The 26th Board meeting of CROC was held on 16th June 2023 (Friday) at the auditorium of the CROC and via Zoom. This was the first Board meeting held following the appointment of the new Director of the center, Professor Niroshini S. Soysa. The delegates of the board of management were present. The Board of Management discussed the future of CROC in this meeting.
The new building constructed for the Centre for Research in Oral Cancer (CROC) of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya was ceremonially opened by Prof Upul B Dissanayake, Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya with the presence of DrvajiraJayasinghe, Dean, faculty of Dental Sciences, Dr Ananda Jayalal, Deputy Director General (Dental) Health Services,Dr Samantha Kumara Kithalawarchchi, Former Director/ PTFDP, Prof WM Tilakaratne, Director CROC and Secretary,Prof RuwanJayasinghe.
This center is the one and only research centre dedicated for the research in oral cancer in the country. It has laboratory which will be developed in to a state of the research laboratory to conduct molecular research relevant to oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders. In addition, it has the facilities of a tobacco and areca nut cessation clinic, animal house, auditorium, library space, IT area and office space.
Third international conference on “oral cancer, oral potentially malignant disorders, smokeless tobacco and areca nut” organized by the centre for Research in Oral Cancer (CROC) was successfully completed on 14th July 2019 at K bambaradeniya Auditorium, Faculty of Dental Sciences. The theme of the event was “towards a society free of oral cancer". This event was jointly organized by the Centre for Research in Oral Cancer of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Ministry of Health, SLT project committee of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) and Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention.
First pre conference workshop was held on the 12th on the topic of Smokeless Tobacco and Areca nut control in Sri Lanka. This workshop was conducted with the participation of all stake holders and a strategic plan for the next five years was discussed and finalized. Second workshop on Imaging and diagnostic aids in the management of Oral cancer and OPMD was held at the CPC hall on the same day.