetite and energy balance (ECU Study)
• Mini-systematic review on the impact of undergraduate study on energy balance (ECU Study)