Researcher profile

Aruna Weerasooriya

Aruna Weerasooriya earned his Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and his Ph.D. in Plant Systematics from the University of Hong Kong under the supervision of Professor Richard M. K. Saunders. He subsequently received advanced postgraduate training in collection-based plant systematics, herbarium management, germplasm conservation, and botanic garden management at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (England), and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (Scotland). Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Weerasooriya conducted postdoctoral research in molecular systematics of flowering plants at the University of Missouri–St. Louis before joining the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where his research focused on medicinal plant systematics. He was later appointed Senior Research Scientist at the National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR), where he established and developed one of the largest living medicinal plant collections in the United States at the Maynard W. Quimby Medicinal Plant Garden. Dr. Weerasooriya is an internationally recognized plant systematist and botanist whose research has significantly advanced the taxonomy and biodiversity of Asian flora. He has led numerous taxonomic revisions and botanical expeditions across Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, resulting in the discovery and formal description of numerous plant species new to science. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to botanical exploration in Thailand, the Royal Thai Government honored him by issuing a commemorative postage stamp. His scientific contributions have also been recognized through the naming of the lichen species Allographa weerasooriyana in his honor, acknowledging his lasting impact on plant systematics and botanical research in Asia. Dr. Weerasooriya is an elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the world's oldest learned society dedicated to the study of biodiversity, evolution, and natural history. His current research integrates plant systematics with modern agricultural science, with particular emphasis on industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa), medicinal plants, crop improvement, exploration of underutilized edible plants and sustainable agriculture. He leads one of Texas's most comprehensive Industrial Hemp research programs at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), encompassing germplasm conservation, breeding, genomics, phenomics, fiber science, and value-added agricultural products. Dr. Weerasooriya is a Tenured Professor in the College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources at Prairie View A&M University and serves as the Associate Vice President for Research in the Division of Research & Innovation, where he provides strategic leadership for research development, interdisciplinary collaborations, and institutional research growth.