Sri Lanka Marks Landmark Achievement in Pathogen Genomics Through IPSN Catalytic Grant

Colombo, Sri Lanka | 3 July 2026

The Doherty Institute's Centre for Pathogen Genomics (CPG) is proud to congratulate Sri Lanka's Medical Research Institute (MRI) on the successful completion of the World Health Organization International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) Catalytic Grant Project, an initiative that has helped establish the foundations for sustainable pathogen genomics and genomic epidemiology in Sri Lanka. The project closure meeting, held on 3 July 2026, brought together distinguished public health leaders and stakeholders, including Dr Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of Health; Dr Momoe Takeuchi, Team Lead of the WHO Sri Lanka Country Office; Dr Upali Karunarathna, Director of MRI; Dr Suranga Dolamulla and representatives from hospitals, sentinel sites, laboratories, the Ministry of Health, WHO and other key public health partners.

Pictured: IPSN Catalytic Grant project closure meeting attendees (2026)

Led by Dr Sujatha Pathirage and the MRI team, the project became Sri Lanka's first nationally representative pathogen genomics surveillance initiative for food-borne diseases. Over the course of the program, MRI re-established a national sentinel surveillance network, collected more than 1,400 samples from across the country, generated over 350 high-quality pathogen genome sequences and produced Sri Lanka's first large-scale genomic dataset for food-borne pathogens. Most importantly, the project demonstrated how genomics can be integrated into public health surveillance to support outbreak detection, antimicrobial resistance monitoring and evidence-based decision-making.

Pictured: MRI laboratory scientists in training for the IPSN Catalytic Grant project (2025)

As the project's technical and training partner, CPG worked closely alongside MRI throughout every stage of implementation. The partnership included three in-person training missions delivered by CPG experts covering laboratory sequencing, bioinformatics, genomic epidemiology, data interpretation, reporting and stakeholder communication. "Sri Lanka MRI, supported by IPSN catalytic grant have made impressive progress in the implementation of bacterial genomics in a short time period. In the space of 18-months they have gone from no capacity to a robust bacterial genomics program including; sample and metadata collection and curation, sequencing, analysis and reporting." Dr Louise Judd, Lead Laboratory Scientist and Genomics Trainer, Centre for Pathogen Genomics.

Pictured: Dr Louise Judd, delivering a lecture on pathogen genomics to project partners at MRI Sri Lanka (2025).

Beyond the immediate project outcomes, the initiative has had significant catalytic impact. It strengthened national surveillance systems, improved epidemiological data collection and integration, built bioinformatics infrastructure, established routine sequencing workflows and increased awareness of the value of pathogen genomics across Sri Lanka's public health community. The infrastructure, expertise and partnerships developed through the project are already supporting broader efforts in antimicrobial resistance surveillance, outbreak preparedness and implementation of Sri Lanka's national pathogen genomics strategy.

"It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside the incredible team at MRI," said Tuyet Hoang, Governance and Advocacy Leda, Centre for Pathogen Genomics. "Their commitment, professionalism and determination have been inspiring. What has been achieved through this project goes far beyond the delivery of a grant. It has generated country-wide engagement in pathogen genomics that will continue to deliver public health benefits for Sri Lanka for years to come."

"Sri Lanka MRI has demonstrated remarkable leadership and vision," said Professor Ben Howden, Co-Director of the Centre for Pathogen Genomics. "This project shows what is possible when local expertise is combined with strong partnerships, capacity building and a shared commitment to public health impact."

The Doherty Institute and the Centre for Pathogen Genomics extend their sincere congratulations to Dr Sujatha Pathirage, Dr Suranga Dolamulla, Dr Upali Karunarathna, the MRI leadership team, laboratory scientists, epidemiologists, surveillance site staff, Ministry of Health colleagues and all project partners. We are deeply grateful to MRI for the opportunity to be a collaborating partner on this journey and look forward to continuing our partnership as Sri Lanka advances towards a sustainable, nationally integrated pathogen genomics surveillance system.

Congratulations, Sri Lanka MRI, on this remarkable achievement.

Partner Voice: Dr Sujatha Pathirage

Project Lead - Medical Research Institute, Sri Lanka

"Before this project, Sri Lanka did not possess the technical capacity to incorporate whole genome sequencing into routine food-borne pathogen surveillance activities. Through the WHO International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) Catalytic Grant, we have successfully established this capability and built the foundation for sustainable pathogen genomics in the country. Our partnership with the Centre for Pathogen Genomics at the University of Melbourne went far beyond collaboration. Their technical guidance, continuous mentorship and unwavering support throughout every stage of the project, from concept development and laboratory establishment to bioinformatics, infrastructure procurement, installation and implementation, were instrumental to our success.

Medical Research Institute extend sincere gratitude to Professor Ben Howden, Ms. Tuyet Hoang, Dr Louise Judd, Dr Courtney Lane, Ms. Kelly Allen, and the entire CPG team for their commitment and generosity in sharing their expertise. Our sincere appreciation also goes to the World Health Organization (WHO) and our funding partners for their continued support.  

Today, we are confident that Sri Lanka has the expertise and infrastructure to independently undertake whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis for bacterial pathogen surveillance, providing a strong platform for strengthening public health in the years ahead." Medical Research Institute extend our appreciation to WHO and Partners of International Pathogen Genomic Surveillance"