• Postdoctoral Research Scholar: Plum Island Animal Disease Center, US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)-Diagnosis Service Section (DSS), Greenport, New York, USA (2016 - 2017).
• Postdoctoral Fellow: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA (2013 - 2015).
• Postdoctoral Research Associate: Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA (2012 – 2013).
• Research Assistant: Plant Cell Biology, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka (2003 - 2004).

• PIADC Research Participation Award: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)/ Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), US Department of Agriculture, Greenport, New York, USA (2016).
• Outstanding Research Publication Award for 2011-2012: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA (2012).

• Travel Award: 23^rd meeting of the American Society for Rickettsiology, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA (2009).
• Predoctoral Fellowship: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA (2007).
• Graduate Teaching Assistantship: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA (2004-2007).

• Phylogenetic and comparative genomic studies of zoonotic human pathogens.
• Development of diagnostic tools for human pathogens.
• Characterizing host-pathogen interactions of zoonotic bacteria.
• Computer-aided drug design and development.

Peer-reviewed Journals 

• Chelsea L Cockburn, Ryan S Green, Sheela R Damle, Rebecca K Martin, Naomi N Ghahrai, Punsiri M Colonne, Marissa S Fullerton, Daniel H Conrad, Charles E Chalfant, Daniel E Voth, Elizabeth A Rucks, Stacey D Gilk, Jason A Carlyon. Functional inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase disrupts infection by intracellular bacterial pathogens. Life Science Alliance, (2019), 2 (2).
• Punsiri M. Colonne, Caylin G. Winchell, Joseph G. Graham, Frances I. Onyilagha, Laura J. MacDonald, Heike R. Doeppler, Peter Storz, Richard C. Kurten, Paul A. Beare, Robert A. Heinzen, and Daniel E. Voth. Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein activity is required for Coxiella burnetii growth in human macrophages. PLOS Pathogens, (2016), 12 (10).
• Punsiri M. Colonne, Caylin G. Winchell, and Daniel E. Voth. Hijacking host cell highways: manipulation of the host actin cytoskeleton by obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, (2016), 6:107.
• Falsetta ML, Klein MI, Colonne PM, Scott-Anne K, Gregoire S, Pai CH, Gonzalez-Begne M, Watson G, Krysan DJ, Bowen WH, Koo H. Symbiotic relationship between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans synergizes virulence of plaque biofilms in vivo. Infection and Immunity, (2014), 82 (5).
• Sun D, Liu S, Zhang G, Colonne P, Hu C, Han H, Li M, Hu S. Sub-sleeve gastrectomy achieves good diabetes control without weight loss in a non-obese diabetic rat model. Surgical Endoscopy, (2013), 28
• Punsiri M. Colonne, Abha Sahni, and Sanjeev K. Sahni. Suppressor of cytokine signaling protein SOCS1 and UBP43 regulate the expression of type I interferon-stimulated genes in human microvascular endothelial cells infected with Rickettsia conorii. Journal of Medical Microbiology, (2013), 62 (7).
• Punsiri M. Colonne, Abha Sahni, and Sanjeev K. Sahni. Rickettsia conorii infection stimulates the expression of ISG15 and ISG15 protease UBP43 in human microvascular endothelial cells. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, (2011), 416.
• Punsiri M. Colonne, Marina E. Eremeeva and Sanjeev K. Sahni. Beta interferon-mediated activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription protein 1 interferes with Rickettsia conorii replication in human endothelial cells. Infection and Immunity, (2011), 79 (9).
• Jeremy R Bechelli, Elena Rydkina, Punsiri M Colonne, Sanjeev K Sahni. Rickettsia rickettsii infection protects human microvascular endothelial cells against staurosporine-induced apoptosis by a cIAP(2)-independent mechanism. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, (2009), 199 (9).
• Sahni SK, Kiriakidi S, Colonne MP, Sahni A, Silverman DJ. Selective activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins STAT1 and STAT3 in human endothelial cells infected with Rickettsia rickettsii. Clinical Microbiology and Infection (2009), Suppl 2:303-4. 

• M. Colonne, J. G. Graham, D. E. Voth. Characterization of Novel Therapeutics that Inhibit Coxiella burnetii Intracellular Replication in Human Macrophages. American Society for Microbiology Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting, Washington DC, USA. (2015).
• Caylin G. Winchell, Joseph G. Graham, Punsiri M. Colonne, Richard C. Kurten, Daniel E. Voth. Coxiella burnetii Manipulation of Host Autophagy and Cargo Receptors. 27^th Meeting of the American Society for Rickettsiology. California, USA. (2015)
• Punsiri M. Colonne, Abha Sahni, and Sanjeev K. Sahni. Regulation of Interferon-inducible genes by Rickettsia conorii via Interferon β-Janus Tyrosine Kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription Signaling in Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells. 25^th Meeting of the American Society for Rickettsiology. Utah, USA. (2012).
• Punsiri M. Colonne, Julia Ablaeva, Marina Eremeeva, and Sanjeev K. Sahni. Interferon-β-mediated activation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription protein (STAT)-1 inhibits Rickettsia conorii replication in human endothelial cells. 24^th meeting of the American Society for Rickettsiology. Washington, USA. (2010).
• Punsiri M. Colonne, Alicia Clementi, Elena Rydkina, and Sanjeev K. Sahni. Characterization of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription protein-1 (STAT1) activation during Rickettsia conorii infection of human endothelial cells. 23^rd meeting of the American Society for Rickettsiology. Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA. (2009).
• Fleming, Jennifer C, Punsiri M. Colonne, and Peter Lammers. Regulation of the Glyoxylate Cycle in Symbiotic Fungi. 82^nd Annual Meeting of American Association for the Advancement of Science – Southwestern and Rocky Mountain (AAAS-SWARM) Division, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Texas, USA. (2007).
• Lammers P.J, Koul R, Colonne P, Shapiro H J, Detter C, Linquist E, Richardson P. Moutoglis P. The genome project for Glomus intraradices, a model arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. 5^th International conference on Mycorrhiza, Granada, Spain. (2006).
• S N Warnasooriya, A D W Geering, A M P B Senevirathe, P M Colonne and W K Hirimburegama. Detection of Banana bract mosaic virus (BBrMV) with different primers by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) in `Embul’ Banana (Mysore, AAB). Proceedings of the 59^th Annual Sessions of Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science, Colombo, Sri Lanka. (2003).