Her research is in the fields of mathematical biology and trophic ecology, with a focus on understanding patterns of biodiversity, species dispersal and the impacts of climate change.
Her thesis was titled Potential impact of mammalian nest predators on Mamane-Naio woodland birds of Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
[5] Amarasekare is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
[6] Amarasekare's work has made significant contributions to the dynamics of population regulation, species interactions and the evolution of dispersal, as well as the effect of climate change on the diversity of multi-trophic communities.
[18][19] Through this position, Amarasekare hopes to promote efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the field of Mathematical Biology and encourage scientists from under-represented groups to publish their work.