MEET OUR TEAM | The Surgical Journal

MEET OUR TEAM MEMBERS

Rankini Senaviratne

Founder

Hello! I'm Rankini and I'm the founder of The Surgical Journal. I'm currently a senior in high school in Sri Lanka. Since a very young age I have been wanting to select medicine for my future career path and as I grew older, surgery, specifically cardiothoracic surgery interested me the most. I love to do internships at hospitals and take online courses to satisfy my curiosity. Besides academics, I play basketball and I dance. I have met an amazing team of members from The Surgical Journal who are extremely talented and I have learned so much listening to surgeons and reading the research papers.

Seyara Fernando

Founder

Hey! I'm Seyara, and I am the founder of The Surgical Journal. I'm a 16 year old, 1st year university student in the IT field that currently lives in Sri Lanka. Unlike many of my peers, I haven't had an ambition or dream career since childhood. So with time racing against me, I felt absolute pressure to find certainty in my choice. As I felt the need to explore other fields, and I have a fair amount of interest in medicine, I decided to create a new journey by starting this organization with Rankini. Thankfully, we met a lot of wonderful people who helped motivate us along the way, that lead us to our current situation which, in our opinion, is successful as it has started to have a positive effect on people just like we aimed to.

Mabel Li

Secretary

Hello everyone! My name is Mabel and I am the secretary of The Surgical Journal. I am from New York and I will be a junior in the fall. I hope to go to law school and become a lawyer. I love to watch crime dramas, try new foods, and to explore new places within New York. Joining The Surgical Journal has been one of the best decisions I've made. At first, I had joined The Surgical Journal's medical outreach team and grew to love this organization and our teams as time had progressed and I had become more involved with TSJ. I loved that everyone within the organization was very helpful and communicative. I especially liked that the founders were lenient and allowed us to work at our own pace. I hope to be a part of the journey and see The Surgical Journal grow and flourish.

Nithya Kaarthi

Director of Social Media

Hi! I'm Nithya Kaarthi. I'm the Director of Social Media at The Surgical Journal. I'm a rising freshman in high school. Apart from TSJ, I'm a dancer from the age of 2. I've been perfecting and learning new styles every year. Since I was young, I have been interested in the medical field. My interest has grown ever since. I have gained so many new experiences and skills from TSJ! My biggest hope at TSJ, is to help someone even if it is in the smallest way possible. I look forward to doing lots of good things for people interested in medicine/surgery.

Jing Li

Head of Research

Hi everyone my name is Jing and I’m from Hong Kong. I’m 15 and currently a junior in high school! As of right now, I have an interest in the oncology field and emergency medicine. In my free time, I love to read, hike, and spend time with my friends! I’m so excited to be working with everyone!

Khadija Aliyeva

Medical Advisor

Hi! My name is Khadija Aliyeva. I’m 23 years old and currently studying in Istanbul, Turkey. I’m graduating this year from Altinbas University. I’ve had always had an interest in medicine, especially surgery; I was very happy to join The Surgical Journal Team! I enjoy being a part of this amazing team, organizing new projects, because it helps to improve my knowledge and I love helping people who are interested in medicine. Apart from medical school, I like taking pictures. Photography is my hobby. I started learning how to play ukulele! I like to discover new places. Overall, I’m really happy and thankful to be in a team with The Surgical Journal!

Shanaya De Alwis

Editor in Chief

Hi, my name is Shanaya De Alwis and I’m the Surgical Journal’s Editor in Chief. I am 17 years old studying at Elizabeth Moir School in Sri Lanka. My nationality is British and I’m planning on going back to the UK after I’m done with High School to study Neuroscience and then furthering into Psychiatry. My hobbies include reading roms and crying during rom movies :)

Chemini Gomies

Director of Medical Outreach

Hi my name is Chemini and I’m 17 years old and I’m the Director of Medical Outreach. I currently live in Sri Lanka. I’m interested in the field of psychology because I love to figure out how or why people behave the way they do. I love to listen to music (especially to Taylor Swift) and I’m a full time bookworm. Watching sit coms and eating are also part of my daily routine :)

Shenali Jayasundara

Director of Creative Design

I’m 17 years old and i’m a senior at the Colombo International School in Sri Lanka. My hobbies include painting, reading, and singing.

Ryan Ghodse-Elahi

Director of Writing

Hello! My name is Ryan Ghodse-Elahi and I am a 14 year old high school student living in Ontario, Canada. I am the Director of Writing for The Surgical Journal. In my free time, I like to compose and listen to classical music, study and play piano, and play chess. Medical science is my passion; since the young age of 9, I've been dreaming of becoming a doctor, specifically of internal medicine, and this goal has motivated me to work hard every day. I hope I can help students find their passion for the medical field like I did, and I wish to help people across the world learn about the fascinating wonders of medicine.

Sudiksha Fernando

Social Media Manager

Hi I’m Sudiksha, I’m 17 years old and I’m currently a senior in high school. Joining TSJ has helped me broaden my knowledge about medicine. Being a part of the team as the Social Media Manager has helped me improve my skills in many aspects.

Lisa Amoako

Researcher

Hi my name is Lisa ! I am Ghanaian, a junior, and I’m 16. I like to study and shop in my free time. I also like to learn new things and make new friends :). I can’t wait to experience the adventures and studies with the world !

Melissa Batyi