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INDIGENOUS RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION LAB (IRI)
RESEARCH
IRI Lab Student Attends International Meeting in Ghana
Sithuni M. Jayasekara recently traveled to Ghana to participate in the annual meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Observatory Network (IPON). Its current initiative, the Climate–Food–Health Nexus Project, includes seven working groups.
This year’s meeting, hosted by the University of Ghana, brought together 27 participants from countries including Namibia, Uganda, India, South Africa, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, the UK, Germany, Malta, Canada, Bolivia, Fiji, Guatemala, Ghana, and Sri Lanka. The FAO Indigenous Unit also took part.
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During the meeting, participants shared project updates, reviewed outputs such as publications and country profiles, and discussed next steps. The student also experienced Ghana’s culture, food, and landscapes, and visited two farming communities in the Anloga region. The student described the trip as both valuable and unforgettable.
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November 23-27, 2025
Hannah Garbutt shares fieldwork reflections from Sri Lanka
On October 8, IRI Lab member Hannah Garbutt delivered a casual photo presentation titled “Fieldwork Reflections from Sri Lanka” in Wallace 234. During the session, she shared insights and experiences from her summer fieldwork in Sri Lanka, where she collaborated with Indigenous communities to address pressing environmental challenges under the mentorship of IRI Lab PI Eranga K. Galappaththi.
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The presentation offered a behind-the-scenes look at the team’s transformative field research, highlighting the importance of community engagement and sustainable solutions in tackling environmental issues.
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October 8, 2025
Dr. Eranga Galappaththi and his group received NSF Funding for Global Climate-Health Research
Dr. Eranga Galappaththi, Principal Investigator of the IRI Lab, has received funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation for a new project titled "Belmont Forum Collaborative Research: The Indigenous Peoples Observatory Network (IPON): Understanding and Responding to Complex Climate-Health Emergencies" (Award Number: #2537403). This project is in partnership with IPON.
As part of this grant, Dr. Eranga will work with Indigenous communities in Sri Lanka as well as partner countries including Uganda, India, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. The project aims to document, understand, and monitor the factors shaping the creation, evolution, and impact of complex climate-health emergencies in Indigenous communities across partner countries. The total award amount is USD 928,000.
Congratulations to Dr. Eranga and the IPON team!
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June, 2025
Fieldwork with Vedda communities in Sri Lanka, 2025
IRI Lab members Hannah Garbutt and Sithuni M. Jayasekara, together with Prof. Eranga Galappaththi, conducted fieldwork this year in six Sri Lankan Indigenous (Vedda) villages: Dambana, Henanigala, Dalukana, Wakarei, Pollebadda, and Rathugala. The team strengthened relationships with the communities while conducting over 200 interviews, gathering valuable insights into the lives and traditional knowledge of Vedda people.
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May-June, 2025
Fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon
IRI Lab member Chrishma Perera spent three weeks in February 2025 conducting fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon, exploring how Indigenous communities respond to health risks driven by climate change. This research was supported by a grant from the Soulsby Foundation for One Health (UK) and carried out in collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples’ Observatory Network. Congratulations to Chrishma for conducting such an impactful fieldwork!!!
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​News Link: Geography graduate student explores Indigenous health in Peru | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech
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February, 2025
Eranga and Sithuni participated in the IPON workshop in Peru
Sithuni M. Jayasekara recently visited Peru with Prof. Eranga Galappaththi to participate in a five-day workshop organized by the Indigenous Peoples’ Observatories Network (IPON). During the visit, they had the opportunity to meet with two Asháninka Indigenous groups in the Central Amazon and gain valuable insights into the climate–food–health systems of the region.
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October 19-24, 2024
Fieldwork with Vedda communities in Sri Lanka, 2024
As part of their ongoing partnerships with Sri Lankan Indigenous villages, Sithuni M. Jayasekara and Prof. Eranga Galappaththi conducted a month-long fieldwork in 2024 across six Indigenous villages: Dambana, Henanigala, Dalukana, Wakarei, Pollebadda, and Rathugala. The research focused on exploring ways to improve the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples through technological interventions. This work, funded by the Institute of Creativity, Arts and Technology (ICAT), Virginia Tech, played an important role in strengthening trust with Indigenous communities following their initial visit.
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July-August, 2024
Chrishma selected as Soulsby One Health Fellow
We’re thrilled to share that Chrishma Perera, a master’s student in the IRI Lab, has been named a Soulsby Fellow by the prestigious Soulsby Foundation for One Health, United Kingdom!!! This international fellowship supports Chrishma’s research in Peru, where she works with Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Her project explores how Indigenous communities’ connection to rainforests helps them respond to disease spread. Chrishma plans to travel to Peru in early 2025 to conduct this fieldwork. Congratulations, Chrishma, on this remarkable global honour!
Soulsby Press Relies: The Fellows - The Soulsby Foundation for One Health
College Facebook Page: Facebook
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​News Link: Geography graduate student explores Indigenous health in Peru | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech
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June, 2024
ICAT Grant awarded to IRI Lab for Indigenous Livelihoods Project
Exciting News from the IRI Lab!
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Dr. Eranga Galappaththi, Principal Investigator of the IRI Lab, has been awarded Institute of Creativity, Arts and Technology (ICAT), Virginia Tech Major Seed Grant for his project titled “Uplifting Livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples in Sri Lanka.” This award-winning project has two objectives: i) to collect preliminary data exploring how Indigenous Peoples in Sri Lanka can benefit from internet technology, ii) to co-develop a large-scale grant proposal in collaboration with Sri Lankan Indigenous communities to submit to the National Science Foundation. Graduate student Sithuni Mimasha will travel to Sri Lanka alongside Dr. Galappaththi for fieldwork, while Chrishma Perera will contribute data transcription and analysis.
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Congratulations to Eranga and the IRI Lab team on this incredible achievement and meaningful work!
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April, 2024
Dr. Eranga and Gayanthi head to the Arctic
The IRI Lab team, including Gayanthi Ilangarathna and Prof. Eranga Galappaththi, recently conducted a field visit to the Inuit community in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada. The team facilitated community workshops, radio programs, and key knowledge holder discussions to co-develop a research proposal. This visit marks a meaningful step in deepening community collaboration and fostering respectful, reciprocal research partnerships in the Arctic.
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November 15-24, 2023
Eranga Galappaththi awarded ISCE grant for Indigenous Food Security Research
Dr. Eranga Galappaththi, Principal Investigator of the IRI Lab, has received funding from the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment at Virginia Tech to collect preliminary data on how Indigenous Peoples in Sri Lanka experience food insecurity. Dr. Galappaththi plans to visit Sri Lanka in May 2023. Graduate students Indunil Dharmasiri, Chrishma Perera, and Sithuni Mimasha also contribute to this important project. Congratulations to Eranga and the team!
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News Link: ISCE Scholars | Institute for Society, Culture and Environment | Virginia Tech
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April, 2023
Fieldwork with Vedda communities begins in Sri Lanka
Prof. Eranga Galappaththi and Sithuni M. Jayasekara recently conducted (May -June, 2023) fieldwork with Sri Lankan Indigenous villages (Vedda communities). This was the first initiative aimed at building partnerships with nine Indigenous villages in Sri Lanka: Dambana, Henanigala, Dalukana, Wakarei, Pollebadda, Rathugala, Verugal Tikkana, Santhoshapuram, and Neenarkerni. The fieldwork focused on collecting preliminary data on how Indigenous peoples experience food security in Sri Lanka. The team also visited the Divisional Secretariats of each village to obtain additional statistical information. This month-long fieldwork was supported by the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment (ISCE) at Virginia Tech Scholar Fund. The research team included Indunil Dharmasiri and Chrishma Perera, who assisted in transcribing the collected data.
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May-June, 2023
COVID Observatories workshop, India
From March 19 to 21, 2023, IRI lab members, Dr. Eranga Galappaththi and Indunil Dharmasiri, co-organized and participated in the COVID Observatories in-person workshop in Kotagiri, India, hosted in collaboration with the Keystone Foundation. After more than two years of virtual meetups, this workshop finally brought together researchers and decision-makers from nine countries. Over three days, participants shared research findings and examined the socio-environmental impacts of COVID-19 on Indigenous communities. The workshop provided a valuable platform for cross-learning, exchanging interdisciplinary perspectives, and developing collaborative research approaches.
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March 19 - 21, 2023