Rajendra Surenthirakumaren, MD, MBBS, MSc

About

Rajendra Surenthirakumaran, MD, MBBS, MSc, PGD is a Professor in Community Medicine and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. He is a public health researcher and non-communicable diseases epidemiologist interested in social determinants of health, health systems, ageing, and palliative care.  He joined the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, in 2004 as a lecturer and was promoted to senior lecturer in 2011. He was the Head of the Department of Community and Family Medicine at the University of Jaffna from 2012 to 2019.  

Prof. Surenthirakumaran is the Country Lead for the Global Health Atrial Fibrillation Study Group, the University of Birmingham UK, funded by the National Institute of Health Research UK, Coordinator of the AHEAD World Bank-funded project on Water Security in the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, and Principal Investigator of a collaborative study with SingHealth on premalignant oesophageal lesions among patients at the Teaching Hospital Jaffna. He is also a co-investigator and supervisor of many research activities which are regional interests. Prof. Surenthirakumaran has worked as a consultant for numerous Government and international agencies, including Save the Children and UNDP and is currently on the WHO SEAR Expert panel on Urban Health and Healthy City Network- Nov 2022the and managerial Coordinator of the Jaffna Healthy City project supported by WHO Sri Lanka. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Centre for eLearning at the Public Health Forum of India (PHFI). He is working with the Minister of Health Northern Province, Sri Lanka, on developing and implementing Strategic Management Plan for the Northern Province and also helping with the implementation of a Cancer Control programme and palliative care services in the province with the support of Cancer Control Programme Sri Lanka, Cancer Care Manitoba Canada and Two World Cancer Collaboration.  

Prof. Surenthirakumaran has delivered more than 30 guest lecturers in regional, national and international forums and published over 30 academic articles. He has also authored and co-authored more than ten books in Tamil and English on Public health.  

At present, Prof. Surenthirakumaran is the President of the Sri Lanka Public Health Education Institutions Network (LANKAPHEIN), executive committee member of the South-East Asian Public Health Education Institutions Network (SEAPHEIN) and treasurer of the Global Network of Academic Public Health (GNAPH). He holds the This is Public Health (TIPH) award for 2021.      

In addition to his numerous academic commitments, Prof. Surenthirakumaran serves as the Honorary Medical Superintendent of the Cooperative Hospital Moolai, Chairman of CANE Sri Lanka, President of Institute of Medical Sciences Trust, Manipay, President of AHEAD Trust, Jaffna, and President, of Jaffna Social Action Centre (JSAC). He is also a member of several regional and national professional organisations and actively engages with and supports the activities of various community organisations in Jaffna.