EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN- BAYLOR Belton, TX Double major cell biology & biochemistry 08/2016

AWARDS AND HONORS

● Belton High School Teacher of the Year, (Belton High School), 2022

● Belton ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year (Belton ISD), 2022

● Outstanding Performance as a Teaching Assistant (University of Mary Hardin–Baylor), 2015

● Orville Wyss Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement (Texas Branch-American Society for Microbiology), 2014

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

● BELTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT Belton, TX Teacher, AP Biology and Medical Microbiology 08/2019 – 09/2023

● BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE New York, NY Adjunct Lecturer, Biology 08/2017 – 05/2018

● UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN–BAYLOR Belton, TX Teaching Assistant, Chemistry 01/2011 – 05/2015

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

● BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE New York, NY Research Mentor, Biology 02/2017 – 12/2017

Developed research program and mentored STEP students in primary and secondary data collection and analysis to elucidate the protective function of Azadirachta indica in WI38 fibroblast cells subject to oxidative stress.

● BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE New York, NY Research Lab Assistant, Biology 09/2016 – 12/2017

Conducted preliminary data research to examine the effects of thermal stress responses based on C. elegans’s genetic component while evaluating the aging process, longevity, and muscle decay.

● UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN–BAYLOR Belton, TX

Research Student, Biology 05/2012 - 05/2015. Collected primary data to identify gut microbes on imported fire ants in order to weaponize the bacteria via a vector.

Research Student, Chemistry. Designed and executed research work to develop a low-cost, highly-sensitive immunosensor.

PUBLICATIONS

● Gao L, Abeysiri MC, Winfield ZC. 2012. “Evaluating the Energy Consumption and Emissions of Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells” International Journal of Energy Science [serial online]; 2(5):211-6.

POSTERS

● Wingmei Leung, Malintha Abeysiri, Ying Ying, Romario Denoon, Jun Liang “Study of Hydrogen Peroxide Dramatically Reduces Animal Survival in Caenorhabditis elegans” Borough of Manhattan Community College Research Symposium, 2016, NY, NY

● Aurela Dragani, Malintha Abeysiri, Mario Benavides “The Novel Contribution of Microspherule Protein Msp58 in the Regulation of Nuclear Envelop Integrity” BMCC Research Symposium 2017, NY, NY

● Mario Benavides, Malintha Abeysiri, Aliana Wilson, Chimique Powell, Janelle Sekyere “The Protective Function of Azadirachta indica in WI38 Fibroblast Cells Subject to Oxidative Stress“ American Chemical Society Regional Conference (ACS) 2017, Hershey, PA.

● Malintha Abeysiri, Marie Stephenson, Dr. Lin Gao “Development of a Sensitive and Low-Cost Immunosensor for Direct Detection Based on Appositives Measurements and Self-Assembled Mono-Layers” UMHB Scholars Day 2015, Belton, TX

● Malintha Abeysiri, Dr. Gregory Frederic. “Characterization and Weaponization of Imported Red Fire Ant Normal Gut Microbes” UMHB Scholars Day April 2014, Belton, TX