Dr Navoda Atapattu is the first board-certified Paediatric Endocrinologist in Sri Lanka currently working at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Sri Lanka.

Dr Atapattu graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, the University of Ruhuna in 2000 with an exceptional academic record, being the recipient of the coveted Jayantha Sriya Rasaputhram Award for the 3rd MBBS Part I, C R de Silva Memorial Gold Medal for Paediatrics, Caroline Mohotty Memorial Gold Medal for Best Results at Final MBBS with Distinctions in Paediatrics, Surgery, Microbiology and Physiology. She continued her brilliant academic achievements throughout her postgraduate period, obtaining her MD in Paediatrics in the year 2009, ranking top in the merit list, paving her way to becoming the 1st board certified consultant in Paediatric Endocrinology in Sri Lanka, following her foreign training in Birmingham, UK.

Since her board certification in 2012, she has contributed immensely towards establishing the field of Paediatric Endocrinology in Sri Lanka, which has now almost reached its pinnacle. Of course, this journey was not easy, with many obstacles in her path, which she overcame in her stride. She has pioneered to improve the care of children with diabetes mellitus by introducing newer treatment models and establishing access to those facilities through the government sector. Her contribution towards the preparation of management protocols for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia as well as other common Paediatric endocrinological disorders is enormous. Furthermore, she has partnered with overseas research laboratories to obtain genetic diagnoses of hyperinsulinemia and neonatal diabetes.

Apart from her role as a brilliant clinician, she is a supervisor for MSC students of the Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biotechnology at the University of Colombo and is a recognized trainer for both Paediatric and adult Endocrinology post-graduate trainees. She also contributes as an examiner for the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, in addition to being an examiner at the Final MBBS examination in many local universities.

She has countless publications under her name, in peer-reviewed journals and has been a co-investigator in Phase III, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy MK-0431A (A Fixed-Dose Combination Tablet of Sitagliptin and Metformin) in Pediatric Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Inadequate Glycemic Control on Metformin Therapy while collaborating with many other international research studies. She received the Presidential Award for research excellence in the year 2016.

She authored the food guide for children with type 1 diabetes in 2015, which is being widely used by children and parents and has now been upgraded into a smart mobile application. Dr Atapattu is also a reviewer for the Journal of Frontiers since 2021.

In addition to her excellent service towards sick children, she has contributed as the Assistant Secretary of the Sri Lanka Medical Association for 2 consecutive years (2014/2015), Assistant Secretary of the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP) in 2016, and as Secretary of SLCP in the year 2017.