Having completed her undergraduate studies specializing in Genetics and Plant Breeding in the Moscow Academy of Agricultural Sciences under a scholarship offered by the Sri Lankan Government in 1984, and subsequent to her Ph. D. in Biotechnology in the same University, Dr Thamara F. Dias started her career at NSF as a Scientific Officer in May 1995. She was then promoted to the posts of Senior Scientific Officer & Principal Scientific Officer gradually. She Headed the Technology Division of the NSF from 2008 – 2016 until she was appointed to cover up the post of the Director General of the NSF from August 2016 – October 2017.

During her career at NSF she has represented the country at many international fora such as the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Indo-Sri Lanka S & T Cooperation. She has served as Resource Persons/Panel Members at many Local Seminars and Workshops and Evaluation Panels as well as International seminars and workshops organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

She was the founder (1998) and the first editor of the “Vidya” Newsletter of the NSF and has carried out activities of diverse nature for the NSF which includes developing many technology related schemes with improved processes while Heading the Technology Division.

One of the main areas she developed during her career at NSF is intellectual property rights awareness and management under which she provides consultancy to relevant stakeholders. As the Additional Director, she holds mainly the responsibilities of scientific operations evaluation.