Jayasooriya, Shamanthi, Dr

Dr Shamanthi Jayasooriya

MRCPCH, DTM&H, PhD, MRCGP, DFSRH

School of Medicine and Population Health

NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer

s.jayasooriya@sheffield.ac.uk

Room 207B, Second Floor, Sam Fox House, Northern General Hospital

Full contact details

Dr Shamanthi Jayasooriya
School of Medicine and Population Health
Room 207B, Second Floor, Sam Fox House
Northern General Hospital
Herries Road
��«Ӱҵ
S5 7AU

Profile

I am an NIHR advanced fellow, and a General Practitioner based at Page Hall Medical Centre, a Deep End General Practice, in one of the most deprived and ethnically diverse areas of ��«Ӱҵ.

Currently I hold an NIHR advanced fellowship (2024-2029) exploring underdiagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (COPD) in underserved populations, using a mixed methods explanatory sequential study design. I joined the University of ��«Ӱҵ in an NIHR Clinical Lecturer post (2019-2024) during which I conducted, both quantitative and qualitative research studies into chronic respiratory diseases in low- and middle- income country settings.

Prior to my UK based clinical academic training I worked at the Medical Research Council Unit at LSHTM The Gambia (2017-2018) as a study clinician on TB sequel, a multicentre study exploring lung impairment post tuberculosis. My work then focused on the healthcare needs of people who have symptoms of (presumed) tuberculosis but are not diagnosed with tuberculosis.

I was awarded a MRC PhD scholarship (2007-2011) to study immune responses to Epstein-Barr Virus in children in Africa based primarily at the MRC Unit at LSTHM and through this gained experience in laboratory science.

My undergraduate medical training was completed at the University of Southampton in 2002. Prior to training in General Practice in ��«Ӱҵ (2011-2016) I completed postgraduate training in Paediatrics in London and South Yorkshire (2004-2006)

Research interests

My research interest is in Primary Care Respiratory Medicine. My advanced fellowship aims to explore barriers to diagnosis of and treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), focusing on primary care interventions such as vaccination. The study will assess COPD prevalence and identify challenges in care, with the goal of improving early diagnosis and outcomes in underserved communities. COPD affects around three million people in the UK, particularly in deprived areas where risk factors like smoking, air pollution, and poor housing are prevalent.

I have advocacy and consultancy roles both at a national (British Thoracic Society Global Lung Health Group) and international level (World Health Organisation, Global Alliance for Chronic Respiratory Disease). These networks have supported my academic development and led to two publications in The Lancet and Lancet Infectious Diseases on non-communicable chronic respiratory disease in Low- and Middle-income countries and TB survivors, respectively.

Publications

Books

(2022) . Springer International Publishing.

Journal articles

Jayasooriya S, Inoue M, Allen H, Bojang M, Ceesay A, Touray S, Mortimer K, Cooper R & Balen J (2024) . npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine(34).
Jayasooriya S, Stolbrink M, Khoo EM, Sunte IT, Awuru JI, Cohen M, Lam DC, Spanevello A, Visca D, Centis R , Migliori GB et al (2023) . The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 27(9), 658-667.
Mitchell C, Fryer K, Guess N, Aminu H, Jackson B, Gordon A, Reynolds J, Huang Q, Jayasooriya S, Mawson R , Lawy T et al (2023) . British Journal of General Practice, 73(732), 326-329.
Stolbrink M, Chinouya MJ, Jayasooriya S, Nightingale R, Evans-Hill L, Allan K, Allen H, Balen J, Beacon T, Bissell K , Chakaya J et al (2022) . The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 26(11), 1023-1032.
Campbell F, Salam S, Sutton A, Jayasooriya S, Mitchell CAROLINE, Amabebe E, Balen J, Gillespie B, Parris K, Soma-Pillay P , Chauke L et al (2022) . BMJ Open, 125(5).
Meghji J, Mortimer K, Jayasooriya S & Marks GB (2021) . The Lancet, 398(10299), 490-490.
Linton E & Jayasooriya S (2021) . The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Walker PP, J B, C E B, A B, J R H, S J, S J S, S W & K M (2021) . Journal of the Pan African Thoracic Society, 2(2), 73-74.
Meghji J, Mortimer K, Agusti A, Allwood BW, Asher I, Bateman ED, Bissell K, Bolton CE, Bush A, Celli B , Chiang C-Y et al (2021) . The Lancet.
Dodd PJ, Yuen CM, Jayasooriya SM, van der Zalm MM & Seddon JA (2021) . The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Jayasooriya S, Mitchell C, Balen J & Darton TC (2020) . BMJ, 371.
Vickers MA, Darboe F, Muefong CN, Mbayo G, Barry A, Gindeh A, Njie S, Riley A-J, Sarr B, Sambou B , Dockrell HM et al (2020) . Frontiers in Immunology, 11.
Jayasooriya S, Jobe A, Badjie S, Owolabi O, Rachow A, Sutherland J & Kampmann B (2019) . Public Health Action, 9(4), 166-168.
Jayasooriya S, de Silva T, Njie-Jobe J, Sanyang C, Leese A, Bell A, McAulay K, Yanchun P, Long HM, Dong T , Whittle HC et al (2015) . PLoS Pathogens, 11(3).
Plum C, Stolbrink M, Ozoh O, Jayasooriya S, Nightingale R, Mortimer K & Halpin D () . Thorax.
Stolbrink M, Ozoh OB, Halpin DMG, Nightingale R, Meghji J, Plum C, Allwood BW, Jayasooriya S & Mortimer K () . Thorax.
Jayasooriya S, Dimambro-Denson F, Beecroft C, Balen J, Awokola B, Mitchell C, Kampmann B, Campbell F, Dodd P & Mortimer K () . Thorax.
Chertow JH, Alkaitis MS, Nardone G, Ikeda AK, Cunnington AJ, Okebe J, Ebonyi AO, Njie M, Correa S, Jayasooriya S , Casals-Pascual C et al () . PLOS Pathogens, 11(9), e1005119-e1005119.
Jayasooriya S, Hislop A, Peng Y, Croom-carter D, Jankey Y, Bell A, Dong T, Rowland-Jones S, Rickinson A, Walther M & Whittle H () . PLoS ONE, 7(2), e31142-e31142.
Walther M, Jeffries D, Finney OC, Njie M, Ebonyi A, Deininger S, Lawrence E, Ngwa-Amambua A, Jayasooriya S, Cheeseman IH , Gomez-Escobar N et al () . PLoS Pathogens, 5(4), e1000364-e1000364.

Chapters

Parris KM & Jayasooriya SM (2022) , Evidence Based Global Health Manual for Preterm Birth Risk Assessment (pp. 31-39). Springer International Publishing
Anumba DOC & Jayasooriya SM (2022) , Evidence Based Global Health Manual for Preterm Birth Risk Assessment (pp. 15-23). Springer International Publishing
Anumba DOC & Jayasooriya SM (2022) , Evidence Based Global Health Manual for Preterm Birth Risk Assessment (pp. 1-5). Springer International Publishing

Conference proceedings papers

Jayasooriya S, Fryer K, Mitchell C & Hurst J (2022) . ‘Catch Me If You Can’ – Opportunities to improve care in airways disease (pp A183.1-A183)
Jayasooriya SM, Jobe A, Badjie S, Owolabi O, Rachow A, Sutherland JS & Kampmann B (2019) THE HIDDEN BURDEN OF CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE IN PATIENTS ATTENDING TB CLINICS IN THE GAMBIA. TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE, Vol. 113 (pp S212-S213)

Preprints

Jayasooriya S, Dimambro-Denson F, Beecroft C, Balen J, Awokola B, Mitchell C, Kampmann B, Campbell F, Dodd PJ & Mortimer K () , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Teaching activities: I have supervised Academic Foundation Doctors, Masters, and SSC students, both at MRC The Gambia at LSHTM, and at the University of ��«Ӱҵ. In addition, I am part of the University of ��«Ӱҵ medical school academic tutoring scheme.

Professional activities and memberships

Co-chair of British Thoracic Society (BTS) Global Lung Health Task and Finish Group (2025 - 2028)
Member of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) Specialist Advisory Global Health Group (2021 - 2024)
World Health Organisation consultant working with the Global Alliance for Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) (2022 - present)
Member of the Primary Care Respiratory Society
Working group co-lead on chronic respiratory problems, Adult and Child Lung Health Section, The Union (2020 - 2021)
Reviewer: Thorax, npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, Transactions for the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, BMJ Open, and PLOS one.