Dushani L. Palliyaguru PhD

Dushani Palliyaguru is a first year Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the School of Medicine. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Mathematics at Clark University, Worcester, MA in 2009. Dushani obtained her Ph.D. and a certificate in Global Health in 2016 from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh.
Her dissertation research with Dr. Thomas W. Kensler was focused on characterizing novel Nrf2 inducers for liver disease prevention. Given her deep interests in translational science, she now works on utilizing dietary agents for breast cancer prevention at both the pre-clinical and clinical level.
A native of Sri Lanka, Dushani spends her spare time working out, lifting weights and practicing yoga. She also enjoys communicating science to lay people through writing and raising awareness, especially on toxicology-related issues in developing nations.