Vidusha received her B.Sc. in Applied Biology with a specialization in Microbiology from Rajarata University of Sri Lanka in 2016, graduating with gold medals for the highest cumulative GPA in her degree and specialization. Under the mentorship of Prof. Faseeha Noordeen at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, her undergraduate research focused on measuring rising levels of anti-DENV IgG antibodies to confirm dengue virus infection.
In 2020, Vidusha was awarded the prestigious United States Fulbright Master’s Scholarship, which enabled her to pursue an M.Sc. in Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Washington State University under the guidance of Dr. Santanu Bose. Her master’s thesis explored how respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection induces necroptotic lytic cell death via endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways.
Currently, Vidusha is a Ph.D. candidate in Systems Biology and Bioinformatics. Her research in the Luna lab focuses on the systems biology of virus-host interactions, particularly Zika virus (ZIKV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). She employs advanced bioinformatics and molecular techniques, including mass spectrometry, CLIP-seq, and viral FISH, to investigate changes in the RNA-binding proteome during viral infections.
Outside the lab, Vidusha enjoys traveling, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and watching movies.
