Ajith Horane Karayalage

Dr Ajith, also known professionally as H.K.A. Premachandra, is an academic and researcher with expertise in aquaculture, fisheries genetics, and marine genomics. His research focuses on the application of cutting-edge molecular and genomic tools to address practical challenges in conservation, fisheries management and aquaculture production.

Dr Ajith’s work includes the application of molecular markers to,

• Population and evolutionary genetics
• Species delimitation
• Pedigree assignment
• Disease monitoring
• Marker-assisted selection and
• Stock structure assessment

across a diverse range of marine and aquaculture species, including fishes, oysters, prawns, and crabs, as well as terrestrial species such as koala.

His research has contributed to peer-reviewed publications that support evidence-based approaches to stock enhancement, breeding programs, and sustainable resource management and conservation.

Currently, Dr Ajith supports the Centre for Bioinnovation (CBI) with bioinformatics and genomic data analyses for oyster breeding.