Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 9107
- suranga.dassanayake@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Teaching Fellow - Clinical Anatomy
- Department
- Department of Anatomy
- Qualifications
- PhD, MPhil, MSc, BSc, DipPT
- Research summary
- Hypertension and Exercise, Sports and Exercise Sciences, Physiotherapy, Anatomical variations
- Teaching
- Lab-based teaching in Anatomy for Medicine (Early Learning in Medicine (ELM) 2 and 3), Dental Sciences (DENT262) and Physiotherapy (PHTY 250) papers
- Regional & Clinical Anatomy Block Module (ELM3)
- Neuroanatomy / Head and Neck (ELM3 & DENT262)
- Upper and Lower limb/ Respiratory system/Gastrointestinal system/ Male and female Reproductive systems (ELM2)
- Thorax / Abdomen / Pelvis (ELM3)
- Histology (ELM2&3)
- PTHY 250: Lower limb/Upper limb/Neuroanatomy/Spine and Systems
- Memberships
- Member - Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand
- Member - Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions -ACNAP (European Society of Cardiology - ESC)
- Member - Sri Lanka Society of Physiotherapy
- Clinical
- Cranio-sacral Therapist
- Physiotherapist (Overseas registered)
Research
ORCID: Dr Suranga DassanayakeAdditional details
History of employment
- Visiting Lecturer, Diploma in Human Movement Science and Injury Prevention, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka – November 2022 to present
- Tutor/Demonstrator (TUTDM 04), Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand. - March to October 2022
- Anatomy Tutor (TUTDM 04), Health Sciences Divisional Office, University of Otago, New Zealand – June 2022 to April 2023
- Assistant Research Fellow - Centre for Health Activity and Rehabilitation, University of Otago New Zealand – March 2021 to December 2022
- Clinical Educator, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago - 2018 to 2021
- Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka - 2007 to 2017
Special training
- Introduction to University teaching by Higher Education Development Centre (HEDC), University of Otago (3-day workshop, February 2024)
- ‘Core Support and Development Sessions for Teachers’, Clinical educator certification programme – Education Unit Dunedin School of Medicine (2021)
- Master trainee, in 3-year project, Enhancing Health Care Education in Sri Lanka by Temasek Foundation and Singapore International Foundation. Singapore/Sri Lanka (2013-2015)
- Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education (CTHE), Staff Development Centre, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (2009)
- Short term trainings – Academic and Administration perspectives of BSc Physiotherapy Degree Programmes, Department of Physiotherapy and Sports Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India (2008)
Publications
Devan, H., Perry, M., Dean, S. G., Tennakoon Dassanayake, S., Liu, J., & Hale, L. (2026). A mixed method evaluation of behavioural change techniques in iSelf-Help: A co-designed online group pain management programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Pain, 43, 106280. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106280 Journal - Research Article
Hale, L., Perry, M., Gray, A. R., Leung, W., Dean, S. G., Hempel, D., Davies, C., Dowell, A., Grainger, R., Ingham, T., Jones, B., Saipe, B., Dassanayake, S., & Devan, H. (2025). A group-based, online-delivered pain management programme (iSelf-help) is not inferior to a group-based, in-person programme in reducing pain-related disability for people with persistent pain: A non-inferiority randomised, two-arm, parallel, open-label trial. Journal of Pain, 32, 105447. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105447 Journal - Research Article
Dacombe-Bird, M., Dassanayake, S., Beck, S., Ribeiro, D. C., Nixon, G., Bryant, K., Stokes, T., Wilkins, G., Johnstone, C., Dixon, D., August, S., & Kennedy, E. (2024). Musculoskeletal chest pain prevalence in emergency department presentations: A retrospective case notes review. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 36(2), 302-309. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.14352 Journal - Research Article
Dassanayake, S., Dias, G., & Samalia, L. (2023). Common carotid artery tortuosity: A report of two cases observed in cadaveric dissections. Proceedings of the 10th Asia Pacific International Congress of Anatomists (APICA) and the 20th Australian & New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists (ANZACA) Conference: Reconnect, Ka Mua, Ka Muri. Retrieved from https://apica2023.com Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Dassanayake, S., Skinner, M., Sole, G., & Wilkins, G. (2023). Perceptions and beliefs about physical activity and exercise as a treatment for individuals living with resistant hypertension: A qualitative study. Proceedings of the World Physiotherapy Congress. Retrieved from https://world.physio/congress Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract