Speakers - 2024

Biography

Sandani Wijerathne is a third-year PhD student in Microbiology at Alabama State University. Her research focuses on the impact of Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) on extracellular vesicle (EV) production and content under the supervision of Dr. Qiana Matthews. She investigates how FCoV infection alters EV biogenesis and intracellular trafficking in host cells, seeking to understand their role in viral propagation among various species. Sandani completed her B.Sc in Biomedical Sciences from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is devoted to improving the current understanding of virus-host interactions, aiming to develop novel therapeutic approaches to prevent future coronavirus outbreaks and other viral infections.