Student Free Paper Sessions

The 30th Anniversary Academic Sessions were organized in a hybrid manner starting with the Professor Carlo Fonseka Memorial Lecture, two days of international research symposia and one day of free paper sessions for undergraduate health and allied health students.

The free paper session was held on the 31st of October 2020 at the Main Auditorium from 8.30 am to 5 pm. A student committee co -chaired by Mr. Pasindu Walsinghe (Batch 30) and Mr. Udaaran Selvaratnam (Batch 29) organized the event, under the supervision of the Conference Organizing Committee and the 30th Anniversary Celebrations Steering Committee. The committee secretary Ms. Priyanjalaa Sumanasekera (Batch 30) along with many representatives from MBBS Batches 29, 30, 31 and 32 and SHS students helped make this event a massive success.

The free paper session provided an opportunity for health care and allied health students from public and private universities to present their undergraduate and other research projects. A total of 25 oral and 51 poster presentations were published under the themes Basic applied and Clinical Sciences, Allied Health sciences, Public Health a primary care and Health Professions education. The abstracts of each theme were reviewed by members of the academic staff and presentations were judged by a two-member panel.

A total of 27 papers at the free papers were presented by UOK undergraduates, of which 11 were from the MBBS students and others from SHS strand. Other participants included students from various universities from all over Sri Lanka.

The following presentations obtained places as best poster and best oral presentations.


Poster Presentation Winners

Session 1 – Allied health sciences
Community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and practice towards adverse drug reaction reporting and the factors influence on them in Jaffna district, Sri Lanka.

T. Thushiyananth¹, P. Kalki¹, R. Surenthirakumaran^2
1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, and ²Department of Community and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna

Session 2 – Basic applied and clinical sciences
A retrospective descriptive study on deaths due to firearm injuries

T.S. Galhenage¹, E.W.W.M.M.B. Gangoda¹, H.H.A.U. Hewawasam¹, J.K.H. Hiran¹, H.M.M.P.K. Illangasinghe¹, A.S. Dassanayake^2
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and ²Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya

Session 3 – Public health and primary care
Violence seen on Facebook and YouTube videos: a qualitative study

P. Harshani,¹ C. Jayananda¹, N. Hapuarachchi¹, U. Harshana_¹, H. Kularathna¹, L. Athauda^2
1Faculty of Medicine and ²Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya

Session 4 - Health Professions Education
Barriers to pre-clinical distance learning during the covid-19 pandemic and their impact on academic motivation

Navodya Ekanayake , Anula Kariyawasam
Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya


Oral Presentation Winners

Session 1 – Public health and primary care
Internet Gaming Disorder: Prevalence and Associated Gaming Motivations among an Advanced Level Student Population from the Colombo Educational Zone

Minura Manchanayake, Madara Malsirini, Manelka Vithanage, Dushyanthi Jayawardene
Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo

Session 2 – Allied health sciences 1
The relationship between delaying physiotherapy intervention commencement and lymphedema among breast cancer survivors in Sri Lanka

D.G.S. Malsri, L.A. Gordon, V.R. Wijesiriwardane, G.A.D. Perera
Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka

Session 3 – Basic, applied and clinical sciences
Acute effect of l-theanine on visual attention in a traffic-related reaction task in sleep-deprived young adults: A double-blind placebo-controlled, crossover study

Harshana U. Daraniyagala, Omesh Shehan Dahanayake, Amila P Dasanayake, Mithila Pramod Dayarathna, Sevwandi N Dayarathna, Kusal Gihantha Dayasiri, Devmini Nadunthya De Silva, Sachie A De Silva, Nipuni U De Silva, Dinushi De Silva, Dinushika S De Zoysa, Gihani Vidanapathirana, Rasadanie U Dissanayake, A Ekanayake, Veranja Liyanapathirana
Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya

Session 4 - Allied Health Sciences II & Health Professions Education

A survey on current knowledge and practices of teleaudiology among audiology professionals in Sri Lanka

S. L. De Silva1, H. D. N. T Gunarathna¹, R. S. R. Rajakulasooriya¹, D. Thambavita^2
1Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Sri Lanka and ²Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo


Assessment of knowledge and practices related to technical requirements recommended by ISO 15189:2012 standards among medical laboratory technology staff in tertiary care hospitals and institutions in Western Province, Sri Lanka

Pamoda M Wanniachchi, Samanmali Sumanasena
Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya