people
I N T E R V I E W
Dr. Bandula Wijay
Sri Lanka Ambassador of
Science, Technology and Innovation
Interview by Sangeeta Dua
Sangeeta: Please tell us about your
background.
Dr. Bandula: I’m basically a scientist and inventor. My inventions are
in cardiovascular medicine mostly,
although I do have some inventions
outside of cardiovascular. The significant ones have been in the field
of angioplasty. I invented some angioplasty devices in 1978, ’79 and
’80. I was a pioneer, along with Dr.
Paul Angeline, and others. We pioneered the whole concept of angioplasty. Subsequently, in the mid-90s
the stents were invented. I’m not the
very first to invent the stents but I
solved some of the stent problems
and have a very strong stent invention patent. I invented some various
imaging catheters, also about 30 or
more medical device patents.
I have a doctorate in engineering and
went to school in Southern California. I have been in Houston since
48 iF Magazine | January 2017
1982 and the US since 1974. I came
to the US as a full ride scholar and
my work has been cardiovascular
medicine research.
Lankan people here and build their
profiles?
Sangeeta: Do you want to take
innovation and technology from the
US back to Sri Lanka or find Sri
Dr. Bandula: Sri Lanka is an island
in the Indian Ocean, a little bit south
of India. Of course, its a very beauti-
Dr. Bandula: Actually both. We
have started programs where we
Sangeeta: Tell us about your plans
have collaborative research between
as the ambassador of Sri Lanka?
medicine and medical schools in Sri
Lanka, and we have collaboration beDr. Bandula: My forte would be tween Rice University in Houston,
the transfer of science, technology with research institutes in Sri Lanka
and innovation to Sri Lanka from in nanotechnology. At the same time,
the US and other countries, too, but there is a very large community of
mainly the US because I live here. Sri Lankan ex-patriot scientists who
Sri Lanka is a developing country were senior lab scientists, engineers
and needs a lot of new technology and physicians. We also want to tap
and innovation, so my job is to find into their grizzles and take their skills
those opportunities near and around of the know-how and collaborate
the world, and take them back home. with their counterparts in Sri Lanka.
Build collaborations with research
institutions in the US and those in Sangeeta: Tell us about Sri Lankas
Sri Lanka. In science, technology, historical background, its culture, and
and medicine as well.
its lifestyle.