Jonathan S. Weerakkody
POSTDOC AT YALE + EV SCIENTIST, ENGINEER, and FOUNDER
I build EV-based biomarkers and AI tools to study and treat neurodegenerative disease.
Patented EV Platforms
My work spans two patented EV platforms: a photocleavable nanoprobe system for rapid, size-selective EV isolation (U.S. Prov. 63/556,168; PCT/US2025/16830) and a EV–based RNA signature that predicts multiple sclerosis progression (patent pending, Yale Ventures). The MS progression EV signatureforms the core intellectual property behind East Rock Diagnostics which i co-founded, guiding blood-based diagnostics for neurodegeneration.
Launched EVd3x: Discover. Distinguish. Decode EV Cargo.
EVd3x.com is an integrated dex for exploring extracellular vesicle biology. It unifies miRNA, mRNA, protein, EV evidence, gene expression, cell-type specificity, ligand–receptor interactions, pathway networks, and disease associations, all linked to curated EV databases and literrature. Search any miRNA, gene, or multi-omic signature to instantly visualize upstream regulators, downstream targets, tissue localization, cell communication patterns, and pathway enrichment across multiple datasets.
Multiple features publication
I have built a diverse research portfolio spanning nanotechnology, biosensing, and extracellular vesicle biology, with multiple first-author papers and journal-cover features across ACS Nano, Advanced Functional Materials, Small, and more.
About Me
My career follows a deliberate path fusing nanotechnology, machine learning, and extracellular vesicle (EV) biology to tackle complex neurological diseases. I build novel biosensors and the AI frameworks needed to interpret high-dimensional signals, applying these tools to define glial-derived EV-miRNA signatures as biomarkers for neurodegeneration, with a focus on multiple sclerosis.
I am currently a Robert E. Leet and Clara Guthrie Patterson Mentored Fellow in Neurology at Yale and co-founder of Eastrock Diagnostics. My goal is to build a research enterprise that unites discovery with clinical and commercial translation.
Learn More About My Research →
Sri Lanka — Where the journey starts
I was born in Sri Lanka. Growing up in my community shaped how I think about resilience, equity, and science that serves people first.
Community outreach — Scaling impact
Work with global NGOs focused on preschool rebuilding, child nutrition, and education in under-resourced communities.
Arbeiter Samariter Bund — post-tsunami preschool rebuilding and safe spaces for children in coastal Sri Lanka.
World Vision — Positive Deviance / Hearth child nutrition programs for under-five children.
Boost Foundation — “Sharing Knowledge” science and mathematics education in rural Sri Lankan schools.
France — Biophysics & digital olfaction
Ph.D. in Biophysics at Université Grenoble Alpes, with thesis work at CEA, contributing to a biomimetic opto-electronic nose that underpins Aryballe’s odor-sensor technology.
Université Grenoble Alpes — Ph.D. in Biophysics.
CEA — nano-biosensors and opto-electronic nose platform.
Aryballe — startup built on the opto-electronic nose technology.
Europe — Nanofabrication & cleanrooms
Erasmus+ M.Sc. in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology at KU Leuven, cleanroom training at IMEC, and advanced nanofabrication at Chalmers University of Technology.
KU Leuven — Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (bio-nanotechnology).
IMEC — advanced nanoelectronics and cleanroom training.
Chalmers University — nanofabrication and device work.
United States — Engineering launchpad
B.S. in Nanosystems Engineering (Top 5%) at Louisiana Tech University, with a biomedical concentration and a minor in Mathematics.
Louisiana Tech — Nanosystems Engineering, biomedical track.Yale — EVs, vesicles, brain & biomarkers
Now a Postdoctoral Associate in Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, building extracellular vesicle–based diagnostics for neurodegeneration.
Yale School of Medicine — Neurology & Pathology.