Dr. Thilina Heenatigala (he/him) is a Specially Appointed Assistant Professor and Director of Communications at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Insitutute of Science Tokyo. His core research interests lie in evaluating public engagement and outreach efforts, devising strategies for science institutions to better interface with society, communicating astrobiology, and advancing the decolonisation of science practices. In his role at ELSI, he leads ELSI¡¯s public relations office, oversees institutional outreach, and coordinates initiatives at the intersection of science, society, and communication.
Heenatigala teaches graduate-level courses in science communication, supervises internships, and spearheads ¡°science & society¡± projects aimed at broadening the public impact of research. Concurrently, he collaborates with students from developing countries to conduct astronomy research using remote facilities such as the Las Cumbres Observatory and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
He is co-organiser of the Japan SciCom Forum, Japan¡¯s English-language forum for science communication, and is involved with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in various outreach and development capacities. He also advocates for decolonising science at venues such as the United Nations Science Summit.