Kassapa Ellepola
Nationality:
Sri Lanka
Current Job:
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois at Chicago
Graduation:
2020
Degree:
PhD
Faculty and Department:
Discipline of Oral Sciences, Dentistry
Undergraduate University:
University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Why did you choose to do a PhD?
Doctor of Philosophy is the highest academic qualification/degree. I wanted to be among the people who earned this highest prestige. Also, I was interested in Microbiology during my undergraduate studies and I wanted to continue my education to the highest level possible.
Why did you choose to do graduate education at NUS? If you received offers from other universities, why did you pick NUS?
NUS is a world-class university and is certainly among the best in Asia. It is reputed for its global approach to education and research and has a proven record of excellence. NUS offer state of the art research facilities and opportunities for graduate students that would prepare them for their future careers in academia or industry. Not to mention the ingenuity of the academic staff in NUS that are world leaders in their respective fields. The opportunity to work and collaborate with them and the inter-departmental/inter-faculty research activities would help you to excel, meet new people and learn from them. I have heard from my many friends from South Asian countries, from the South-East Asian region and China that Singapore is close to ‘home’ and that it is well connected if you want to go home for a quick break and coming from Sri Lanka, I fully agree with them. I also liked the multinational student body at NUS so that you can meet new people and learn about different cultures, preparing you to become a global citizen.
How does graduate school compare to your undergraduate experience?
Be prepared. Graduate school can be very different from your undergraduate experience. During your undergrad, like myself, I believe you might have had to listen to hours and hours of lectures. But graduate school is the time that you would put everything you learned to use. You will be far more independent. Although your mentor will guide you, most of the time you are alone conceptualizing, hypothesizing and performing experiments and not to mention, troubleshooting. If you want to become a researcher, you will have to spend lot of time in the lab, but that one important finding can be really rewarding. You would still have to attend some lectures, but you can select the ones you are interested and is important for your field of study. The good thing is that NUS offers a lot of resources to help you, tons of it. You can have access to any research journal or publication in the world and always you can find an expert who might just be in a research lab across the street from your lab, to discuss a research problem. NUS also encourages people to network, attend conferences and get to know people from all over the world.
Briefly share about your research or thesis (i.e. dissertation topic for Masters by Coursework students).
In my Ph.D., I studied the molecular interactions between polymicrobial communities of bacteria and fungi implicated in dental caries. Dental caries is among the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world and is associated with significant costs for its prevention and treatment. My Ph.D. project investigated the role of Streptococcus mutans-derived exoenzymes (termed glucosyltransferases, Gtfs) in mediating cross-kingdom biofilm interactions with the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans. Specifically, my work has focused on understanding the biological impact of GtfB binding interactions with C. albicans on mixed-species biofilm development process, Furthermore, I completed a comprehensive genomics-proteomics analysis to further understand the molecular mechanisms of this bacterial-fungal interaction
On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research supervisor for your graduate programme?
Yes. I was lucky to have a great supervisor (Dr. Jayampath Seneviratne).
What impact do you hope to have with your research?
The findings provided experimental evidence in support of the clinical observation where enhanced accumulation of Candida albicans is seen together with Streptococcus mutans, in patients with dental caries. The study also highlighted the involvement of Candida albicans in dental caries, a notion that was not well characterized prior to these findings and highlighted the importance of preventing Candida albicans as well during treatment of dental caries. Furthermore, the presence of C. albicans on the tooth surface may become a fungal reservoir for mucosal fungal infections and systemic mycoses in compromised host populations. The exoenzyme GtfB was identified to be important for enhancing Candida albicans biofilm formation in the presence of S. mutans. Therefore, GtfB can be a useful drug target for the alleviation/prevention of the mixed-species biofilm formation in dental caries, hence can be used in drug development.
If you have won any academic prize/competition or been invited to speak at an international conference—share what it is, its significance, and how you worked towards achieving it.
The work was recognized with several prestigious awards from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), the IADR Lion Dental Research award, the Colgate Research in Prevention award and runner-up at the IADR Unilever Hatton Divisional Award. I strongly believe that if you do good science, there are always people who recognizes it. Initially, you would have to think smart and work hard to produce a solid piece of impactful science. Then the next step is to know where to present your work and to present it clearly to the appropriate audience.
Share something fun from your graduate journey at NUS.
Campus life in NUS is lot of fun. Especially, when you have some great friends around you. During weekends, there was always cricket. There were lunch outs with lab mates, and an occasional potluck or a BBQ. I would always remember the overnight cycling tour we took around the city and a night out at the Sentosa beach, chatting away with some friends. These friends that you meet will be closest throughout your life.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Briefly share a highlight from your graduate school journey.
The highlight of my days in NUS was the graduation day. Finally, after years of hard work, to receive the Ph.D. degree scroll in my hand was a proud moment and a dream come true.
Share a challenge you faced in graduate school and how you overcame it.
There are days during your graduate studies that can be overwhelming. I remember one of those difficult days that I had to sit for an exam, submit a report before the deadline, do some experiments and also catch a flight to attend a conference in USA on the same day. But with proper planning and an adjustment in priorities, I was able to get through the day. Graduate school will teach you and give you the confidence how to multi-task and come through difficult times.
How did NUS prepare you for your career?
NUS with its outstanding academic advisors and mentors, with its resources and tools will provide you the knowledge and training needed to prepare you for a career anywhere in the world. It will also provide you the confidence and the temperament needed to succeed in your career. NUS career fairs are great opportunities that might help you to find your dream job. Similarly, the collaborations between NUS and other global universities provide many opportunities for networking and can open up prospects following your graduate education.
How did your experiences as a graduate student shape and guide you in your current career?
The NUS graduate studies provided me knowledge, rigorous training, experience and confidence needed to shape my career. With an excellent mentor to guide me and the exposure to the state of the art research facilities, I was able to equip myself with the most current scientific knowledge which helped me get to the next phase of my career. NUS encourage its graduate students to attend international conferences, which was important for networking and where I met lot of fellow researchers in my field.
Share something about campus life at NUS that new students would be interested to hear about.
Take a break from your studies, exams and research by engaging in an array of campus activities. Among them you can take a sport (there are many to choose from), take a swim or hit the gym. There are many clubs and societies that you could join and here you can meet students from all over the world. I wouldn’t forget the canteens (because I am a foodie), there are many canteens all around NUS with cuisine to try from all around the world. Consider, finding accommodation in an NUS hostel for a complete experience in the campus life.
Do you have any interesting personal stories to share? For example, about your journey to get into graduate school, personal hobbies/interests.
When I was doing my undergraduate studies, I had a passion for microbiology and I wanted to continue my higher studies in microbiology. I prepared for TOEFL in advance and started applying for the graduate program. Finally, I managed to join a graduate program in oral microbiology at the prestigious NUS. So, start your application early and chase your dreams.
What message would you like to give to students interested in graduate studies in NUS?
Graduate studies at NUS will be a game changer for you. It provides you with many opportunities that would help to shape your future career. You need to hold on to these opportunities and make the best out of them. There is no substitute for hard work, and nothing is impossible if you give your best. Sometimes you might fail, but these failures can be real eye-openers. Just keep trying and believing in yourself.