Dr. Dilantha Ellegala hails from the Central Province of Kandy. His parents Mr. Somisara and Chitra Ellegala migrated to South Dakota when Dr. Dilanthe was six years old. Today he is the Chief Executive Officer and Surgeon-in-charge of Sonospine, a company that has pioneered the use of Ultrasound in Spinal Surgeries in Virginia.

Writing about Dr. Dilanta, he graduated from the University of Washington’s Medical School and entered the University of Virginia’s Neurosurgery Residency program, one of the toughest in the country and capped his education with a Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. At Harvard Medical School he learned the riskiest and most demanding forms of neurosurgery, including the clipping of Aneurysms. Only a handful of Neurosurgeons in the world have these skills, and Dr. Ellegala is one of them.

In addition to his surgical achievements, he has done ground-breaking research on traumatic brain injuries and the use of micro-bubbles to potentially attack tumors. He has authored well over 80 studies, chapters, and academic papers. His global health work has achieved international recognition.

He traveled to Tanzania and was confronted by the dearth of skilled healthcare professionals, especially Brain Surgeons when he decided to teach brain surgery to Tanzanians. This effort led to the creation of Madaktari Africa, and an NGO that promotes teach-first medical programs. Madaktari Africa has sent more than 500 medical professionals to East Africa on teaching focused missions. He lives with his loved wife and four children in Lynchburg, Virginia.