Picture of  Samantha Ekanayake

Samantha Ekanayake Technician, Research and Graduate Studies, WCVM

Profile

Samantha Ekanayake provides technical support and training to clinical research in following areas: 

  • Molecular biology techniques - conventional and multiplex PCR, reverse transcription PCR, real-time qPCR (SYBR Green, TaqMan), molecular cloning, gene expression, gene target and primer design, phylogenetic tree design Sanger sequence data analysis
  • Diagnostic assay establishment and validation
  • Virological methods, work with fowl adenovirus and bacteriophage, cell culture techniques, cell signaling
  • Field research – sample and data collection, clinical procedures
  • Bacteriological methods
  • Parasitological identification and culture
  • Florescent in situ hybridization (FISH), RNAScope
  • Agarose gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, Western blot, ELISA
  • Histological techniques, immunohistochemistry, apoptosis assay
  • Bright field and fluorescence microscopy
  • Animal experimentation, necropsy procedures, rodent research
  • Nuclear imaging with PET-CT Scanner at Saskatchewan Centre for Cyclotron Sciences
  • Research communication, visual presentation

Academic Credentials

  • BVSc, University of Peradeniya — 1994
  • MPhil, University of Peradeniya — 2005
  • MSc, University of Saskatchewan — 2009

Publications

Aulakh, G. K., Kaur, M., Ekanayake, S., Kahn, B. and Fonge, H. (2020). Quantification of regional murine ozone-induced lung inflammation using (18F)F-FDG microPET/CT imaging. Scientific Reports, 10(1): 15699. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-72832-8.pdf

Orsen, C. (2018). Saliva test could lead to better parasite control. Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners Newsletter, 25 (3): 20-21 https://www.wcabp.com/images/newsletters/NL2018Sept.pdf

Ek, C.E., Nosach, R., Fernando, C., Huang, Y., Perez, J.B.D.S., Costa, M.O., Ekanayake, S. Hill, J.E. and Harding, J.C.S. (2017). An optimized murine model to characterize shedding and clinical disease associated with “Brachyspira hampsonii” infection. BMC Veterinary Research: 13: 261-272. https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12917-017-1166-5.pdf

Predicala, B., Alvarado, A. and Ekanayake, S. (2015). Field testing of an air filtration system for a pig transport trailer. Annual Research Report 2013-14, Prairie Swine Centre Inc., 25-26.

Rubin, J. E., Ekanayake, S. and Fernando, C. (2014). Carbapenamase-producing organism in food, 2014. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 20(7): 1264-1265 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4073846/.

Predicala, B., Alvarado, A. and Ekanayake, S. (2014). Field Testing of an air filtration system for a transport trailer. Western Hog Journal, Summer, 52-54.