Deepani Tennakoon, Ph.D.

Contact

dtennakoon@twu.edu
940-898-2778
ASSC 321

Biography

Dr. Deepani Tennakoon received her B.S. and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in College Station. Her graduate research and post-doctoral research have been in the area of multiple sclerosis (MS). For her doctoral work, her focus was on the blood-brain barrier in a virus-induced demyelinating model used to study MS. As a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, she studied the therapeutic mechanism of a drug used to treat MS. Dr. Tennakoon joined TWU as an adjunct instructor in 2017 and became a full-time lecturer in 2018. She became a member of the graduate faculty in 2020. Dr. Tennakoon is interested in innovative teaching methods that engage and foster long-term learning in her students. Using digital tools to enhance learning in the classroom and a successful civic engagement project in her course are among her favorites of the innovative methods. Although no longer a scientist at the bench, Dr. Tennakoon enjoys keeping up with advances in immunology and virology and sharing these developments with her students in pathophysiology.

Education

Ph.D., Immunology/ Veterinary Anatomy and Public Health, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX
B.S., Biochemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Expertise

Pathophysiology; Immunology

Recent Presentations

Become proficient in making your audio and video content accessible
2024 TWU Teaching and Learning Symposium (2024)
Round Table | Deepani K. Tennakoon

Fearful of Building Your Own Microlectures? Gain Confidence Now"
ITLC Lilly Conference Evidence-based Teaching and Learning (2023)
Round Table | Deepani K. Tennakoon

Civic Engagement in Health Science Classes
SENCER Center for Innovation Southwest Regional Conference 2020 (2020)
Poster | Deepani K. Tennakoon, Shazia Ahmed

Increasing Student Engagement through Online Microlessons
14th Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium (2019)
Podium | Deepani K. Tennakoon, Suzanna Dillon

Pennies for a Cause
Students for Teaching and Assignment Recognition (STAR) Symposium (2019)
Poster | Deepani K. Tennakoon, Shazia Ahmed

Student Engagement in Health Science Classes
Teaching Professor Conference 2019 (2019)
Poster | Deepani K. Tennakoon, Shazia Ahmed

Professional Affiliations

• National Association of Biology Teachers

Honors & Awards

• Distinction in Distance Education, Texas Woman's University (2023)
• Center for Faculty Excellence Travel Assistance Grant, Texas Woman's University (2019)
• Pioneer Teaching and Learning Scholar Award, Texas Woman's University (2018)