Roles
- Research Professor
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Biography
Dr. Wikramanayake received her Ph.D. in Genes and Development from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She developed her expertise in skin and hair biology and genetics through postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX) and the Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaii-Manoa (Honolulu, HI). She is currently a Research Associate Professor and Endowed Frost Investigator in the Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is a Member of the Cancer Control Program at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and serves as a graduate faculty of the Molecular Cell & Developmental Biology Program and M.S. in Skin Biology & Dermatological Sciences Program.
Her current research interests are epidermal and appendage differentiation and their dysfunction in skin and hair disorders, and she has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers. She is a member on the Editorial Board for Experimental Dermatology, and has served on the NIH ACTS (Arthritis, Connective Tissue and Skin) and MCST-J (Training in Veterinary and Comparative Medicine) Study Sections. Her research has been funded by federal (NIH/NIAMS, NIH/NCI, etc.), state (Florida Department of Health), foundation (Dermatology Foundation, Hawai’i Community Foundation) and industry grants. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
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Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
I enjoy teaching, both in the classroom and in the lab. Currently I direct 4 courses for our M.S. in Skin Biology & Dermatological Sciences Program. I emphasize critical thinking to the students and help them sharpen writing and oral presentation skills in addition to acquiring knowledge. Additionally, I give lectures to PiBS students and medical students. Dozens of medical, graduate, undergraduate and high school students have gained hands-on research experience in my lab. -
Research Interests
Research focus: Epidermal and skin appendage biology in health and disease
Specific areas of research:
• Epidermal differentiation and barrier function
• Barrier-immune system crosstalk and inflammatory skin disorders
• Hair follicle and sebaceous gland morphogenesis and homeostasis
• Hair cycle regulation
• Skin metabolism and mitochondrial biology
• Chemotherapy-induced alopecia
Specific models:
• Transgenic and knockout mouse models
• Human skin xenografts in mice
• Mammalian cell culture -
Publications
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