• Life member of the Sri Lanka Association of Laboratory Animal Science (SLALAS)
• Member of the Young Scientist Forumof Sri Lanka

• Dairy products as functional foods

• Nutraceutical properties of milk and milk products

• Modeling of livestock production systems to enhance efficiency

• Swine production in the tropics

   

• Dairy Science, Dairy Microbiology, Probiotics & Prebiotics, Sensory Analysis of Dairy & Meat Products (please replace the previous research interests)

Honours and Recognitions

Professional Career
 Most Outstanding Young Researcher Award for the years 2021 and 2022 for the achievement made in Scientific Research Evaluated by peers and published in the respective years
 Certificate of Recognition for conducting high quality research and publishing in the year of 2022 in Indexed Journals (1 paper: Applied Sciences, 12(22), 11737)
 Certificate of Recognition for conducting high quality research and publishing in the year of 2021 in Indexed Journals (2 papers: Current Opinion in Food Science, vol. 38, pp. 08-20, 2021 & Agriculture, vol. 11, pp. 01-23, 2021)

Undergraduate Career
 Third Place at the Alltech Young Scientist Global Competition (Undergraduate Category) awarded at the Alltech 28th Animal Health & Nutrition Symposium, Lexington, KY, USA for the research project titled “Milks Fermented with Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC 12007 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7 Partially Inhibit the Activity of Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme (ACE)”.
 Alltech Young Scientist Award Asia Pacific Region (Undergraduate Category) at the Alltech Young Scientist Competition 2012.
 First Place from the Indian Subcontinent Zone at the Alltech Young Scientist Competition 2012 (Undergraduate Category).
 R. R. Appadurai Memorial Scholarship for the performance at the examinations held during the core-program in Agriculture awarded by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.
 Kundanmal Scholarship for meritorious performance at the 2000 series Examination in Agriculture awarded by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.
 C de S W Siriwardena Scholarship for the best performance at the Farm Practice Course awarded by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.
 University Scholarship for the best performance at the 1000 series examination awarded by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.

Rasika, D.M.D., Ueda, T., Jayakody, L.N., Suriyagoda, L.D.B., Silva, K.F.S.T., Ando, S., Vidanarachchi, J.K. (2014). ACE-inhibitory activity of milk fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7 and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC 12007. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka 43(2): 141-151.
Weerathilake, W.A.D.V., Rasika D.M.D., Ruwanmali J.K.U. and Munasinghe M.A.D.D. (2014). The evolution, processing, varieties and health benefits of yogurt. International Journal of Scientific & Research Publications 4(4).
Munasinghe, M.A.D.D., Silva, K.F.S.T., Rasika, D.M.D., Jayarathne, M.P.K. and Sarananda, K.H. (2013). Formulation and Sensory Evaluation of the Yoghurt-based Weaning Foods Manufactured from Mung bean, Soybean and Brown Rice. International Journal of Scientific & Research Publications 3 (4).
Rasika, D. M. D., Vidanarachchi, J. K., Rocha, R. S., Balthazar, C. F., Cruz, A. G., Sant’Ana, A. S., & Ranadheera,
C. S. (2021). Plant-based milk substitutes as emerging probiotic carriers. Current Opinion in Food Science, 38, 8-20.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2020.10.025.

• Dassanayake, D.M.S.N., Rasika, D.M.D., Kodithuwakku, K.A.H.T. and Weerathilake, W.A.D.V., 2023. Effect of incorporating Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) powder on physicochemical properties of buffalo milk curd. Journal of Agriculture and Value Addition, 6(2), pp.97-111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4038/java.v6i2.83
 Yapa, D., Rasika, D.M.D., Weerathilake, W.A.D.V., Siriwardhana, J. and Priyashantha, H., 2023. Effects of fermenting with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG on quality attributes and storage stability of buffalo milk yogurt incorporated with bael (Aegle marmelos) fruit pulp. NFS Journal, 31, pp.102-109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nfs.2023.04.002
 Udayakumar, S., Rasika, D.M.D., Priyashantha, H., Vidanarachchi, J.K. and Ranadheera, C.S., 2022. Probiotics and Beneficial Microorganisms in Biopreservation of Plant-Based Foods and Beverages. Applied Sciences, 12(22), p.11737. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app122211737.
 Damunupola, D.A.P.R., Munasinghe, M.A.L.S.S., Rasika, D.M.D. and Weerathilake, W.A.D.V., 2022. Sri Lanka’s Dairy Sector: Where to Move and What to Do–Prediction and a Trend Analysis. Sri Lankan Journal of Agriculture and Ecosystems, 4(1). DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/sljae.v4i1.74.
 Sudharaka, D.L.A., Weerathilake, W.A.D.V., Samarakoon, S.M.R. and Rasika, D.M.D., 2021. Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Essential Oils on Growth Performance of Broiler Chicken. Sri Lankan Journal of Agriculture and Ecosystems, 3(1).
 Priyashantha, H., Ranadheera, C.S., Rasika, D.M.D. and Vidanarachchi, J.K., 2021. Traditional Sri Lankan fermented buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) milk gel (Meekiri): technology, microbiology and quality characteristics. Journal of Ethnic Foods, 8(1), pp.1-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42779-021-00105-4.

Siriwardhana, J., Yapa, D., Dissanayake, D., & Weerathilake, D. (2021, April). Effects of the addition of bael (Aegle
marmelos) on the viability of probiotic bacteria and the physiochemical characteristics of fermented goat milk over
the refrigerated storage [Paper presentation]. In Animal – science proceedings, 12(1). BSAS 2021 Virtual
Conference, Essex, UK (pp. 70). ScienceDirect. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anscip.2021.03.092.
Rasika, D. M. D., Jayakody, L. N., Suriyagoda, L. D. B., Ando, S., Silva, K. F. S. T., Vidanarachchi, J. K. and Toshihisa, U. (2012). Angiotesin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of the milks fermented by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC 12007 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7. Paper presented at the 28th Alltech Animal Health & Nutrition Symposium, Lexington, KY, USA.
Rasika, D. M. D., Vidanarachchi, J. K., Silva, K. F. S. T., Suriyagoda, L. D. B., Ando, S. and Toshihisa, U. (2011). Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Activity of the Milks Fermented with Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC 12007 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7. Proceedings of the 21st Annual Student Research Session (Editors: Pradeepa Silva and Barana C. Jayawardene). pp 25-26. Department of Animal Science Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Buddhika, P.R.M., Prathiraja, D.A.S., Karunarathne, U., Dunusinghe, S. and Rasika, D.M.D., 2023. Effect of supplementation of Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) leaves in Guinea grass (Megathrus maximus)-based diets for dairy cattle: Diet Composition, Milk Yield, and Milk Composition. Proceedings of Peradeniya University International Research Sessions 2023, 24, p.249.

Rasika, D. M. D., Ranadheera, C. S. and Vidanarachchi, J. K. (2013). Applications of Marine-derived Peptides and Proteins in the Food Industry. In S-K Kim (Ed.), Marine Proteins and Peptides: Biological Activities and Applications (pp. 545-587). Wiley Blackwell (DOI: 10.1002/9781118375082.ch29).
Rasik,a D.M.D., Munasinghe, M.A.D.D., Vidanarachchi, J.K., da Cruz, A.G., Ajlouni, S,, Ranadheera, C.S. (2020).
Probiotics and prebiotics in non-bovine milk. In A. G. da Cruz, E. S. Prudencio, E. A. Esmerino & M. C. da Silva
(Ed.), Advances in Food and Nutrition- Probiotics and Prebiotics in Foods: Challenges, Innovations and Advances
(pp. 339-384). Academic Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.afnr.2020.06.008.