DICE Therapeutics
Hashini Batugedara, Ph.D. has had a diverse range of work experience in the field of immunology. Hashini is currently working at DICE Therapeutics, where they serve as a Scientist II in Translational Immunology. Prior to this, they worked as a Scientist I in Immunology at the same company.
Before joining DICE Therapeutics, Dr. Batugedara held a position as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Immunology at the University of Liège from November 2018 to March 2020. Hashini also completed their Ph.D. in Immunology, Microbiology, and Host-Pathogen Interactions at the University of California, Riverside from September 2014 to October 2018.
Dr. Batugedara's journey in the field of science began at California State University-Long Beach, where they pursued their Master's degree. During this time, they also worked as a Research Fellow, Phlebotomist, and HIV counselor.
Their work experience highlights their expertise in immunology, with a focus on translational research, host-pathogen interactions, and microbiology.
Hashini Batugedara, Ph.D. earned their Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Microbiology, General from California State University, Long Beach in 2011. Hashini then went on to pursue a Master of Science (MS) degree in Microbiology, General from the same institution, completing their studies in 2014.
In 2014, Hashini Batugedara enrolled at the University of California, Riverside to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Microbiology and Immunology. Hashini successfully completed their doctoral studies in 2018.
During their Ph.D. program, Hashini Batugedara also attended the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, USA in 2016. Hashini received a Certificate of Completion in the Biology of Parasitism.
Overall, Hashini Batugedara has a strong educational background in Microbiology and Immunology, with a Bachelor's degree, a Master's degree, and a Ph.D. in the field.
DICE Therapeutics
At DICE Therapeutics, we design and develop innovative therapies in immunology for patients with debilitating disease. Seeking to create a future where convenient oral medicines with biologic-like efficacy are available to patients with serious medical conditions, we are developing oral alternatives to medicines currently limited to injectable forms. We believe that such pills will be widely appreciated by patients and doctors alike, as they provide a lower bar to entry than biologics, and as oral medicines can easily be co-formulated with other efficacious drugs. The combination of our core technology with additional, unique biophysical insights has enabled DICE to target protein-protein interactions with small molecules. In doing so, DICE has cracked open a previously intractable set of clinically validated therapeutic targets, including Interleukin-17 (IL-17). Our lead program – an orally bioavailable IL-17 antagonist for the treatment of psoriasis – is currently progressing through IND-enabling studies. In parallel, we continue to advance both partnered and internal pipeline drug discovery programs, providing a robust pre-clinical pipeline.