Dr Maaheshi Deepika Herath

Research Associate

Deepika is a Medical Doctor from Sri Lanka specialising in Community Medicine (Public Health) with special interest in maternal and child health. She has more than 15 years of experience working as a doctor in both the curative and preventive/public health sectors under the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka.

Her most recent appointment was in the capacity of a Senior Registrar in Community Medicine, at the Maternal Care Unit of the Family Health Bureau, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, which is responsible for the National maternal care programme in Sri Lanka.

She has joined the Centre for Childbirth, Women’s and Newborn Health at LSTM as a research associate to further enhance research, teaching and service capacity related to maternal and newborn care.

Deepika has obtained MBBS from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh and Postgraduate qualifications, MSc and MD in Community Medicine from the Postgraduate institute of Medicine (PGIM), University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Deepika has successfully completed research for MSc in Community Medicine (Dissertation) titled - Knowledge and Attitudes toward caring and Perceived level of Satisfaction on clinic care and associated factors among Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy attending the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka

She has completed research for the MD in Community Medicine (Thesis) titled - Prevalence, correlates and outcomes of voice disorders and the effectiveness of a behavioural change intervention to improve functional voice disorders among primary school teachers in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka.

Further relevant expertise, professional memberships, awards

Registered with the Sri Lanka Medical Council
Life member of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka
Life member of the Sri Lanka Medical Association

She has received the Dr. HMSSD Herath research award for the best research paper in Occupational and Environmental Health at the 27th Annual Scientific Sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, August 2022. “A Cluster Randomized Control Trial to assess the effectiveness of a behaviour change intervention to improve functional voice disorders among primary school teachers in the Colombo District” M.D. Herath, L.D.J.U. Senarath, C. Jayasuriya, J.S.R. Jayasinghe and S.A.I.K. Suraweera.

Selected publications

  • Conference presentations

    1. Herath, M.D., De Silva, S.H.M. and Ginige, S.P. (2017). Perceived Level of Satisfaction on clinic care and associated factors among caregivers of children with Cerebral Palsy attending the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation clinic at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo. - Abstract (presented) In 22nd Annual scientific sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, Colombo, September 2017

    2. Herath, M.D., De Silva, S.H.M. and Ginige, S.P. (2017). Perceived Level of Satisfaction on clinic care and associated factors among caregivers of children with Cerebral Palsy attending the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation clinic at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo. - Abstract (poster presented) In National Health Research Symposium 2017, December 2017

    3. Herath, M.D., De Silva, S.H.M. and Ginige, S.P. (2018). Knowledge and Attitudes toward caring and Perceived level of Satisfaction on clinic care and associated factors among Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy attending the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation clinic at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo. - Abstract (presented) In 12th Annual scientific sessions of the College of Specialists in Rheumatology and Rehabilitation in collaboration with the British Society of Rheumatology, Colombo, November 2018.

    4. Herath, M.D., Senarath, L.D.J.U. Jayasuriya C., Jayasinghe J.S.R. and Suraweera, S.A.I.K. (2022). A Cluster Randomized Control Trial to assess the effectiveness of a behaviour change intervention to improve functional voice disorders among primary school teachers in the Colombo District – Abstract (presented) In the 27th Annual Scientific sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, August 2022

    5. Herath, M.D., Senarath, L.D.J.U. Jayasuriya C., Jayasinghe J.S.R. and Suraweera, S.A.I.K. (2022). Sinhala translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Voice Handicap Index-30 (VHI-30) questionnaire among primary school teachers in Sri Lanka - Abstract (poster presented) In the 27th Annual Scientific sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, August 2022

    6. Herath, M.D., Senarath, L.D.J.U. and Suraweera, S.A.I.K. (2022). Prevalence and correlates of voice disorders among primary school teachers in the Colombo District - Abstract (poster presented) In the 27th Annual Scientific sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, August 2022

    7. Herath, M.D., Senarath, L.D.J.U. and Suraweera, S.A.I.K. (2022). Perception of voice disorders, prevalence and the environmental factors associated with voice disorders among primary school teachers in the Colombo District - Abstract (poster presented) In 135th Anniversary International Medical Congress of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, September 2022