Dr. Ashani Weeraratna has risen to the forefront of global cancer research, specialising in melanoma and the effects of aging on cancer. She is the E.V. McCollum Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, and co-leader of the Cancer Invasion and Metastasis Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.

She also serves as a professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, joining the faculty in 2019. Her research focuses on the tumour microenvironment—the normal cells and structures surrounding a tumour—and its influence on metastasis and therapy resistance.

She was among the first to study how the aging microenvironment affects melanoma progression and treatment responses, examining biophysical changes that impact tumour and immune cell migration. Her work has revealed age-related differences in responses to targeted therapy and immunotherapy, insights that may inform future clinical practice.

Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Lesotho, Dr. Weeraratna moved to the United States in 1988 to study biology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She earned a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Oncology at George Washington University Medical Center.

She currently serves as President of the Society for Melanoma Research and is a passionate mentor for junior faculty, women, and people of colour in STEM. Handpicked by President Joe Biden in 2021, she now chairs the top-ranked cancer department at Johns Hopkins University.

Ten-year-old Taavi Samaraweera of Sri Lanka continued his rapid rise in world table tennis by winning the Under-11 title at the World Youth Contender tournament in Bahrain, securing his first international gold medal of 2026.

The top-ranked Under-11 player in the world produced a calm and confident performance in the final, defeating Bahrain’s Yusuf Albanna to clinch the championship.

The victory marks a significant milestone in Samaraweera’s young career and further highlights his emergence as one of the sport’s most promising talents. Despite his age, he has gained international attention for his technical skill, discipline and maturity at the table.

Professor Nishan Canagarajah, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, has been knighted in the 2026 King’s New Year Honours.

Born in Jaffna and educated at St. John’s College, he moved to the UK on a scholarship to the University of Cambridge.

The honor recognizes his 30-year career and his leadership in making higher education more inclusive. 

Under his guidance, the University of Leicester has become one of the UK’s most diverse institutions.

Reflecting on the honor, Professor Canagarajah described it as a “remarkable journey” for a boy from a once war-torn land, credited to the transformative power of education.