DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE COLLABORATES WITH
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE FOR NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASE RESEARCH
The Department of Community Medicine and the Cardiovascular epidemiology unit of the Department of Public Health and Primary care, University of Cambridge have collaborated to conduct a prospective cohort study that will attempt to identify risk factors for Non Communicable Diseases in Sri Lanka.
The Strengthening Health systems by Improving Non Communicable disease Epidemiology in Sri Lanka (SHINES) study includes several inter-related components to study potential environmental, biochemical and hereditary risk factors of cardio-metabolic and other Non Communicable Diseases in Sri Lanka and will serve as a comprehensive population platform for next-generation Non Communicable Diseases prevention trials.
A cross-sectional feasibility phase of a planned large-scale prospective cohort study will be carried out over a period of one year in the Boralesgamuwa area, which is the Health unit area of the Department of Community Medicine. The study in its feasibility phase will recruit 7000 adults. The study is funded by the Gnanam Foundation, UK through University of Cambridge The Principal Investigators of the study are Prof. Kumudu Wijewardene, Professor of Community Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Prof. Rajiv Choudhury, Associate Professor in Global Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge.
Prof. Choudhury and his team visited the study area and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura to have initial discussions with the Vice Chancellor and the members of the Department of Community Medicine of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
