Dr. A.G.M.J. Gunaratna

Dr. A.G.M.J. GunaratnaSenior Lecturer (Grade II)

Email Address	:	medhagunaratna@kln.ac.lk
Telephone (Office)	:	+94 (0)11 2 903 260 (ext: 277)
Office Location	:	B2 005
Teaching	:	Organic Chemistry
Office hours available for students.	:	Monday- Friday 08:00 - 16:00
Google Scholar \| Research Gate

Research Interests:

The design, synthesis and biological evaluation of small molecules in the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents.
Development of smart fertilizers as a strategy for sustainable agriculture.
The design and synthesis of fluorescence probes for the detection of biologically relevant metal ions.

Research Publications:

Jayasinghe, R. N., Dona, N. T. P., Hewage, V. C. L., Egodawaththa, N. M., & Nesnas, N. Gunaratna, M.J.* Evaluation of in silico and in vitro anti-diabetic properties of 4-(Hydroxysubstituted arylidene)-2-phenyloxazol-5(4H)-one derivatives. ACS Omega 2025
Upeka, D.A., Udukala, D.* and Gunaratna, M., 2024. A comprehensive review of the chemical composition and pharmacological activities of the Genus Dialium. Jordan Journal of Chemistry, 2024, 19(3), 133-157.
Hewage, V. C. L., Gunaratna, M.J.*, Egodawaththa, N. M., & Nesnas, N. Synthesis and Anti-inflammatory Activities of 4-Arylidene-2-phenyloxazol-5(4H)-one Derivatives. Asian Journal of Chemistry, 2024, 36(8), 1872-1880.
Ekanayaka, K. S. J., Gunaratna, M.J.*, and M. L. F. Nusfa, Evaluation of phytochemical composition and novel bioactivities from fresh fruit of Garcinia quaesita Pierre. Medicinal Plants International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related Industries 2024, 16(1): 66-73.
Chathurangani D.A., Udukala D.N.*, Gunaratna M.J., Evaluation of phytochemical composition and biological activities of ethanol extract of bark of Dialium ovoideum Thwaites. Medicinal Plants International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related Industries 2024, 6(2): 350-358.
Kalatuwawege, I.P., Gunaratna, M.J.* and Udukala, D.N., 2021. Synthesis, In Silico Studies, and Evaluation of Syn and Anti Isomers of N-Substituted Indole-3-carbaldehyde Oxime Derivatives as Urease Inhibitors against Helicobacter pylori. Molecules, 2021, 26(21), p.6658.
Gunaratna, M.J., Hao, B., Zhang, M., Nakagomi, M., Ito, A., Iwamoto, T. and Hua, D.H.*, 2021. Synthesis of Probe Molecules, 6-(Dimethylamino)-2-phenylisoindolin-1-ones, for Mechanistic Studies of Firefly Luciferase Inhibition. Heterocycles, 103(1), p.231.
Man Zhang, Bende Zou, Medha J. Gunaratna, Sahani Weerasekara, Zongbo Tong, Thi D. T. Nguyen, Serkan Koldas, William S. Cao, Conrado Pascual, Xinmin Simon Xie, Duy H. Hua. "SYNTHESIS OF 1, 3, 4-OXADIAZOLES AS SELECTIVE T-TYPE CALCIUM CHANNEL INHIBITORS". Heterocycles 2020, 101(1), 145-164. DOI: 10.3987/COM-19-S(F)5.
Medha J. Gunaratna, Duy H. Hua, Bende Zou, Conrado Pascual, William Cao, Man Zhang, Sahani Weerasekara, Thi D. T. Nguyen, Kui Xiao, Xinmin Simon Xie. "Synthesis of 1,4- and 1,4,4-substituted piperidines for the inhibition of neuronal T-type Ca²⁺ channels and mitigation of neuropathic pain in mice". Arkivoc 2019, iii, 22-39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24820/ark.5550190.p010.752.
Bo Hao, Medha J Gunaratna, Man Zhang, Sahani Weerasekara, Sarah N Seiwald, Vu T Nguyen, Alex Meier, Duy H Hua. "Chiral-Substituted Poly-N-vinylpyrrolidinones and Bimetallic Nanoclusters in Catalytic Asymmetric Oxidation Reactions". J Am Chem Soc 2016, 138(51), 16839-16848. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b12113.
Luxi Z. Swisher, Allan M. Prior, Medha J. Gunaratna, Stephanie Shishido, Foram Madiyar, Thu A. Nguyen, Duy H. Hua, Jun Li. "Quantitative electrochemical detection of cathepsin B activity in breast cancer cell lysates using carbon nanofiber nanoelectrode arrays toward identification of cancer formation". Nanomedicine: Nanotech. Biol. & Med. 2015, 11(7),1695-704. DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2015.04.014.
Allan M. Prior, Medha J. Gunaratna, Daisuke Kikuchi, John Desper, Yunjeong Kim, Kyeong-Ok Chang, Izumi Maezawa, Lee-Way Jin, Duy H. Hua. Syntheses of 3-[(Alkylamino) methylene]-6-methylpyridine-2, 4 (1H, 3H)-diones, 3-Substituted 7-Methyl-2H-pyrano [3, 2-c] pyridine-2, 5 (6H)-dione Fluorescence Probes, and Tetrahydro-6H-2,10-dioxa-9-azaanthracen-1-ones. Synthesis 2014, 46, 2179-2190. DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1339027.