Pabasara Kalansuriya is a senior lecturer and former head of the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. She teaches biochemistry to medical undergraduates and leads interdisciplinary research in drug discovery and nanomedicine, with a particular emphasis on targeted drug delivery systems. She holds a Bachelor of Chemistry (First Class Honours) from the University of Colombo and earned her PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia. In recognition of her substantial contribution to research, she was awarded the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research Higher Degree Theses in 2016 by the University of Queensland. Her current research focuses on the encapsulation of bioactive secondary metabolites into diverse nanocarriers to enhance bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy, particularly for the management of iron overload disorders and type 2 diabetes. Her publication record of over 60 abstracts plus peer-reviewed research articles proves extensive collaborative and interdisciplinary research expertise. She actively engages with leading Sri Lankan industries to translate laboratory-based innovations into real-world applications.

Samamalee Upekshi Kankanamge is a senior lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. With the same university, she held the head of the department position (2018–2021) in pharmacy. She holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacy (first-class honours) and a master's degree in industrial analytical chemistry, earned at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), Sri Lanka, where she is currently pursuing her PhD in pharmaceutical science. Her research explores the potential therapeutic benefits of natural compounds and traditional remedies, looking for new compounds, formulations, or delivery systems for medications. She has a record of 42 research publications including 10 original articles, 7 review articles, and 25 conference papers. She won twice the title of best oral presentation awards for her PhD research findings, at the International Research Conference in Health Sciences (USJ) and Lincoln International Multidisciplinary Conference, Lincoln University College, Malaysia, in 2023 and 2024 respectively.