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    Qualifications

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry)

    Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA, 2016–2017

     

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Organic Synthesis and Radiochemistry)

    The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, 2014–2016

     

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Organic Synthesis and Organometallic Chemistry)

    Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA, 2013–2014

     

    Ph.D. (Organic Chemistry, 2013)

    The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

     

    B.S. (Special Honors in Chemistry 2006)

    Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka

    Research Interests

  • Drug Discovery, Radiochemistry, Organic Synthesis, Medicinal Chemistry, Organometallic Chemistry, Asymmetric Catalysis

     

    Recent Publications

  • “Synthesis of a [18F]-labeled Ceritinib Analogue for Positron Emission Tomography of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase, a Receptor Tyrosine Kinase, in Lung Cancer”, Sandun Perera, David Piwnica-Worms, and Mian M. Alauddin, J. Label Compd. Radiopharm. 2016, 59, 103-108.

    “List-Barbas-Mannich Reaction Catalyzed by Modularly Designed Organocatalysts” Perera, Sandun; Sinha, Debarshi; Rana, Nirmal K.; Trieu-Do, Van; Zhao, John Cong-Gui, J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78(21), 10947-10953.

    “Highly Enantioselective Inverse-Electron-Demand Hetero-Diels-Alder Reactions Catalyzed by Modularly Designed Organocatalyst” Debarshi Sinha, Sandun Perera and John Cong-Gui Zhao Chemistry, Chem. Eur. J. 2013, 19, 6976-6979. (Highlighted in Synfacts, 2013, 9, 787.)

    “Organocatalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Both Diastereomers of α-Hydroxyphosphinates” Sampak Samanta, Sandun Perera and Cong-Gui Zhao J. Org. Chem. 2010, 75, 1101-1106.

    “Organocatalytic Highly Enantioselective Synthesis of α-Formyl-β-hydroxyphosphonates” Sandun Perera, Vijaya Kumar Naganaboina, Long Wang, Bin Zhang, Qunsheng Guo, Laxmidhar Rout, and Cong-Gui Zhao, Adv. Synth. Catal. 2011, 353, 1729-1734.

    “Ethyl [1-(4-bromophenyl)-1-hydroxy-3-oxobutyl](phenyl)phosphinate monohydrate” Samanta, Sampak; , Sandun Perera; Broker, Grant A.; Zhao, Cong Gui; Tiekink, Edward R. T. Acta Crystallographica, Section E: Structure Reports Online 2010, 66(3), o569.

    “Eletrophilic Alkylation of Benzenoids with 2-Propanol Using Al3+-montmorillonite Clay Catalysts” S. Wijeratne, Sandun Perera, B.M.R. Bandara, R.M.G. Rajapakse, H.M.N. Bandara and D.T.B. Tennakoon, Peradeniya University Research Sessions, Sri Lanka, Vol11, Nov.30, 2006, P. 182.