Currently, Venerable Dr. Wadinagala Pannaloka Maha Thero holds the position of Chief Incumbent. He is also serving as the Head of Department and Senior Lecturer at the Department fo Buddhist Thought, Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka.

He was initiated as a novice by the former Chief Incumbent, Venerable Puhulwelle Sri Seelawansa Mahathero. Venerable Pannaloka was born in Wadinagala village in Ampara District in Eastern Sri Lanka. Mother was Herath Mudiyanselage Sumawathi and father was Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Gunawardhana. The name given to him was Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Somadasa.  He was the elder of the family  having four younger brothers and a sister. In 1985, at  the age of eleven, he came to Yahangala temple to become a monk. Under Venerable Seelawansa Mahathero, he leant the text Samanera Bana daham potha, a text prescriend for small boys who are going to be initiated.  And also, the texts like Dhammapada, Balavatara and some other were committed into memory.

In 1987, novice Pannaloka was admitted to Pottevela Jinaraja Pirivena for monsatic education. After successfully completing primary education, Pannaloka was admitted into  the Sri Lanka Vidyala Mahapirivena in Maradana, Colombo for GCE Advance Level. In addition to GCE Advanced Level, Pannaloka studied for traditional Monastic examinations, Praceena Prarambha and Madhyama ( Primary and Intermediate Examinations). In 1996, Pannaloka entered the University of Peradeniya. Based on first examination results, he was awarded several Prices and scholarships. He was specialized in Pali. In 2000, he was graduated and joined the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies of University of Peradeniya as a Temporary Assistant Lecturer.

In 2003, Pannaloka left Sri Lanka for Taiwan to pursue higher studies. While learning Chinese language and Mahayana Buddhism at the Yuan Kuang Research Institute in Taiwan, he completed the Master of Philosophy Degree in Buddhist Studies at University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. In 2006, he was graduated in Master of Philosophy Degree from University of Peradeniya. In 2009, Pannaloka received his second Master Degree from the Yuan Kuang Buddhist Research Institute in Taiwan. He wrote the thesis titled, ‘A Comparative Study of Mahādukkhakkhandha Sutta with its Three Chinese Parallels.’ Later, he joined Graduate School of Philosophy at National Central University in Taiwan for Doctoral Degree. In 2015, he was awarded with the Doctor of Philosophy Degree for the dissertation “ A Philosophical Interpretation of Theravada Buddhist Ethics.”

In 2016, Pannaloka was appointed as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Buddhist Thought of Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. By the time when Pannaloka joined as an academic member, a renowned Pali scholar in Sri Lanka, Most Venerable Kotapitiye Rahula Nayaka Thero was the Director of Postgraduate Institute. From 2019, Pannaloka is serving as the Head of Department of Buddhist Thought.