OUR MISSION
Identify and potentially zoonotic pathogens in Sri Lanka
IDEA project was established in Sri Lanka as a collaboration between Robert Koch Institute Germany and University of Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2017 to probe into the much-unexplored area of potentially zoonotic infectious agents from Sri Lankan wildlife.
Sri Lanka is a country with a rich diversity of wild animals and the people of Sri Lanka live with them in harmony. In recent years with the development projects and agricultural expansions, wild populations get stressed and the balance in ecosystems is under threat. Here we see a potential threat for spillover events of pathogens.
Realizing the need to strengthen capacities in rapid and reliable infectious disease identification and characterization, the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences has initiated the IDEA project with the Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Nitsche
Head, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens
ZBS – Highly Pathogenic Viruses
Robert Koch Institute
- Prof. Wipula B. Yapa
IDEA Project, University of Colombo
- Dr. Claudia Kohl
Research Scientist, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens
ZBS – Highly Pathogenic Viruses
Robert Koch Institute
- Prof. Emeritus. Sunil Premawans
Department of Zoology & Environment Sciences
University of Colombo
- Dr. Gayani Premawansa
Consultant Physician
North Colombo Teaching Hospital
- Prof. Inoka C. Perera
Department of Zoology & Environment Sciences
University of Colombo
- Ms. Franziska Schwarz, MSc
Robert Koch Institute
Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens
ZBS 1: Highly Pathogenic Viruses
- Dr. Dananja Nirmalie
Consultant Microbiologist
North Colombo Teaching Hospital
- Dr. Saminda Fernando
Department of Zoology
The Open University of Sri Lanka