Academic Qualifications

• MBBS / 2008 / University of Colombo / Sri Lanka
• MSc in Community Medicine / 2014 / University of Colombo / Sri Lanka
• MD in Community Medicine / 2017 / University of Colombo / Sri Lanka

Professional Qualifications

• Board-certified Specialist in Community Medicine

Memberships in Professional Organizations

• Life member of Sri Lanka Medical Association since 2016
• Life member of College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka since 2014 and Assistant Secretary in 2017/2028
• Life member of Sri Lanka College of Palliative Medicine since 2022
• Life member of Perinatal Society of Sri Lanka since 2022 and Assistant Secretary in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 and Honorary secretary in2024/2025
• Life member of Colombo Medical School Alumni Association since 2022
• Life member of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) Section A – since 2024 and Committee member in 2025

• Public health
• Healthcare quality and safety
• Health planning
• Maternal and Child Health

ORCID ID and Link

https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-7846-9007

Google Scholar Link

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&authuser=1&user=l_5O8vQAAAAJ

Research Gate Link

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nimali-Wijegoonewardene-2?ev=hdr_xprf

Publications and Scientific Communications

Principal Investigator

• Wijegoonewardene, M. N. Y. F. & Vidanapathirana, H. M. J. P., ‘Knowledge, attitudes, practices and associated factors related to the use of emergency contraceptive methods, among Sinhala conversant married females of 15-49 years of age in the Dehiwala medical officer of health area’ (Dissertation submitted for Master of Science in Community Medicine-2014)
• Wijegoonewardene, M. N. Y. F. & Vidanapathirana, H. M. J. P., ‘Burnout among Correctional and Rehabilitation Officers Working in Sri Lankan Prisons: Prevalence, Correlates, Association with Health-related and Organizational Outcomes and Adopted Coping Strategies’ (Thesis submitted for Doctor of Medicine in Community Medicine-2017)

Full Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals

• Wijegoonewardene, N., Vidanapathirana, J., & Fernando, T. (2019). Validation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey to assess burnout in prison officers working in Sri Lankan Prisons. Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, 25(1), 15-22. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/jccpsl.v25i1.8182
• Wijegoonewardene, N., & Vidanapathirana, J. (2021a). Personal and Work-Life Perceptions of Sri Lankan Prison Correctional and Rehabilitation Officers. Asian Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 4(3), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.34256/ajir2131
• Wijegoonewardene, N., & Vidanapathirana, J. (2021b). Emotional Labour and its association with Burnout in Sri Lankan Prison Officers. Asian Journal of Research, 4-6, 10-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5112092
• Wijegoonewardene, N., & Vidanapathirana, J. (2021). Burnout of Sri Lankan Prison Officers: Exploring the Prevalence and Correlates. MedNEXT Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.54448/mdnt2145
• Vidanapathirana, J., & Wijegoonewardene, N. (2022). The health of young people in Sri Lanka: conducive environment for road to adulthood – a desk review. MedNEXT Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.54448/mdnt22104
• Wijegoonewardene, N., & Vidanapathirana, J. (2022). Coping Strategies Used for Combating Stress and Burnout: A Qualitative Study Among Sri Lankan Prison Officers, Asian Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 5(1), 35-46. https://doi.org/10.54392/ajir2215
• Orsi, A., Watson, A., Wijegoonewardene, N., Botan, V., Lloyd, D., Dunbar, N., Asghar, Z., & Siriwardena, A. N. (2022). Perceptions and experiences of medical student first responders: a mixed methods study, BMC Medical Education, 22:721. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03791-z
• Whitley, G. A., Wijegoonewardene, N., Nelson, D., Curtis, F., Ortega M., & Siriwardena, A. N. (2023). Patient, family member, and ambulance staff experiences of prehospital acute pain management in adults: A systematic review and meta-synthesis. JACEP Open. 4:e12940. https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12940
• Batawalage, L. H. F., Williams, B., & Wijegoonewardene, M. N. Y. F. (2023). A climate health policy: Will it be a better approach to overcome the greatest global challenge of the 21^st century? A review to explore public and public health officials’ perceptions towards policy development. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2023.100257
• Wijegoonewardene, N., & Vidanapathirana, J. (2023). End-of-life care in dementia: a literature review on the global context. International Journal of College of Palliative Medicine of Sri Lanka, 1 (1). https://doi.org/10.54448/jcpmsl23105
• Wijegoonewardene, N. F. & Vidanapathirana, J. P. (2023). Does Burnout Lead to Poor Organizational Commitment among Prison Officers in Sri Lanka? Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study. Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 27(4):364-368. DOI: 10.4103/ijoem.ijoem_151_22
• Laparidou, D., Curtis, F., Wijegoonewardene, N., Akanuwe, J., Weligamage, D. D., et al. (2024). Emergency medical service interventions and experiences during pandemics: A scoping review. PLOS ONE, 19(8):e0304672. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304672
• Fernando, M. A. Y., Gebalanage, I. C., Wijegoonewardene, M. N. Y. F., & Abeynayake, J. I. (2025). Hepatitis C Virus Genomic Surveillance among Haemophiliacs. Global Journal of Clinical Virology 10(1):001-006. https://doi.org/10.17352/gjcv.000015

Booklets

• Wijegoonewardene, N., & Vidanapathirana, J. (2018). A guide on Preventing Child Sexual Abuse for Parents and Programme Implementers: College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, Save the Children. ISBN: 978-955-7680-04-0
  This booklet on ‘Child sexual abuse’ was launched at the event of the induction of the president of College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka in October 2018
• Wijegoonewardene, M. N. Y. F., & Vidanapathirana, H. M. J. P. (2018). Burnout of Prison Officers. Ministry of health, Second Health Sector Development Project. (written in Sinhala Language for data dissemination following the research on burnout of prison officers)
• Vidanapathirana, J., Senanayake, B., Wijegoonewardene, N., & Fernando, M. (2017). Zero Stigma and Discrimination by 2020: Stigma assessment of People living with HIV in Sri Lanka – 2017, National STD/AIDS Control Programme, United Nations Population Fund, Colombo, Sri Lanka. ISBN- 978-955-4821-15-6
• Vidanapathirana, J., Premadasa, P., Disanayake, N., Wijegoonewardene, N., Godakandege, S., (2016). Guideline for Education and Demonstration of Male Condoms, National STD/AIDS Control Programme, United Nations Population Fund, Colombo, Sri Lanka. ISBN: 978-955- 4821-09-5
• Vidanapathirana, J., Premadasa, P., Disanayake, N., N., & Mallikarachchi, D. (2016). Let us Know about HIV and AIDS: Achieving Triple Zeros: Handbook on HIV & AIDS for Primary Health Care Workers, National STD/AIDS Control Programme, United Nations Population Fund, Colombo, Sri Lanka. ISBN: 978-955-4821-06- 4
• Vidanapathirana, J., Senanayake, B., Wijegoonewardene, N., & Fernando, M. (2017). Handbook on Prevention of HIV and AIDS for Lecturers in the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Sri Lanka. ISBN: 978- 955- 4821-14-9
• Vidanapathirana, J., Wijegoonewardene, N., Senanayake, B., & Fernando, M. (2017). No secrets, Know the facts, Disarm Myths, Know about sexuality, 100 facts. National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Colombo, Sri Lanka. ISBN: 978-955-4821-13-2
• Vidanapathirana, J., Premadasa, P., Disanayake, N., Wijegoonewardene, N., (2016). No One Left Behind-Understanding Key populations: Achieving Triple Zeros by 2030, National STD/AIDS Control Programme, United Nations Population Fund, Colombo, Sri Lanka. ISBN: 978-955-4821-07-1
• Premadasa, P., Vidanapathirana, J., Wijegoonewardene, N., & Disanayake, N. (2016). Comforting Condomization: Guide to Overcome Common Obstacles of Condom Use, National STD/AIDS Control Programme, United Nations Population Fund, Colombo, Sri Lanka. ISBN: 978-955-4821-08-8

Abstract and Oral/ Poster Presentations

• Orsi, A., Watson, A., Botan, V., Wijegoonewardene, N., Lloyd, D., Dunbar, N., …. Siriwardena, A. N. (2022). Activities and experiences of medical student first responders: a mixed methods study. Emergency Medicine Journal, 39 (9). http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/emermed-2022-999.25 (Poster presentation at 999 EMS Research Forum Annual Conference, Sheffield, United Kingdom)
• Wijegoonewardene, N., & Vidanapathirana, J. (2018). Burnout and its correlates among correctional and rehabilitation officers working in Sri Lankan Prisons. Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, 24 (3) Special Edition, 10.
• Widanapathirana, J., Senanayake, B., Wijegoonewardene, N., Fernando, M., & Disanayake, (2018). Assessment of HIV related stigma among people living with HIV in Sri Lanka. Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, 24 (3) Special Edition, 35.
• Wijegoonewardene, N., Vidanapathirana, J., & Fernando, T. (2018). Validation of an instrument to assess burnout among correctional and rehabilitation officers working in Sri Lankan Prisons. Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, 24 (3) Special Edition, 38. (poster presentation at Annual Academic Sessions of CCPSL)
• Wijegoonewardene, N., Premadasa, P., Vidanapathirana, J., & Disanayake, N. (2017). Identification of Common Obstacles of Condom Use. 3^rd Biennial Meeting of the South Asian Society for Sexual Medicine – New Frontiers in Sexual Medicine: Mind, Body and Science, 19-21 November 2017, 31.
• Fernando, M., Vidanapathirana, J., Nawaratne, S., Wijegoonewardene, N., & Suranga, A. (2019). Sexual and reproductive health of Sri Lankan youth: Their knowledge, attitudes and current sexual practices. 1^st South East Asia Regional Group Meeting of The International Epidemiological Association & 24^th Annual Academic Sessions of The College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka 2019, 69.
• Wijegoonewardene, M. N. Y. F., & Vidanapathirana, H. M. J. P. (2014). ‘Knowledge, attitudes, practices and associated factors related to the use of emergency contraceptive methods, among Sinhala conversant married females of 15-49 years of age in the Dehiwala Medical Officer of Health area’. Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka – Abstracts of the Nineteenth Annual Academic Sessions. September 2014 – Supplement 1, 47. (poster presentation)
• Wijegoonewardene, N. (2022). Global context of end-of-life care in dementia – a literature review. 1^st Annual Academic Session of the College of Palliative Medicine of Sri Lanka. 1 October 2022, 34.
• Fernando, M. N. Y., & Tissera, W. S. B. I. (2009). Audit on patient compliance regarding collecting the histopathology reports following surgery. Annual Academic Sessions of the Galoya Nimna Clinical Society. 10-11 October 2009, 24.
• Jalaldeen I.L., Wijegoonewardene N., & Fouzad A.S.M. (2025). Job satisfaction and its associated factors among nursing officers in the government hospitals of Kalmunai Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) Area, Sri Lanka. Journal of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka – Global Public Health Summit 2025 & 30^th Annual Academic Sessions. 13 – 16 July 2025, Volume 31, 26.
• Perera I.S.M., Withanage W.D.M., Senasinghe B.B.D., Nimshan K.K.G., Primalsha L.T., Wijegoonewardene M.N.Y.F., & Alles S.M.D.P.S. (2025). Knowledge, attitudes and associated factors of induced abortion among undergraduates of a selected university in Sri Lanka. Journal of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka – Global Public Health Summit 2025 & 30^th Annual Academic Sessions. 13 – 16 July 2025, Volume 31, 17.
• Riyal R., Gooneratne S., Kanaheraarachchi H., Gamage A., Kahangama K., Wijegoonewardene N.F., & Malawige G.N. (2025). Level of physical activity and its associated factors among medical and management undergraduates at a university in Sri Lanka. Journal of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka – Global Public Health Summit 2025 & 30^th Annual Academic Sessions. 13 – 16 July 2025, Volume 31, 17.
• Edirisinghe, T.T., Lalchandra, T.K.G.D.D., Fernando, A.V.N., Hansika, K.H.P., Subramaniam, S.K., Wijegoonewardene, M.N.Y.F., & Pathirana, A.A. (2025). Association between Non-Pharmacological Factors and Pain Management Satisfaction in Acute Abdominal Surgical Patients: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study. The Ceylon Medical Journal – The Sri Lanka Medical Association 138^th Anniversary International Medical Congress. 23-26 July 2025, Volume 70, S, S206.
• Pakthagunanathan, N., Abeysinghe, A.A.C.C., Welgama, W.D.P., Seneviwickrama, K.L.M.D., Niranjala A.M.S., Wijegoonewardene, M.N.Y.F., Nawarathne, G.G.N.M.G.S.K., & Ranasinghe, R.D.S. (2025). Coverage and timeliness of pap smear reports at a selected well woman clinic in a Medical Officer of Health (MOH) area in Colombo district, Sri Lanka: A clinical audit. Best practices in Public Health – Global Public Health Summit 2025 & 30^th Annual Academic Sessions. 13 – 16 July 2025, Volume 31, 32.

Research Collaborations

• Jalaldeen, I.L., Wijegoonewardene, M.N.Y.F. 2024. Job satisfaction and its associated factors among nursing officers of government hospitals in Kalmunai Regional Director of health Services area. (Dissertation submitted for Master of Science in Community Medicine – 2023)
• Kulatunga, L.C., Wijegoonewardene, M.N.Y.F. (2023). Patients’ Satisfaction on Quality of Service Provided by Out Patient Department (OPD) at Biyagama Private Hospital, Biyagama, Western Province, Sri Lanka (Dissertation submitted for Post Graduate Diploma in Health Development – 2022)

Awards

• Best oral presentation in the ‘Environment and Occupational Health’ category at Annual Academic Sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka 2018 – ‘Burnout and its correlates among Correctional and Rehabilitation Officers working in Sri Lankan Prisons’
• Best oral presentation in the ‘Health among vulnerable populations’ category at Annual Academic Sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka 2018 – ‘Stigma of People Living with HIV’
• Best poster in the ‘Mental Health, Maternal and Child Health and Non-Communicable Diseases’ category at Annual Academic Sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka 2018 – ‘Validation of an Instrument to assess Burnout among Correctional and Rehabilitation Officers working in Sri Lankan Prisons’

Other Faculties of University of Sri Jayewardenepura

• Faculty of Allied Health Sciences

Other Universities

• Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo
• Faculty of medicine, University of Moratuwa (Examiner)