Department of Oral Pathology

Faculty of Dental Sciences

Faculty of Dental Sciences

University of Peradeniya

Prof RP Illeperuma

Professor in Oral Pathology



Official Address :

Department of Oral Pathology
Faculty of Dental Sciences,
University of Peradeniya,
Peradeniya,
Sri Lanka


rpi@dental.pdn.ac.lk , rasika.ille@gmail.com


+94 777 445101, +44 7475281776





Professor in Oral Pathology, Centre for Research in Oral Cancer, Department of Oral Pathology

    BDS Honours (Sri Lanka) 1999-2004 with Distinctions in Pharmacology, General Surgery & Restorative Dentistry

    MSD, PhD (Seoul, South Korea) 2008-2012
    Graduate School, Yonsei University, Oral Cancer Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, South Korea

    Registered Dental Practitioner at Sri Lanka Medical Council since 2004 -SLMC Reg: No1957

    Diploma in Acupuncture at “Medicina Alternativa” Institute affiliated to the Open International University of Complementary Medicine-USA (1997 to 1999)
  • Senior Lecturer Grade I at the Centre for Research in Oral Cancer, Department of Oral Pathology from 1st March 2021
  • Senior Lecturer Grade I ,in Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (May 2018 – March 2021)
  • Senior Lecturer Grade II ,in the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (May 2013 – May 2018)
  • Head, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (24th July 2017 – 28th February 2019)
  • Lecturer In Western Medicine (Modern Medicine Unit) Institute of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka (April 2007- May 2013)
  • Post-Doctoral Researcher - Oral Cancer Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (August 2015)
  • Visiting Lecturer at Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
  • Visiting Lecturer and Examiner at Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM), Colombo, Sri Lanka for Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine Programme.
  • Visiting Lecturer and Examiner at Institute of Indigenous Medicine (IIM), University of Colombo, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka for postgraduate and undergraduate teaching
  • Visiting Lecturer and Examiner at Gampaha Wikramarachchi Ayurveda Institute (GWAI), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka for postgraduate and undergraduate teaching
  • Assistant Teacher at the Department of Oral Pathology, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea (March 2008 –February 2012)
  • Registered General Dental Practitioner at Sri Lanka Medical Council General dental practice since (March 2004 –to date)
  • Visiting Dental Surgeon of the Unilever Sri Lanka Limited, Colombo 14 (2005-2008)
  • Trained Acupuncturist at the Acupuncture Clinic of Colombo South Teaching Hospital Kalubowila, Sri Lanka (1997-1999)
    1. Best Research Proposal Award (3rd place) at the MORCC Oral Health Symposium & Research Proposal Competition hosted by the Ministry of health and College of Community Dentistry, Sri Lanka.31st August 2018.
    2. NSF (National Science Foundation- Sri Lanka) Travel Award, June 2018 to participate and present a paper at the 19th IAOP Congress in Vancouver, Canada
    3. President’s Award for Scientific Publications for year 2015 by National Research Council, Sri Lanka
    4. Award for the Best Presentation -8th Annual conference of The Asian Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (ASOMP). August 19th & 20th 2017, Vijayawada, India. For the paper titled “Expression of p16 gene and HPV oncogene in oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer: A preliminary study”.
    5. Award for Best Research Paper - Annual Scientific Sessions of the Sri Lanka Dental Association- Kandy Branch January 2017 Kandy. For the paper titled “The effect of music on the reduction of cancer-related pain”.
    6. Research fellowship - Oral Cancer Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, August 2015.
    7. Award for Best Research Paper - 10th Annual scientific sessions of Sri Lanka Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons July 2013. For the paper titled “Analysis of demographic data of 4394 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma”
    8. Award of Merit for the best research presentations- FDI/CDA/SLDA joint International Conference & 80th Anniversary Annual scientific sessions of Sri Lanka Dental Association (SLDA) June 2013. For the paper titled “Fibroblasts are implicated in areca nut-induced carcinogenesis via oxidative DNA damage and nuclear aneuploidy”
    9. Daphne Attygalle Prize for the Best Paper in Cancer, awarded by the Sri Lanka Medical Association, November 2012. For the paper titled “A novel approach to understand carcinogenesis in oral submucous fibrosis”
    10. NSF (National Science Foundation- Sri Lanka) Travel Award, August 2012 to participate and present a paper at the 16th IAOP Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
    11. IAOP travel award for the 16th International Congress on Oral Pathology and Medicine, general sessions of the International Association of Oral Pathologists (IAOP). August 2012, Brazil.
    12. The Best Presentation Award- at 76th Annual sessions of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (KAOMP), November 2011. For the paper titled “Oxidative DNA damage in oral keratinocytes caused by cytokines released from fibroblasts by areca nut exposure”.
    13. Award of Merit for the best research presentations- Annual research sessions, Yonsei University 2011. For the paper titled “Implication of cytokines released from gingival fibroblasts exposed by Areca Nut extract in carcinogenesis”
    14. Award of Merit for the best research presentations- Annual research sessions, Yonsei University 2010. For the paper titled “Cytokines might play a key role in carcinogenesis of oral submucous fibrosis”
    15. Award of Merit for the best research presentations- Annual research sessions, Yonsei University 2009. For the paper titled “Establishment of novel cell line for testing toxicity of Dental Materials using h-TERT transfected gingival fibroblasts”.
    16. Full scholarship from Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea for PhD programme (2008-2012)
  • Acting Dean, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya.
  • Head, Department of Nursing Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya from 24th July 2017 to 28th February 2019
  • Acting Head, Department of Nursing Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya from 1st February 2017 to 30th April 2017
  • Acting Head, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya
  • Founder Secretary, Higher Degrees Committee, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya
  • Mechanisms of carcinogenesis in oral premalignant lesions
  • Carcinogenicity of Areca Nut
  • Testing antioxidants as a treatment modality in oral pre-cancer
  • Oral submucous fibrosis and Oral cancer
  • HPV involvement in Oral Cancer
  • Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory properties of herbal extracts against oral pathogens
  • Herbal medicine in oral diseases
  • Leaf Extract of Osbeckia octandra L.(Heen Bovitiya) Suppresses Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells Migration and Induces Cellular DNA Damage. M Prasadani, S Bogahawaththa, RP Illeperuma. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine, and Pathology 33 (2021) 215–220

  • The Protective Effect of Antioxidants in Areca Nut Extract-Induced Oral Carcinogenesis. D Kim, RP Illeperuma, J Kim. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev,2020, 21 (8), 2447-2452

  • The use of Rose Angina Questionnaire and 12 lead Electrocardiogram (ECG) in the Identification of potential Ischemic Heart Changes among a group of Hypertensive Patients in Sri Lanka. BMC Ratnayake, RP. Illeperuma, U Ralapanawa, TA Jayalath Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences.2020, 7 (2), 12-17

  • Development of Brief Image Quality Evaluation Criteria for Digital OrthoPantomography (OPG) Images in Dental Radiography. AMC Kumarihami, SDL Heshani, P Sathyathas, RP Illeperuma Journal of Health Science 2018, 6, 139-147

  • Effect of Areca nut on Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric diseases in mice. Lee J, Gunawardhana ND, Jang S, Choi YH, Illeperuma RP, Kim A, Su H, Hong YA, Kim JH, Kim J, Jung DW, Cha IH, Bak EJ, Cha JH. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2016 Oct 28;26(10):1817-1823