News
From Sri Lanka to the frontlines of cancer research — Kenneth leads with purpose
OXFORD, Miss. – The PhRMA Foundation has awarded University of Mississippi graduate student Kenneth Hulugalla its Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Delivery, which will support his research to develop new ways to get cancer-fighting medications to tumors.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation offers up to $30,000 per year to students completing their doctoral degrees. Hulugalla, a fourth-year biomedical engineering doctoral candidate from Kandy, Sri Lanka, is the first Ole Miss student to receive the fellowship.
“The foundation looks for projects that could actually make it to clinics if they get the funding to do that,” Hulugalla said. “I really consider it a privilege to be awarded the fellowship because it’s reinforcement from people who brought impactful drugs into the market, and it’s rewarding to see that the work you’re doing matters.”
Thomas Werfel
Thomas Werfel, associate professor of biomedical engineering, is Hulugalla’s research adviser and supported his application for the fellowship.
“This is a very competitive national fellowship, only given to a handful of graduate students working in the field of drug delivery each year,” he said. “Kenneth’s recognition as a PhRMA fellow is a major recognition of his talent, excellent work to date and potential to be a leader in this field of research.”
Hulugalla’s research focuses on delivering cancer medication directly to tumor cells in particularly aggressive cancers, such as triple-negative breast cancer. In 2024, Hulugalla and Werfel published research showing that nanoparticles coated in a sugar-like substance can more effectively deliver cancer-fighting medication.
“The first part of our research found that when we use these sugar molecules like glucose, they bypass immune system recognition, and they can make their way to the tumor,” he said. “But the problem that we encountered was that every human is so different.
“Based on your disease state, your age, your sex – a number of factors – the composition of proteins in each individual person’s body is going to be different. That also affects how the body reacts. If we’re making a one-size-fits-all carrier, that’s usually not the best solution.”
Hulugalla and Werfel are planning to collaborate with the University of Mississippi Medical Center and oncology clinics to use real patient serum – fluid in the blood that does not include blood cells or clotting proteins – to study different protein combinations. Their work could lead to cancer medication that is tailored to fit the person who needs it.
“This could be a major improvement because all trials to date have used a one-size-fits-all approach to choosing materials to deliver drugs to a set of patients,” Werfel said. “We believe that the variability between patients is one of the major reasons that the effectiveness of the materials varies so much.
“I believe Kenneth’s project was chosen because it does truly represent a paradigm shift in how materials are designed in a patient-specific manner to give the best possible chance of clinical success.”
Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. If the researchers can successfully find ways to address it, they could begin to use those strategies in other cancers, too.
“When people say, ‘We’re curing cancer,’ it’s really complicated, because it’s not one disease,” Hulugalla said. “It’s a multitude of different diseases, so it’s almost impossible to totally cure.
“What we’re hoping is that if we can find approaches that work well in really aggressive types of cancer, we can take those good things from that technology and apply them to other cancers.”
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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours commencing at 1200hrs today [08]
Accordingly
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy District, Wilgamuwa in the Matale District, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Meegahakiwula, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Lunugala, Badulla, Passara, Uva Paranagama and Hali_Ela in the Badulla District, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale District, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya District.
Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, Department of Meteorology at 10.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 for the period until 10.30 a.m. 09 January 2026
The depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka has intensified into a deep depression and is centered near latitude 5.4°N and longitude 85.3°E, about 420 km southeast of Pottuvil at 05.30 a.m. today (08th). The above system is currently (10:00 a.m.) located about 300 km southeast of Pottuvil.
It is very likely to move west-northwestwards across the southwest Bay of Bengal and cross the Sri Lanka coast between Hambantota and Kalmunai between 5.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. on Friday [9th January 2026].
Hence, showery, and windy condition over the island, particularly in the Northern, NorthCentral, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance from today (08th).
For the Land area:
DAMAGE EXPECTED:
• Damage to huts, temporary shelters and light structures
• Destroy the roof tops/ sheets etc.
• Damage to power and communication lines.
• Breaking of tree branches and uprooting of large avenue trees.
• Damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards.
• Damage to harbor yachts
• Flash flood
• Sea water inundation in low lying areas in the near coast.
Action suggested for the Land area:
• Coastal hutment dwellers are advised to move to safer places. Other people in the affected areas to remain indoors.
• People living in hilly areas (particularly landslide prone areas) and low lying areas in river basins are requested to be vigilant.
• Drivers and people using roads in the hilly areas are requested to be vigilant.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• General public is requested to be vigilant regarding impending extreme weather situation.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
• Requested to be attentive about future advisories issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.
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Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces and showers about 50-75 mm in other areas
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 JANUARY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
The depression over the Bay of Bengal, located to the southeast of Sri Lanka, was centered near latitude 5.3°N and longitude 86.0°E, about 490 km southeast of Pottuvil, at 11:30 p.m. yesterday (07). It is expected to move west-northwestwards and towards the eastern coast of the island during next 24 hours. This system is likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours.
Cloudy skies can be expected over most parts of the island.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Uva, Central and Southern provinces. Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere in the Island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces. Fairly Heavy showers about (50 – 75) mm are likely at some places in the other areas of the island.
Strong winds about (50-60) kmph can be expected at times over the Eastern slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and in Hambantota, Gampaha, Colombo and Monaragala districts.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
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