Dil (Dilrukshi) Ekanayake-Alper, DVM, PhD, DACLAM
Associate Professor in Comparative MedicineDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Appointments
Comparative Medicine
Primary
Additional Titles
Assistant Director, Residency Training Program, Department of Comparative Medicine
About
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Titles
Associate Professor in Comparative Medicine
Assistant Director, Residency Training Program, Department of Comparative Medicine
Appointments
Comparative Medicine
Associate Professor on TermPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Laboratory Animal Residency
- Yale School of Medicine (2015)
- Veterinary Internship
- Louisiana State University (2012)
- PhD
- University of Georgia, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (2011)
- Global Infectious Disease Scholar
- Marine Biology Laboratory (2006)
- DVM
- University of Peradeniya (2003)
Board Certifications
Laboratory Animal Medicine
- Certification Organization
- American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
- Original Certification Date
- 2016
Research
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Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Dil (Dilrukshi) Ekanayake-Alper's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Dil (Dilrukshi) Ekanayake-Alper's research output by year.
Alvaro Duque, PhD
Angus Nairn, PhD
Christopher van Dyck, MD
Daniel Holden
Dibyadeep Datta
Janelle Avelino, DVM, DACLAM
43Publications
659Citations
Publications
2026
Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Matching is Necessary but not Sufficient for Tolerance Induction to Vascularized Composite Allografts After Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Manell E, Gunes M, Merl S, Patwardhan S, Chauhan I, Hong J, Chen B, Jordache P, Almesalmy A, Ekanayake-Alper D, Hajosi D, Husain S, Wuu C, Wright M, Bogue J, Rohde C, Shanmugarajah K, Cetrulo C, Sachs D, Weiner J. Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Matching is Necessary but not Sufficient for Tolerance Induction to Vascularized Composite Allografts After Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Transplantation Direct 2026, 12: e1900. PMID: 41531834, PMCID: PMC12795049, DOI: 10.1097/txd.0000000000001900.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsClass II matchingHematopoietic cell transplantationClass I matchingClass I haplotypesClass II matchingCell transplantationDonor hematopoietic cell transplantationClass IIComposite allograftsTotal body irradiationBone marrow engraftmentMHC class I haplotypesMHC class IPorcine modelVascularized Composite AllograftsPeripheral chimerismCyclosporine immunosuppressionClass II haplotypesCD3 immunotoxinMarrow engraftmentHistocompatibility complexTransplantationMHCII haplotypes
2025
GLP Preclinical Trial of Pig-to-Baboon Thymokidney Xenotransplantation Using Inbred GalT-KO Miniature Swine Donors
Gunes M, Wolbrom D, Qudus S, Fujiwara S, Ekanayake-Alper D, Yamada K, Rosales I, Batal I, Sachs D, Sykes M, Nowak G. GLP Preclinical Trial of Pig-to-Baboon Thymokidney Xenotransplantation Using Inbred GalT-KO Miniature Swine Donors. American Journal Of Transplantation 2025, 25: s31. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2025.07.054.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMHC Class II Sharing Appears to Promote Intestinal Allograft Tolerance Through Linked Suppression in a Large Animal Model
Gunes M, Patwardhan S, Merl S, Yang K, Jones R, Chen B, Manell E, Hong J, Jordache P, Atta H, Chauhan I, Almesallmy A, Shamim A, Agwuncha O, Mulder H, Dasari A, Hajosi D, Hawley R, Nowak G, Pereira M, Ko H, Ekanayake-Alper D, Martinez M, Sachs D, Kato T, Yamada K, Sykes M, Weiner J. MHC Class II Sharing Appears to Promote Intestinal Allograft Tolerance Through Linked Suppression in a Large Animal Model. Transplantation 2025, 109: 1506-1519. PMID: 40838866, PMCID: PMC12353661, DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000005420.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMajor histocompatibility complexAntigen-presenting cells in vivoDonor regulatory T cellsInduction of transplantation toleranceMixed lymphocyte reaction assayClass II matchingTreg-mediated toleranceDonor-specific hyporesponsivenessRegulatory T cellsClinically relevant modelEvidence of toleranceClass II allelesCells in vivoAllograft toleranceTransplantation toleranceGraft toleranceT cellsIntestinal transplantationAntigen-SpecificII allelesIn vitro analysisAnimal modelsClinical protocolsHistocompatibility complexReaction assay
2024
Detailed surgical description of porcine vascularized thymus lobe transplantation
Gunes M, Fujiwara S, Wolbrom D, Cadelina A, Qudus S, Ekanayake-Alper D, Hajosi D, Sachs D, Nowak G. Detailed surgical description of porcine vascularized thymus lobe transplantation. Frontiers In Transplantation 2024, 3: 1499844. PMID: 39649241, PMCID: PMC11621091, DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2024.1499844.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricDurable mixed chimerism may permit subsequent immunosuppression-free intestinal transplantation—A proof-of-principle study
Patwardhan S, Gunes M, Manell E, Hong J, Jordache P, Chauhan I, Almesallmy A, Mulder H, Ekanayake-Alper D, Hajosi D, Ko H, Shanmugarajah K, Cetrulo C, Nowak G, Sachs D, Sykes M, Weiner J. Durable mixed chimerism may permit subsequent immunosuppression-free intestinal transplantation—A proof-of-principle study. American Journal Of Transplantation 2024, 25: 825-835. PMID: 39442670, DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2024.10.014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsHematopoietic stem cell transplantationTransplantation toleranceDoses of immunosuppressive medicationsGraft-versus-host diseaseHematopoietic stem cell transplantation donorsMixed lymphocyte reaction assayGraft-versus-hostStem cell transplantationLong-term immunosuppressionSolid organ transplantationHistological signs of rejectionAssociated with higher ratesSigns of rejectionImmunosuppressive therapyNonmyeloablative conditioningHaplotype mismatchCell transplantationImmune toleranceDefinitive treatmentImmunosuppressive medicationsIntestinal failureMHC-matchedIntestinal allograftsProof-of-principle studyIntestinal transplantationDevelopment of a large animal orthotopic intestinal transplantation model with long-term survival for study of immunologic outcomes
1. Merl, S., Chen, B., Gunes, M. E., Atta, H., Yang, K., Ekanayake-Alper, D., Hajosi, D., Huang, F., Bhola, B., Patwardhan, S., Jordache, P., Nowak, G., Kato, T., Sykes, M., Yamada, K., & Weiner, J. (2024). Development of a large animal orthotopic intestinal transplantation model with long-term survival for study of immunologic outcomes. Frontiers in Transplantation, Section Transplantation Immunology, 3, 1367486Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSedation Efficacy of Midazolam in Conjunction with Ketamine and Alfaxalone in Female Laboratory Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus).
Wharton KN, Walsh CA, Haulter M, Ekanayake D, Ekanayake-Alper D. Sedation Efficacy of Midazolam in Conjunction with Ketamine and Alfaxalone in Female Laboratory Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 2024 PMID: 39074958, DOI: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-24-000028.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDevelopment of a large animal orthotopic intestinal transplantation model with long-term survival for study of immunologic outcomes
Merl S, Chen B, Gunes M, Atta H, Yang K, Ekanayake-Alper D, Hajosi D, Huang F, Bhola B, Patwardhan S, Jordache P, Nowak G, Martinez M, Kato T, Sykes M, Yamada K, Weiner J. Development of a large animal orthotopic intestinal transplantation model with long-term survival for study of immunologic outcomes. Frontiers In Transplantation 2024, 3: 1367486. PMID: 38993771, PMCID: PMC11235311, DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2024.1367486.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsLong-term survivalAnimal modelsPostoperative management strategiesRate of rejectionInduction regimensImmunosuppressive strategiesParenteral nutritionImmunological complicationsIntestinal failureGraft functionClinical regimenImmunological outcomesPre-clinical trialsSurgical methodsIntestinal transplantationTransplantation modelFluid managementBowel positionVessel preparationITxImmunosuppressionSurvivalComplicationsImmunological analysisOutcomesA Comparison of Three Anesthetic Drug Combinations for Use in Inducing Surgical Anesthesia in Female Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus).
Avelino J, Walsh C, Wharton K, Ekanayake D, Ekanayake-Alper D. A Comparison of Three Anesthetic Drug Combinations for Use in Inducing Surgical Anesthesia in Female Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus). Journal Of The American Association For Laboratory Animal Science 2024, 63: 182-189. PMID: 38182132, PMCID: PMC11022950, DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-23-000064.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSurgical plane of anesthesiaPlane of anesthesiaFemale guinea pigsSurgical planeFemale Dunkin Hartley guinea pigsAnesthetic drug combinationsSurgical anesthesiaRespiratory rateDunkin-Hartley guinea pigsAnesthetic combinationADFAlfaxaloneGuinea pigsDuration of anesthesiaAMF groupInjectable anestheticsCardiorespiratory depressionPigsNonpainful proceduresAnesthetic depthInhalation anesthesiaLoss of righting reflexPainful surgical proceduresCavia porcellusAMF
2023
Chronic GCPII (glutamate‐carboxypeptidase‐II) inhibition reduces pT217Tau levels in the entorhinal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices of aged macaques
Bathla S, Datta D, Liang F, Barthelemy N, Wiseman R, Slusher B, Asher J, Zeiss C, Ekanayake‐Alper D, Holden D, Terwilliger G, Duque A, Arellano J, van Dyck C, Bateman R, Xie Z, Nairn A, Arnsten A. Chronic GCPII (glutamate‐carboxypeptidase‐II) inhibition reduces pT217Tau levels in the entorhinal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices of aged macaques. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions 2023, 9: e12431. PMID: 37915375, PMCID: PMC10617575, DOI: 10.1002/trc2.12431.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsSporadic Alzheimer's diseaseEntorhinal cortexGCPII inhibitionDorsolateral prefrontal cortexChronic inhibitionTau pathologyTau hyperphosphorylationAged macaquesType 3 metabotropic glutamate receptorAlzheimer's diseasePrefrontal cortexRhesus macaquesVehicle-treated monkeysAged rhesus macaquesMetabotropic glutamate receptorsApparent side effectsAmyloid beta 1Regulation of calciumGCPII inhibitorsKey etiological factorGCPII activityPrimate dlPFCNeuronal damageCSF analysisCalcium dysregulation
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity University Research Council, University Of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
2023 - PresentPeer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsGrant Revieweractivity Journal of American Association of Laboratory Animal Science
2021 - PresentJournal ServiceRevieweractivity Journal of Virology
2020 - PresentJournal ServiceRevieweractivity Journal of Visualized Experiment
2017 - PresentJournal ServiceRevieweractivity American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
2016 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsMember
Honors
honor Graduate Student Travel Award
09/30/2010National AwardMolecualr Parasitology Meeding, MBLDetailsUnited Stateshonor Presidential recognition award for research
09/01/2006National AwardNational Science FoundationDetailsSri Lankahonor Presidential recognition award for research
09/01/2005Regional AwardNational Science FoundationDetailsSri Lankahonor Infectious disease Scholarship
04/01/2005International AwardEllison Medical FoundationDetailsUnited Stateshonor Presidential recognition award for research
09/01/2004National AwardNational Science foundationDetailsSri Lanka
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Mailing Address
Yale School of Medicine
375, congress ave
New Haven, CT 06510
United States