Nishad Jayasundara recently completed his PhD at Stanford University and is currently a post doctoral fellow at Duke University, NC. His research focuses on understanding how certain changes in bio-chemical processes have allowed animals to live in very different environments, like the extremely cold Antarctic Ocean.

During his PhD, Nishad conducted research in the Antarctic, perhaps becoming the first Sri Lankan researcher to do so. Nishad is also one of the administrative directors at SL2College; a volunteer organization that he co-founded with fellow Sri Lankans. The goal of SL2College is to provide free educational guidance to students in Sri Lanka and currently they are the largest Sri Lankan student network of this kind. Nishad was inspired to be part of this organization because of his own experience in navigating through the western-education system. He wishes that through Sl2College thousands of other Sri Lankan students can reach their academic potential someday.