Dr. (Ms.) Nirthika Rajendran

Educational Qualifications

• 2022: PhD in Computer Science (Jaffna, Sri Lanka), “Deep Learning Based Fine-Grained Diabetic Retinopathy Image Grading“, effective form 14 March 2022.
• 2017: B.Sc. Special in Computer Science, First Class (Jaffna, Sri Lanka)

Professional Qualifications

• Sep-2024: Completed the IELTS Academic with an Overall Band Score: 6.0 (Competent User) at British Council Colombo.
• 31-Dec-2022: Completed the Induction Programme for Academic Staff at the University of Jaffna.
• 2022: Received a pass grade in the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Second Language Sinhala Exam.

Resource person

• 17 December 2025: “Enhancing Office Work with Digital and AI Tools” workshop for the Staff of the Mannar Divisional Secretariat, organised by the CGU, UoJ.
• 16 December 2025: “Digital Literacy for Executive Excellence” workshop for the Staff of the Mannar Divisional Secretariat, organised by the CGU, UoJ.
• 5 December 2025: “Simplifying Office Tasks through Modern IT Practices” workshop for the Staff of the Ministry of Health, Indigenous Medicine, and Probation & Child Care Services, organised by the CGU, UoJ.
• 2 December 2025: “Empowering Staff with NextGen IT Tools” workshop for the Staff of Nallur Divisional Secretariat, Jaffna, organised by the CGU, UoJ.
• 12 November 2025: “AI essentials for smart administrators” workshop for the Staff of Jaffna District Secretariat, organised by the CGU, UoJ.
• 7 November 2025: “Practical Generative AI for Office Staff” workshop for the Staff of Nallur Divisional Secretariat, Jaffna, organised by the CGU, UoJ.
• 16 October 2025: “Boosting Productivity with Generative AI” workshop for the Staff of Jaffna Divisional Secretariat, Jaffna, organised by the CGU, UoJ.
• 12 June 2025: “Multimedia Technologies” for the Professional Development Workshop for GIT Teachers, organised by the Provincial Department of Education, Northern Province.

Guest Speaker

• “Artificial Intelligence and Its Applications in Scientific Research” workshop for the Special Degree students in the Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna, organised by the Chemical Society (ChemSoc), Department of Chemistry, UoJ, held on 19 July 2025.
• “Deep Learning with Convolutional Neural Network” for the Mastering Deep Learning with Hands-On for undergraduate students, organised by the IEEE Computer Society Student Branch Chapter of the UoJ, held on 17 August 2024.

Instructor for Technical Sessions

• Certificate Courses in Computing: “Python Essentials for Problem Solvers” (English medium), External programme by DCS, UoJ, from 7-Feb-2026 to present.
• “AI Tools for NPC Staff” workshop for the Staff of the Northern Provincial Council, Sri Lanka, held on 11 December 2025, at the DCS, UoJ.
• “Intelligent Tools for Everyday Office Work” workshop for the Staff of the Department of Local Government, Northern Province, held on 24 November 2025, at the Computer Unit, UoJ.
• “Smart Tools for Administrative Efficiency” workshop for the Staff of Poonakary Divisional Secretariat, Jaffna, held on 18 November 2025, DCS, UoJ.
• “AI Tools for Executive Officers” workshop for the Staff of Management Development Training Unit, Northern Province, held on 4 November 2025, at the DCS, UoJ.
• “GenAI Tools” workshop for the Staff of the Department of Industries, Northern Province, held on 29-30 October 2025, at the DCS, UoJ.
• Certificate Courses in Computing: “Advance Web Development” (Tamil medium), External programme by DCS, UoJ, from 24-Mar-2024 to 23-Jun-2024.
• Certificate Courses in Computing: “Python for Problem Solving” (Tamil medium), External programme by DCS, UoJ, from 16-Mar-2024 to 22-Jun-2024.

Institutional Development to the University of Jaffna and other HEIs

• 2025: Contributed to revising the curriculum and updating new course syllabi for the Certificate Course (external programme) at the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna.

Undergraduate Teaching

• Computer Programming II (Data Structures and Algorithms) (2022 – date)
• Operating Systems (2022 – 2023)
• Professional Practice (2022 – date)
• Multimedia Technologies (2022 – date)
• Rapid Application Development (2022 – date)

Supervision

• 2022–Present: Team Software Project – 15 Teams
• 2022–Present: Undergraduate Research Project
  • Co-Supervision – 5 Individuals
  • Main Supervision – 9 Individuals
• 2025–2026: External Degree Software Project
  • Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) from University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC) – 1 Individual

Chair/ Vice Chair/ Co-Chair

Advisor

Coordinator

Academic Administration and Service

Indexed International Journals

• 2026: Thanushika, T., Manivannan, S. and Nirthika, R.: “A lightweight semi-supervised active learning framework for blood cell image classification”, In The Visual Computer, Springer, vol.42, no.3, p.166.  (Q2, Impact Factor (IF): 2.9)
• 2022: Nirthika, R., Manivannan, S. and Ramanan, A.: “Siamese Network based Fine Grained Classification for Diabetic Retinopathy Grading”, In Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, Elsevier, vol.78, pp.103874. (Q1, IF: 5.1)
• 2022: Nirthika, R., Manivannan, S., Ramanan, A. and Wang, R.: “Pooling in Convolutional Neural Networks for Medical Image Analysis: A Survey and an Empirical Study”, In Neural Computing and Applications, Springer, pp.1-27. (Q1, IF: 5.1)

International Conference Full Papers

• 2021: Nirthika, R., Manivannan, S. and Ramanan, A.: “An Experimental Study on Convolutional Neural Network-Based Pooling Techniques for the Classification of HEp-2 Cell Images”, In proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Conference on Information and Automation for Sustainability (ICIAfS), Negombo, Sri Lanka, pp. 281-286. 
• 2021: Nirthika, R., Manivannan, S. and Ramanan, A.: “Look at Both Eyes: Deep Learning Based Feature Fusion Strategies for the Classification of Diabetic Retinopathy Lesions”, In proceedings of the 10th IEEE ICIAfS, Negombo, Sri Lanka, pp. 263-268.
• 2020: Nirthika, R., Manivannan, S., and Ramanan, A.: “Loss functions for optimizing Kappa as the evaluation measure for classifying diabetic retinopathy and prostate cancer images”, In IEEE International Conference on Industrial and Information Systems (ICIIS), IIT Ropar, India, pp. 144-149 (Best Paper Award).  

National Workshop Posters

• 2021: Nirthika, R., Manivannan, S. and Ramanan, A.: “Deep Learning for Diabetic Retinopathy Grading”, In The Sri Lanka Student Workshop on Computer Science-2021 (SL-SWCS’21), University of Jaffna (Best Presentation Award).
• 2019: Nirthika, R., Manivannan, S. and Ramanan, A.: “Is Soft Pooling better than Max and Average Pooling? A comparative study on HEp-2 Cells and Retinal image classification tasks”, In SL-SWCS’19, University of Jaffna (Best Presentation Award).
• 2019: Nirthika, R., Ramanan A., and Surendran S.N.: “A Web-Based Dengue Monitoring and Warning System”, In SL-SWCS’19, University of Jaffna.
• 2017: Nirthika, R., Ramanan A., and Gajapathy K.: “A Web-Based Dengue Monitoring and Control System”, In SL-SWCS’17, University of Jaffna.

Articles

• 2025: Nirthika, R.: “GenAI for Researchers in Computing”, In Kananiyam Newsletter, volume 6, by CompSoc, Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna. 
• 2024: Thanushika, T. and Nirthika, R.: “Combined Semi-Supervised Learning and Active Learning (SSL&AL) Framework for the Limited Labeled Data”, In the ComSpective the ICT Technical Magazine, volume 4, issue 2, by the Faculty of Computing, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
• 2023: Nirthika, R.: “Best Practices for Professionals”, In JSA Newsletter – Pirayooka Vingnana Sudar, volume 13, issue 1.
• 2022: Nirthika, R.: “An Introduction to the Role of Loss Functions in Deep Learning”, In IEEE Sri Lanka Section Newsletter, Second Edition.
• 2022: Nirthika, R.: “Diabetic Retinopathy Fundus Image Grading Using Deep Learning: Research Directions”, In CIS ComSpective – the ICT Technical Magazine, volume 2, issue 1, Department of Computing and Information Systems, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. 

Indiviual Awards 

• Felicitation Award in the category ‘Breaking Boundaries: Women Who Excel Beyond Their Core Discipline’ at the International Women’s Day Celebration 2025 by the Centre for Gender Equity and Equality (CGEE), University of Jaffna
• IEEE Sri Lanka Section Outstanding Branch Counselor or Advisor Award for 2024 for being the “Advisor of the IEEE Women in Engineering Student Branch Affinity Group of the University of Jaffna”, to acknowledges the exemplary volunteer service and unwavering dedication to advancing the objectives of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section, was presented at the IEEE Sri Lanka Section Annual General Meeting and Member Night, held on January 9, 2025, at the Samudra Ballroom, Taj Samudra Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• Best Presentation Award for the poster “Deep Learning for Diabetic Retinopathy Grading” presented in the 6th National Sri Lanka Student Workshop on Computer Science (SL-SWCS’21) organised by the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna, December 2021.
• Best Paper Award for “Loss functions for optimizing Kappa as the evaluation measure for classifying diabetic retinopathy and prostate cancer images”, in IEEE International Conference on Industrial and Information Systems (ICIIS), IIT Ropar, India, 26-28 November 2020.
• Best Presentation Award for the poster “Is Soft Pooling better than Max and Average Pooling? A comparative study on HEp-2 Cells and Retinal image classification tasks” presented in the 5th National Sri Lanka Student Workshop on Computer Science 2019 (SL-SWCS’19) organised by the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna, 2019.
• Sabalingam Memorial Prize for the Best Performance in the Special Degree examination in Science, University of Jaffna, 2017.

Group Awards

• Platinum 2025 Darrel Chong Student Activity Award was presented to the IEEE Women in Engineering Student Branch Affinity Group of the University of Jaffna for the event “WIsdom Exchange: W(i)E Grow Together” by IEEE MGA SAC. This means the event is ranked first in the world among all 2024 IEEE Student Branch events. The recognition was based on the group’s activity carried out during the 2024/2025 period under the advisorship of Dr. (Ms.) R. Nirthika.
• R10 WIE Outstanding Student Branch Affinity Group Award 2025 was presented to the IEEE Women in Engineering Student Branch Affinity Group of the University of Jaffna by IEEE Region 10 (Asia–Pacific), along with an award plaque and a cash prize of US $500. The recognition was based on the group’s activities carried out during the 2024/2025 period under the advisorship of Dr. (Ms.) R. Nirthika.
• Emerging Affinity Group Award 2024 (Student Affinity Group Category) was presented to the IEEE Women in Engineering Student Branch Affinity Group of the University of Jaffna at the IEEE Sri Lanka Section Awards Ceremony held on 15 September 2024 in Polonnaruwa. The recognition was based on the group’s activities carried out during the 2024/2025 period under the advisorship of Dr. (Ms.) R. Nirthika.

Grants

• 29-Apr-2024: Received “R10 WIE IEEE DEI Grant 2024” through the IEEE Women in Engineering Student Branch Affinity Group of the University of Jaffna. This grant is a testament to the commitment to fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the community. The grant amount of USD 400 will be instrumental in supporting the initiatives aimed at advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM fields.

Journals

Memberships in Professional Institutes

Participations

Certifications

Attended Conference & workshops

• Sri Lanka Student Workshop on Computer Science (SL-SWCS’21), organised by the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna, December 2021.
• Attended the special sessions, workshops and tutorials at 16th IEEE International Conference on Industrial and Information Systems (ICIIS), held in Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, 9 & 11 December 2021.
• Tenth IEEE International Conference on Information and Automation for Sustainability (ICIAfS), Negombo, Sri Lanka, 11-13 August 2021.
• Month of CodeGeniX – AdaGrad’21 Workshop on “Introduction to Machine Learning”, by the IEEE Computer Society Student Branch Chapter of Sri Lanka Technological Campus, 7 June 2021.
• Fifteenth IEEE International Conference on Industrial and Information Systems (ICIIS), IIT Ropar, India, 26-28 November 2020.
• International Conference on Digital Image Computing: Techniques and Applications (DICTA) – Post Conference Workshop, Australia, 3rd December 2020.
• Sri Lanka Student Workshop on Computer Science 2019 (SL-SWCS’19) organised by the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna, 2019.
• Ninth IEEE International Conference on Information and Automation for Sustainability (ICIAfS’18), Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21-22 December 2018.
• Workshop on Statistics for Research–organised by Young Science Forum, National Science and Technology Commission and University of Jaffna, 2018.
• Vingnanam International Research Conference (VIRC) organised by the Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna, 2018.
• Sri Lanka Student Workshop on Computer Science 2017 (SL-SWCS’17) organised by the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna, 2017.
• Workshops conducted by WSO2 for WSO2-ESB, WSO2-IS, Security & Java 8, 2016.
• Sri Lanka Student Workshop on Computer Science 2015 (SL-SWCS’15) organised by the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna, 2015.
• Jaffna IT Conference–organised by the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna and Supported by SLASSCOM, 2014.
• Workshops on “Setting up Career Goal” held at University of Jaffna under the HETC project, 2014.
• Workshops on “Guidance to Prepare Effective Resumes and Filling out Application Forms for Jobs” held at University of Jaffna under the HETC project, 2014.
• Workshops conducted by hSenid Mobile–organised by the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna, 2014.
• Workshops conducted by Zone24/7–organised by University of Jaffna, 2014.