Lankan first Asian to receive King James IV professorship

Prof Lakshman Perera Samaranayake from the Hong Kong University, Faculty of Dentistry has been named King James IV Professor by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in the UK.

The 63-year-old is also the first Asian to receive the prestigious recognition which is awarded annually to medical and dental professionals who contributed significantly to the field of surgical science through research.

Samarayanake, who has dental degrees from schools in Sri Lanka and the UK, currently holds a chair as professor of oral microbiology at the University in Hong Kong. He has also been serving as dean of the dental school there since 2004 as well as clinical director of the Prince Philip Dental Hospital, a HKU Faculty of Dentistry affiliate.

His research interests include periodontal microbiology and oral microbiology, and pathology of HIV-infected and other compromised individuals, amongst others.

The King James IV Professorship was established with permission by the Queen of England by the Edinburgh Royal College for Surgeons in partnership with the Faculty of Dental Surgery in 2001. According to college officials, it has been awarded to over 30 individuals including nine dental surgeons from Great Britain and the US over the last decade.