DrDimuthu Rathnayake

Dr. Dimuthu Rathnayake is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Health Systems at SNMHS, with extensive clinical, health-management, research, and international experience. She began her career as a Dental Surgeon before specialising in health and hospital management, completing an MSc and MD in Medical Administration at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. With over eight years of experience managing large hospitals and public health organisations, she served as Director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Sri Lanka in 2018, where she played a key role in responding to COVID-19, dengue, and other infectious disease outbreaks and strengthening tertiary-care services.

After relocating to the UK, Dr. Rathnayake completed her PhD in Health Systems at Queen’s University Belfast in 2021. Her research examined post-COVID-19 health-system challenges, including elective surgery waiting times and vaccine hesitancy among healthcare staff. She is a member of the WHO Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (EDRM) expert team and contributed as a co-author and reviewer to the WHO’s Guidance on Research Methods for Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management.

In Ireland, Dr Rathnayake continues to contribute to nationally significant health-system research. She currently serves as a Research Fellow with the COVID-19 Evaluation Independent Committee, assessing Ireland’s pandemic preparedness and response. Previously, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher on a UCD–HSE collaboration to develop a National Quality and Patient Safety Competency Framework. She is also a co-researcher on a project with St. Vincent’s University Hospital evaluating and enhancing the Acute Virtual Ward (AVW) Nursing Workforce Model, supporting Ireland’s strategic Acute Virtual Ward Programme.

Dr Rathnayake’s work bridges theory, policy, and practice, with a focus on health-system effectiveness, quality and patient safety, public health, health emergency and disaster management, and global health. Through her research and applied experience, she seeks to strengthen health-system resilience and generate evidence that informs policy and improves healthcare delivery.