Renowned Oral Microbiology Expert Prof. Lakshman Samaranayake Receives Honorary Doctorate from Yerevan State Medical University

ARMENIA: Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) recently honored Prof. Lakshman Samaranayake, Professor Emeritus of the University of Hong Kong, with an honorary doctorate degree. The ceremony took place at an extraordinary meeting of the Scientific Council during the first Armenian-Italian international conference organized by YSMU, the Armenian Association of Dentists, and the Italian Association of Dentists.

A Globally Renowned Clinical Academic

Prof. Samaranayake, a clinical academic with expertise in oral and medical microbiology, research, and senior executive-level administration, expressed his gratitude for the honor. “It’s an absolute pleasure for me to be in this part of the world,” he said, adding, “Having visited all these universities and having lectured in more than 40 countries in all five continents, I can see the enthusiasm of your university and its cooperation with all the internationalized schools and universities. This is a very progressive university!”

Impressive Academic and Scientific Achievements

With over four decades of experience in academia, Prof. Samaranayake has held the position of Executive Dean at two major dental schools – the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the University of Queensland, Australia. Under his leadership, the Faculty of Dentistry at HKU was ranked as the top Dental School in the World from 2014-2016 by QS/THE Rankings. He has also worked at prestigious institutions like the University of Glasgow, University of Alberta, University of Sharjah, and University of Kuwait.

Prof. Samaranayake is the author of over 400 scientific communications, cited over 34,000 occasions with an H-index of 102. 

According to Research.com’s 2023 Microbiology ranking, he was recently ranked as the 11th out of 43,737 microbiology scholars in China and 494th globally. His textbooks on the oral microbiome, with multi-translations and multi-editions, and sales of over 40,000 copies, are used by students and scholars internationally. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Dental Journal.

Prestigious Accolades and Honours

For his seminal contributions to oral sciences, Prof. Samaranayake has received numerous international accolades, including the coveted King James IV Professorship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Association for Dental Research, Washington, USA, and Fellowships from prestigious bodies like the Royal College of Pathologists, Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, and the College of Dental Surgeons of Hong Kong.

With his extensive experience, impressive academic achievements, and numerous accolades, Prof. Lakshman Samaranayake’s honorary doctorate from Yerevan State Medical University is a well-deserved recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field of oral and medical microbiology.

Prof. Samaranayake is the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Dental Resource Asia.