Originally from Galle, Sri Lanka, Kushani earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry (Hons) from the University of Kelaniya in 2019. Outside of her scientific pursuits, sh
e is also an artist, poet, singer, and volunteer actively working on building her art portfolio to open her art store in her hometown in the future. Before starting her Ph.D., she dedicated her time as a volunteer in non-profit organizations in Sri Lanka, contributing to initiatives aimed at enhancing child education and healthcare services for lower-income families in the country.
In the fall of 2021, Kushani commenced her graduate studies in the Chemistry Ph.D. Program at UMBC. Following research rotations, she officially became a member of the Rosenzweig Lab in January 2022.
Her current research focuses on the development of nanoparticle-based fluorescent probes for biological applications and improving molecular-level understanding of the interactions of nanoparticles with model membranes and organisms in the environment. The specific objectives of her work include investigating protein corona (PC) formation on soft polymer nanoparticles using polymer dots (Pdots) as a model system, advancing the molecular-level understanding of interactions between polymer nanoparticles and phospholipid vesicles (liposomes) through fluorescence techniques, and developing bioimaging probes and nanosensors by surface modification of Pdots for biological applications.