Local Doctor Receives Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Innovative Medicine, Research and Volunteerism

Thursday, January 05, 2006

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - Physician and researcher Sunil Wimalawansa won a lifetime achievement award from the Sri Lanka Foundation, the Los Angeles-based international organization's highest honor for the Sri Lankan community.

"It is a great privilege for me to receive this prestigious award from the Sri Lanka Foundation," said Dr. Wimalawansa, MD, PhD, FRCP, DSc, chief of endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "I am honored to be recognized as a leader among Sri Lankan people around the world."

Dr. Wimalawansa (WIMALA-wanza), of North Brunswick, who is also a professor of medicine and director of the Osteoporosis Center at the medical school, was presented this year's award at the Third Annual Sri Lanka Foundation Awards, held at Universal Studios, California, in November, for his accomplishments during his 30-year career, including helping to raise more than $200,000 and leading dozens of projects for tsunami victims in Sri Lanka.

In addition to his current positions at the hospital and medical school, Dr. Wimalawansa's achievements include a diploma in business of medicine from Johns Hopkins School of Business, several Glenn Foundation Awards for endocrinology and aging, and several young investigator awards from national and international societies. He is currently working on an executive master's of business administration degree (E-MBA) at Rutgers Business School.

His research has focused mainly on metabolic bone disease, but has also included development of novel cost-effective therapeutic agents for osteoporosis, alleviation of preeclampsia of pregnancy and premature delivery, investigations of biochemical and molecular approaches to cardiovascular disease, as well as the development of several novel methods of drug administration.

Overall, Dr. Wimalawansa holds seven patents; has published 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 30 book chapters and four books; and has given 90 invited lectures and 200 scientific presentations. He also serves on national review committees for the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and NASA.

Dr. Wimalawansa is also involved in many volunteer activities. He is founder and president of the International Foundation for Revitalization, Empowerment, Education and Development, a US-based charity dedicated to improving underprivileged communities. He is also founder and president of a self-funded education foundation in Sri Lanka and a member of a Japanese education foundation.

The Sri Lanka Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of the people of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan communities worldwide. Each year, individuals of a Sri Lankan background are honored with awards including lifetime achievements, exceptional achievements and exceptional performances in a variety of fields, including science and the arts.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Selected as one of three hospitals nationwide to offer the world's first self-contained implantable artificial heart and named by Solucient as one of America’s top 15 teaching hospitals, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ.

Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care in medicine. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care and women's and children's care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.

The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital was ranked number 26 in the nation for heart care according to U.S.News & World Report’s 2007 ranking of “America’s Best Hospitals,” as well as best in the state for Respiratory Disorders (#26) and Urology (#50), and among the nation’s best for Geriatrics (#40). The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for 10 consecutive years.

Attention members of the media: For more information on this release, please contact the Department of Public Relations (732) 937-8521.


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