Chethiya Galkaduwa

About

I am a Ph.D. student in Computer Science at Indiana University Indianapolis (Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering), where I conduct research in the IUI Computer Vision Lab under the supervision of Prof. Mohamed Saeed Abdel-Mottaleb .

Currently my research focuses on:

• Brain-inspired visual learning
• Top-down / bottom-up recurrent models
• Hybrid CNN–SNN architectures
• Biologically plausible learning rules

I bring experience from both academia and industry, including research at Purdue University (Kihara Lab), applied AI/ML consulting, and teaching roles in operating systems, algorithms, and programming. My interests center on visual attention, local learning mechanisms, and rigorous evaluation of models under domain shift.

My focus is on biologically inspired intelligence: bottom-up/top-down vision, recurrent inference, local learning rules, and robust evaluation under domain shift.

News

• [Nov 2025] Poster presentation at Luddy School’s 25th Anniversary Research Symposium .
• [Jan 2025] Began Ph.D. studies at Indiana University Indianapolis, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering .
• [Jul 2024] Started working as a Python Engineer at UrsaLeo (Cove Island) .
• [Jan 2024] Started working as a Software Engineer at iVedha Inc. .
• [Nov 2023] Graduated with a BSc(Hons) in Computer Science from Faculty of Computing and Technology, University of Kelaniya .
• [Dec 2023] Presented my undergraduate research project on "Protein Secondary Structure Prediction using Deep Neural Networks" at the ICATC Student Research Symposium 2023 .

Publications

• Recurrent Task-Guided Gain Modulation for Biologically Inspired Bottom-Up / Top-Down Learning
  Chethiya Galkaduwa, Mohamed Saeed Abdel-Mottaleb, Monu … · In review…, 2026
• Data Science and Its Importance
  Chethiya Galkaduwa, Nethmini Ranasinghe · Biomedical Science and Clinical Research, 2024
  PDF • Journal
• Abstract: Prediction of 8-State Protein Secondary Structure Using Deep Neural Network Approach.
  Chethiya Galkaduwa, H. Yashodhara · International Conference on Advances in Computing and Technology and Student Symposium 2023 , 2023
  Abstract
• Leveraging Key-Value NoSQL Databases for Enhanced Decision Support Systems: A Comparative Analysis
  Chethiya Galkaduwa, P. B. Maheepala · OSF Preprints, 2024
  PDF • IEEE TechRxiv
• Challenges and Opportunities in Information Sharing during Cybersecurity Exercises
  Chethiya Galkaduwa · Authorea Preprints, 2024
  IEEE TechRxiv

Presentations & Talks

• Recurrent Top-Down Counter-Hebbian Network for Sustained Visual Attention
  Poster Presentation · Luddy School’s 25th Anniversary Research Symposium · Nov 2025
• Prediction of 8-State Protein Secondary Structure Using Deep Neural Network Approach.
  Symposium Presentation · FCTFRS 2023, Sri Lanka ·Nov 2023

Awards & Recognition

• Recurrent Top-Down Counter-Hebbian Network for Sustained Visual Attention
  Research Poster Recognition · Luddy School’s 25th Anniversary Research Symposium · Nov 2025
• Winner · FCTFRS 2023, Sri Lanka · Nov 2023
  Prediction of 8-State Protein Secondary Structure Using Deep Neural Network Approach
  Symposium Presentation Recognition · FCTFRS 2023, Sri Lanka · Nov 2023

Experience

Indiana University, Indianapolis Jan 2025 – Present

• Graduate Assistant · On-site Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering

UrsaLeo (Cove Island) Jul 2024 – Dec 2024

• Python Engineer (AI/ML) Consultant · Remote

SLIIT Sep 2024 – Dec 2024

• Assistant Lecturer · On-site
  Sri Lankan Institute of Information Technology

iVedha Inc. Jan 2024 – Jun 2024

• Full-Stack Software Engineer Consultant · Remote

Purdue University · Kihara Lab Oct 2022 – Mar 2023

• Research Scholar · On-site

Teaching

• CSCI-C 212 Introduction to Software Systems — Teaching Assistant @ IUI, Spring 2026
• CSCI-P 536 : Advanced Operating Systems — Teaching Assistant @ IUI, Spring 2025
• CSCI-C 310 : Data Structures in Python — Teaching Assistant @ IUI, Fall 2025
• CSCI-C 201 : Introduction to Programming — Assistant Lecturer @ SLIIT, Fall 2024