Madusha Peiris

Dr. Madusha Peiris serves as Senior Lecturer in Enteric Neurobiology at Queen Mary University of London's Blizard Institute within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Her research bridges neuroscience and gastroenterology through the Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, focusing on gut-brain axis mechanisms in obesity, microbiome interactions, and gastrointestinal disorders.

She earned her BSc (Hons) and PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia, launching her career with the Neurogastroenterology group at the Wingate Institute. Her academic journey includes foundational work on human visceral afferent recording and nutrient sensing mechanisms.

Dr. Peiris' research program spans three interconnected domains: Obesity and Appetite Regulation investigates nutrient receptor mechanisms, enteroendocrine-CNS communication, and bariatric surgery effects using cell-based and clinical models; Microbiome-ENS Interactions characterizes how gut microbes like Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron regulate neuronal innervation and gut function; Enteric Nervous System Pathophysiology explores pain pathways and molecular targets in IBS, IBD, and esophageal disorders through human and murine studies.

Her publication record (2011-2021) reveals strong translational focus across high-impact journals like Gut and American Journal of Physiology, consistently integrating molecular neuroscience with clinical gastroenterology to develop novel diagnostics and therapies for gut disorders.

Dr. Peiris actively mentors PhD candidates including current students Kiran Dontamsetti and Tom Leech, and has successfully guided Ahsen Ustaoglu, Lucas Baumard, and Harween Dogra to completion. Her teaching portfolio encompasses MBBS Year 1/2 programs and MSc courses in Gastroenterology and Neuroscience.

As a core member of the Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, she collaborates on multidisciplinary projects leveraging human tissue models and neuronal recording techniques to advance understanding of neurogastroenterology disorders.