Education:

• PhD, Chemistry, Purdue University , West Lafayette , IN , Fall 2001-present. Current GPA 4/4 scale (thesis research with  Prof. Scott A. McLuckey)
• MS Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte , NC 2001. GPA 4/4 scale. (thesis research with Prof. Brian T. Cooper)

• BSc (Honors) Chemistry, Colombo University , Colombo , Sri Lanka 1997
• Australian Computer Society Examinations Parts I-IV (with Distinction), 1992

Honors and Awards:

• NSF-MRI Sponsored Research Assistantship in Mass Spectrometry 1999-2001
• SIDA-international award 1999
• NARESA-international award 1996
• “Mahapola Higher Educational Merit Scholarship” 1993-1997 (based on the performance of the undergraduate entrance examination)

Research Areas:

• Gas-phase synthesis and characterization of  protein complexes
• Energy deposition in high-mass bio-ions during ion/ion reactions
• Identification of phosphorylated proteins in mixtures
• Electron transfer ion/ion chemistry of peptides and proteins: Evaluation of reagents for electron transfer and characterization of protein sequence  
• Electron transfer dissociation dependence of peptides cation
• Electron transfer dissociation of phosphopeptide anions
• Electron transfer dissociation of disulfide-linked peptides
• Dissociation of disulfide-linkages via ion/ion reactions with metal anion complexes
• Protein-submicellar SDS binding by affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE)
• Investigation protein-ligand interactions by charge ladders, capillary zone electrophoresis and online CE-MS

Publications:  

• Jeremiah J. Bowers, Jian Liu, Harsha P. Gunawardena, Scott A. McLuckey J. Mass Spectrom. 2008,  43, 23-34 “Intact Protein Identification by Collision Induced Dissociation and Examination of Low-Mass Product Ions” DOI:10.1002/jms1263

• Yu Xia, Harsha P. Gunawardena, David E. Erickson, Scott A. McLuckey,  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 12232-12243 “Effects of Cation Charge Site Identity and Position on Electron Transfer Dissociation of Polypeptide Cations” DOI 10. 1021/ja0736764

• Harsha P. Gunawardena, Lev Gornstein, David E. Erickson, Yu Xia, Scott A. McLuckey, Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 2007, 265, 130-138. Jean Futrell Special Issue  “Electron Transfer Dissociation of Protonated and Fixed Charge Disulfide Linked Polypeptides” DOI:10.1016/j.ijms/2007.01.017

• Harsha P. Gunawardena, Richard A. J. O’Haire, and Scott A. McLuckey “Selective Disulfide Bond Cleavage in Gold(I) Cationized Polypeptide Ions Formed via Gas-Phase Ion/Ion Cation Switching J. Proteome. Res. 2006, 5, 2087-2092. DOI:10.1021/pr0602794

• Harsha P. Gunawardena, Joshua F. Emory, and Scott A. McLuckey “Phosphopeptide Anion Characterization via Sequential Charge Inversion and Electron Transfer Dissociation  Anal. Chem.  2006, 78(11), 3788-3793 DOI: 10.1021/ac060164j

• Harsha P. Gunawardena, Min He, Paul A. Chrisman, Sharon J. Pitteri, Jason M. Hogan, Brittany D. M. Hodges, and Scott A. McLuckey “Electron Transfer versus Proton Transfer in Gas-Phase Ion-Ion Reactions of Polyprotonated Peptides” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005 127, 12627-12639 DOI: 10.1021/ja0526057

• Harsha P. Gunawardena, and Scott A. Mcluckey “Synthesis of Multi-unit Protein Hetero Complex in the Gas Phase via Ion/Ion Chemistry” J. Mass Spectrom. 2004, 39, 630-638 DOI: 10.1002/jms.629

• Peng Pan, Harsha P. Gunawardena, Yu Xia, and Scott A. McLuckey “Nanoelectrospary of protein mixtures: Solution pH and protein pI” Anal. Chem. 2004, 76, 1165-1174 DOI: 10.1021/ac035209k

Conference Presentations:

•  “Protein Identification via Ion Trap Collision-induced Dissociation and
  Examination of Low Mass Product Ion Spectra” Jeremiah J. Bowers, Jian Liu, Harsha P. Gunawardena, Scott A. McLuckey 54^th American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Seattle, WA (2006)

• “Altering Electrospray Responses of Peptides via Zwitterionic Additives” Tegafaw T. Mekecha, Harsha P. Gunawardena, Scott A. McLuckey 54^th American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Seatle, WA (2006)

• “Electron Transfer Dissociation of Disulfide Linked Polypeptides: Effect of Charge State and Charge Site” Harsha P. Gunawardena, Scott A. McLuckey 54^th American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Seatle , WA (2006)

• “Electron Transfer Ion/Ion reactions of Doubly and Singly Charged Peptides: Effect of Cooling Gas Pressure” Xiarong Liang, Harsha P. Gunawardena, Scott A. McLuckey Turkey Run Analytical Conference, Marshall, IN (2005)

•  “Investigation of Dendrimer Selectivity in Negative Ion to Positive Ion Charge Inversion Reactions” Joshua Emory, Min He, Harsha P. Gunawardena and Scott A. McLuckey 53^rd American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, San Antonio , TX (2005)

• “Reagent Anions for Electron Transfer to Polypeptide and Protein Ions in the Gas Phase” Harsha P. Gunawardena and Scott A. McLuckey. 53^rd American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, San Antonio , TX (2005) 

• “Investigation of Dendrimer Selectivity in Negative Ion to Positive Ion Charge Inversion Reactions” Joshua F. Emory, Min He, Harsha P Gunawardena and Scott A. McLuckey. 53^rd American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, San Antonio , TX (2005)

• Top-Down Identification of Class Specific Components from Complex Mixtures: Precursor Ion Scanning of Phosphoproteins” Harsha P. Gunawardena and Scott A. McLuckey. Pittsburg Analytical Conference, Orlando FL (2005)

• Characterizing Proteins and Peptides by Electron Transfer Ion/Ion Chemistry” Harsha P. Gunawardena and Scott A. McLuckey. American Chemical Society, San Diego CA (2005)

• “Investigations of Energy Deposition during Ion/Ion Reactions for Predicting Biomolecular Fragmentation” Harsha P. Gunawardena, Ravi Amunugama and Scott A. McLuckey. 52^nd American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Nashville , TN (2004)

• “Selectivity in Electrospray Ionization of Proteins: Solution pH and Protein pI”    Peng Pan, Harsha P. Gunawardena, Yu Xia and Scott A. McLuckey. 52^nd American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Nashville , TN (2004)

• “Synthesis of Protein Complexes in the Gas Phase”- Harsha P. Gunawardena, and Scott A. McLuckey. 51^st American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Montreal , Canada (2003)

• “Electrostatic Contribution of Protein-SDS Binding Investigated by Charge Ladders, CE, and ESI-MS” Harsha P. Gunawardena, and Brian T. Cooper. 49^th American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Chicago , IL (2001)

• “Protein-SDS Interactions Investigated by Charge Ladders, CE and ESI-MS” Harsha P. Gunawardena, and Brain T. Cooper. “Niner Graduate Research Fair” University of North Carolina , NC (2001)

• “Charge Ladder Calibration of Protein-SDS Multiple Binding Equilibrium by Capillary Electrophoresis” Harsha P. Gunawardena, Minshan Shou, and Brian T. Cooper. High Performance Capillary Electrophoresis, Boston , MA (2001)

• “Electrostatic Contribution of Protein-SDS Interactions Investigated by Online CE-ESI-MS”‑ Harsha P. Gunawardena, and Brian T. Cooper. “Undergraduate Research Fair” University of North Carolina , NC (2001)

•  “Capillary Electrophoresis for Measuring Protein-Amphyphylic Binding Interactions” Harsha P. Gunawardena, Minshan Shou, and Brain T. Cooper. Vendors Night, Glaxo-Wellcome, RTP , NC (2001)

• “Protein-SDS Binding and Signal Suppression in ESI-MS” Harsha P. Gunawardena, and Brian T. Cooper. 48^th American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Long Beach , CA (2000)

Sports Awards:

University Colors in Tennis 1994-1996

YMCA Aikido Championship 1993 (Katas runners-up)

Mercantile “Sevens Rugby ” 1993-1995 (Bowl Championship 1995)

Services

• Analytical Chemistry Seminar Co-Chair, Purdue University (Spring 2004)
• Graduate Student Advisory Board Co-Chair, Purdue University (2003-2004)
• Graduate Student Advisory Board Committee-representative-Analytical division, Purdue University (2002-2003)
• Senator (Chemistry)-Graduate Professional Student Government (GPSG) University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2000-2001)
• Organizing Committee Chair, International Standard Organization (ISO-9000) workshop held at Colombo University- November, 1998
• President of the Chemical Society, Colombo University (1997-1998)
• Represented Colombo University at the Pugwash International Conferences:

      Paper presentation at the University of California-San Diego, 1999

      Paper presentation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1996