I graduated from University of Peradeniya with a B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in Zoology. For my graduate studies, I have carried out my research in the field of Parasitology, specifically on Gastrointestinal and blood parasites of Sheep under the supervision of Prof. R. P. V. J. Rajapakse and Prof. R. Rajakaruna.
I am currently reading for my Ph.D. on “Spatial and temporal variations of waterbirds in the northern region of Sri Lanka under the supervision of Prof. D. K. Weerakoon, Dr. A. Sivaruban and Dr. H. B. Jayasiri. During my post-graduate studies, I have undergone several trainings on identification and handling of birds as well as gained skills on mist-netting and ringing birds in the National Bird Ringing Programme organized by both Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka and Department of Wildlife Conservation at Bundala National Park.

During the period of post-graduate studies, I obtained training as a visiting researcher on recording of bird sounds in the ecoAcoustics Research group at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queensland University of Technology, Australia in 2017. Also, I have successfully completed Basic course in Ornithology in the Bombay Natural History Society, India in 2018.

I teach Animal diversity (Birds and mammals), Animal phylogeny and Biology (Birds and mammals), Animal Behaviour, Environmental Zoology, Ornithology and Wildlife management and conservation.

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
PhD in Ornithology (Reading) – University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
BSc (Honors) majoring in Zoology (2011) – University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Diploma in Information of Technology (2011) – University of Colombo School of Computing

MEMBERSHIP IN A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
Life member of Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka
Life member of Jaffna Science Association, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Affiliate member of Ceylon Bird Club
Member of Young Zoologists’ Association, Sri Lanka

OUTREACH
I• Member of Inquiry committee of the University of Jaffna in 2021
• Reviewed bird related research abstracts in the 2nd Research Symposium of the Ocean University of Sri Lanka in 2020.
• Resource Person for several talks mainly on identification and conservation of birds to school students and general public.
• Associate Editor, Proof reader and translator of the Warana Journal, The first Bilingual (Sinhala and Tamil) Magazine on Nature to be published in Sri Lanka published by Wild Life and Nature Protection Society, Sri Lanka.
• Member in the team to entrust the syllabi for Second National Language with Mr. W. Swaminathan, Senior Lecturer, Department of Linguistics and English and Mrs. N. Ravimannan, Senior Lecturer, Department of Botany (Chairperson) and Dr. K. Gajapathy, Department of Zoology according to the decision made in the Faculty Board of Science, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

FULL PAPER (JOURNAL ARTICLE):
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., & Jayasiri, H. B. (2019). Diversity and Abundance of Waterbird communities in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts: Where do we have to go from here? Vingnanam Journal of Science, 14 (1): 15-21.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A. (2017). Spatial variation of waterbirds in Pallai and Thadduvankoddy in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, Third International Conference on Science, Engineering and Environment, SEE-USQ, 2017, Brisbane, Australia: 124-129.
Kandasamy, G., Rajapakse, R.P.V.J., Rajakaruna, R.S. (2013). Gastrointestinal and blood parasites of a free grazing flock of sheep in Kaithady farm in the Jaffna District. Journal of National Science Foundation. Vol. 41(3):195-201.

ABSTRACTS IN PROCEEDINGS:
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., & Jayasiri, H. B. (2020). Foraging guilds of waterbirds at selected sites in Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts, Northern Sri Lanka. National Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (NCMR). Page 17-17 in Virtual postgraduate symposium organised by the Young Scientists Association of the National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., & Jayasiri, H. B. (2019). Foraging and nesting habitats of waterbirds in Mankumban. Page 27-27 in First Research Symposium of the Ocean University of Sri Lanka.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., & Jayasiri, H. B. (2019). The value of Community-based Avitourism in a post-conflict rural area in Kavutharimunai. Page 08-08 in the First International conference on Biodiversity and Environmental Management (BEM, 2019) organized by Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., & Jayasiri, H. B. (2019). Avitourism potential along the coastline from Mandaitivu to Kayts along the northern coastline in the Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Page 05-05 in Fifth National Symposium on Marine Environment organized by Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA).
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., & Jayasiri, H. B. (2019). Community structure of waterbirds in Thadduvankoddy, Kapputhu and Nagarkovil in the northern region of Sri Lanka. Page 124-130 in Proceedings of the Vavuniya Campus International Research Symposium – VCIRS 2019.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., & Jayasiri, H. B. (2019). Diversity and habitats of waterbirds in Mandaitivu, Northern region of Sri Lanka. Page 260-260 in Association for tropical biology and conservation- Asia Pacific Conference.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., & Jayasiri, H. B. (2019). Waterbird diversity and availability of planktonic food sources in Kavutharimunai in the Northern Region of Sri Lanka. Page 60-60 in Annual Scientific sessions organized by National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) Sri Lanka.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., Jayasiri, H. B (2018). Waterbird diversity in Kavutharimunai in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, National Aquatic Resources and Development Agency (NARA) International Scientific Sessions: 42.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A. (2018). Spatial variation of water birds in Kapputhu and Nagarkovil in the Jaffna Peninsula. Poster presentation at the FOGSL symposium organized by Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., Jayasiri, H. B (2017). Spatial variation of waterbirds in eight selected sites in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, Australasian Ornithology conference: 47.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A. (2017). Spatial variation of waterbirds in Pallai and Thadduvankoddy in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, Third International Conference on Science, Engineering and Environment, SEE-USQ, 2017, Brisbane, Australia: 124.
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A., Jayasiri, H. B (2017). Spatial variation of waterbirds in Mandaitivu and Kavutharimunai in the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Student Conference of Conservation Science (SCCS).
Kandasamy, G., Weerakoon, D. K., Sivaruban, A. (2017). Spatial variation of water birds in Kapputhu and Nagarkovil in the Jaffna Peninsula. Accepted in the 40 Years of Bird Research – Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, FOGSL symposium, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo.
Kandasamy, G., Wijesundara, C., Sivaruban, A. (2016). Comparison of avifaunal diversity in different habitats in the Jaffna Peninsula. Peradeniya University Research Proceedings: 362.
Kandasamy, G., Rajapakse, R.P.V.J., Rajakaruna, R.S. (2011). Gastrointestinal and Blood parasites of sheep at Kaithady farm in Jaffna district. Peradeniya University Research Proceedings: vol. (16): Pp145.

During post-graduate studies, I have obtained experience on various branches of Ornithology including, identification of bird species, handling of bird species, bird ringing, bird sound recording and ecology of birds etc. my approach combines field and laboratory-based experimentation. During my post-graduate studies, I have worked with members of FOGSL, Waterbird Census Committee (CBCWCC) of Ceylon Bird Club and University of Peradeniya on bird counting and annual censes of waterbirds.

Within Ornithology, my work mainly focuses on ecology of waterbirds and the development of avitourism in the northern region of Sri Lanka. I am currently working on spatial and temporal variations and ecology of waterbirds in the northern region of Sri Lanka

GRANTS
University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka: PhD grant for probationers in 2015
University of Jaffna Research Grant in 2016/17.