Your Name

Damayanthi Herath

PhD, BSc Eng (Hons)

Contact: damayanthiherath@eng.pdn.ac.lk

Research Interests

Data Engineering, Explainable AI, Computational Biology, Software Engineering

Recent Updates

2025

  • My article on Generative AI in Higher Eduation has been published in IESL SLEN journal
  • Our work on use of generative AI in higher education is featured in newspaper
  • I delivered a session on AI in Plant Protection at Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
  • I was a resource person at AI in Healthcare and Medicine on 19th of May 2025 at University of Peradeniya
  • I delivered a presentation on Generative AI in Research at the Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) meeting on 03.03.2025 at Yokohama, Japan
  • I delivered a plenary speech on Data to Discovery" Machine Learning for analysing heteregenous biological data at the Artitificial Intelligence/Machine Learning technical session of ICARC 2025 on 20.02.2025
  • I conducted a session on effective teaching methods to the school teachers of Central Province as part of teacher training program by Nenathambara
  • I conducted a session on Alterantive Intelligenec: A broad introduction to AI organised by Artificial Intelligence Forum of Academics, UoP on January 2025

2024

  • I conducted a workshop on programming essentials for undergraduate and postgraduate studenst of University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, The material are here
  • I conducted a workshop on programming to Teachers of Central Province, Sri Lanka, The slides are here
  • I conducted a session discussing "AI in 4IR: Looking back and Looking forward" at IEEE WIE Day 2024 celebration organised by IEEE WIE Affinity group of University of Jaffna. The material are here
  • I facilitated a session on "Beyond Foundation Models" at 𝗚𝗲𝗦𝗦𝗼𝗠𝗜-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. The material are here
  • I am co-chairing the IESL YMS technical conference this year. Please consider submitting your work. More details are at https://bit.ly/ieslyms24
  • Our abstract on use of generative AI in resarch has been accepted for presentatoin at IIT Conclave 2024. Drop me an email if you are interested. 
  • I will be the chair-APAN58Conf. View the conference website at
  • I am excited to serve as the senior treasure of Hackers Club UoP for 2024

2022

  • Our team work has been recognised nationally, as 1st Runners up in Best Research Awards 2021 organised by Institute of Applied Statistics, Sri Lanka.
  • I am with IEEE Women In Engineering Sri Lanka chapter as the Editor/2022.
  • I am with Peradeniya Engineering Faculty Alumni Association as the web master. If you have any suggestions for improving our web presence, I would love to hear them.
  • Our abstract titled "estimating species richness from virome data accounting for variations within the virus population" has been accepted for presentation at 13th International Multiconference on “Bioinformatics of Genome Regulation and Structure/Systems Biology” – BGRS/SB-2022.
  • Our abstract on "The effect of use of music in teaching a course in Engineering" is under review. If you are interested in edutainment, let's talk. Please drop me an email if you are interested. 
  • I was an external reviwer at the internal review of the curriculum in National Institute of Business Management. 

View Previous updates Here.

Personal Interests

I have a strong interest in volunteering. Furthr I enjoy my spare time playing with my little son, w(a/o)ndering , writing and learning Yoga

Poems written by me

Book Reviews

I do not read (for leisure) often, but do invest my time on a story book at times, and writing a review on it. A book read is like a long gone friend, and each of us may like different features of that friend. There is a chance that my friend is not a friend of yours too. I hope we can still be friends even if so.

I belive on and practice mindfulness. The look at inward fascinates at the same time surprises me.

Special Contributions

  • Evaluator, Scientific Eye Photography Competition 2025, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya
  • Evaluaotr, Science Undergraduate Research Symposium 2025 by Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya.
  • Chair, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Track of IEEE conference: ICARC 2025
  • Chair, Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, Young Members Technical Conference 2024
  • Chair, Asia Pacific Advanced Networking 58: APAN56Conf Conference 2024
  • Resource Person, Artificial Intelligence Forum for Academics, University of Peradeniya
  • Chair, Asia Pacific Advanced Networking 56: APAN56Conf Conference 2023
  • Chair, Engineering Student Symposium at Peradeniya 2023
  • TPC member: International Conference in Industrial and Information Systems (ICIIS) 2023
  • Member, Institutional Review Committee, University of Peradeniya
  • Coordinator, RMIT and UoP Joint PhD program 2019 to Present
  • Coordinator, International and Public Relations/Department of Computer Engineering, University of Peradeniya 2019 to Present
  • Coordinator, Faculty Web Development Committee, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya 2022 to Present
  • Coordinator, Department Quality Assurance Cell, Department of Computer Engineering, University of Peradeniya 2019 to Present
  • Member, Self Evaluation Report for IESL (SER) preparation team, Department of Computer Engineering, University of Peradeniya
  • Editor, IEEE Women in Engineering, Sri Lanka Section, 2022/2023
  • TPC member, ICATC 2021 - Advancements in Applications of Computing Technology
  • Chair, Special Session on Data Engineering for Biology and Medicine, 10th IEEE International Conference on Information and Automation for Sustainability 2021 (IEEE ICIAfS 2021)
  • Judge panel of FAuRs 2020 - 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya
  • Web Resource Management Chair, IEEE Conference on Industrial and Information Systems (ICIIS) 2021
  • Technical Program Committee Co-Chair of the Computing and Information Technology Track of WIESymp2020
  • Editor, Engineering Student Conference at Peradeniya, 2021
  • Session Chair of the Computing and Information Technology Track and the Robotics and Automation Track of WIESymp2020
  • Executive Committee Member of the IEEE Women in Engineering Society
  • Executive Committee Member of the Peradeniya Engineering Faculty (PEFAA) 2020/21
  • Chair, Engineering Student Conference at Peradeniya, 2020, The first fully virtual project symposium of the Department of Computer Engineering, University of Peradeniya
  • Session Co-chair for Computer, Embedded and Intelligent Systems and Data Engineering Track at IEEE International Conference on Industrial and Information Systems, 2019
  • Founding President, Sri Lankan Alumni of The University of Melbourne
  • Resource Person for Tutorial Session on “Recent Advancements in Machine Learning” at the ICIIS 2019
  • Executive Committee Member of the Peradeniya Engineering Faculty (PEFAA) 2019/20
  • Founding Co-president of the Sri Lankan Postgraduate Alumni of The University of Melbourne
  • Local Representative for Victoria, COMBINE, the Student Subcommittee of The Australian Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Society (ABACBS) and the Official International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) Regional Student Group (RSG) for Australia
  • Co-president of the Sri Lankan Graduates’ Society, The University of Melbourne (2017/2018)
  • Participated in Logistic Handling at the University Open Day 2017
  • Contributed to Syllabus Review of Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electrotechnology Degree Program offered by Faculty of Applied Sciences, Wayamba University, Sri Lanka (February 2017)
  • Reviewer for PeerJ – Biological and Medical Sciences Journal (From 2016 to Present)
  • Vice Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Affinity Group, The University of Melbourne (2016/2017)
  • Secretary of the Sri Lankan Graduates’ Society, The University of Melbourne (2016/2017)
  • Reviewer for Wayamba International Conference, Sri Lanka (WINC -2016)
  • Committee Member of the Sri Lankan Graduates’ Society, The University of Melbourne (2015/2016)