Sanoji Wijenayake

Sanoji Wijenayake is an Assistant Professor at the University of Winnipeg, affiliated with the Department of Biology within the Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex. His research focuses on understanding how maternal obesity and lactation influence offspring development through bioactive components in milk, particularly milk-derived exosomes. He employs rodent models, cell culture techniques, and advanced molecular tools to study epigenetic mechanisms, inflammation regulation, and microglial function.

Key research interests include maternal obesity's impact on offspring health, the role of milk-derived extracellular vesicles in developmental programming, and stress response pathways in extreme environmental conditions. His lab investigates how maternal factors shape offspring resilience to metabolic and inflammatory challenges.

Recent publications highlight the protective effects of milk exosomes against inflammation and oxidative stress, as well as their role in epigenetic regulation. His work bridges basic biology with clinical implications, aiming to translate findings into strategies for mitigating obesity-related health risks in children.

Dr. Wijenayake is actively mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and oversees the Wijelab research group (www.wijelab.ca). He collaborates widely, with funded graduate positions available in maternal-fetal biology and exosome research.