Alumnae Spotlight: Dr Mayoni Gooneratne MBBS, BSc, MRCS, MBCAM, AFMCP

Dr Mayoni Gooneratne MBBS, BSc, MRCS, MBCAM, AFMCP, Class of 1994

Dr Mayoni Gooneratne is a London-based general surgeon with 24 years of medical and surgical experience with a passion for female wellness. Her professional career began in surgery as a graduate of St George’s Hospital Medical School in London, and she has been a member of the Royal College of Surgeons since 2002. Mayoni is an aesthetics doctor, functional medicine doctor, and a former NHS colorectal and pelvic floor surgeon. She undertook a period of research at the Blizzard Institute early in her career to look at pathways that affect incontinence.

Mayoni has also undertaken extensive training with the respected Cosmetic Courses. At the time, this was the only training academy in the UK led by a plastic surgeon, Adrian Richards. She has also undergone further studies in functional medicine with the Institute of Functional Medicine in the US, amongst other colleges.

With this integrative approach to women’s health, she is the founder of Human Health and SkinFit and the medical director of award-winning The Clinics by Dr Mayoni. The services her team delivers allow an upstream level of care to help women overcome the health blocks that stand between them and their highest potential. She firmly believes that all women have the right to be informed advocates of their own health.

She is a busy mum of three with her own perimenopausal journey, which prompted her to create her unique programmes to help her patients navigate their health during the changes to their reproductive health so that they can truly seize the moment and thrive.

Throughout her career, she has spoken at several international and national surgical and health conferences associated with her research, as well as in the aesthetics industry. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and more mainstream consumer press, namely Tatler, Cosmopolitan, and Women’s Health.

In 2017, Mayoni was highly commended in the Best New Clinic in the UK and Ireland Award at the Aesthetics Awards and shortlisted for Best London Clinic in 2018.
She was awarded Entrepreneur 100 in 2019 and was nominated for Best Business Woman in Health and Wellness 2022. Human Health was also shortlisted for the best clinic innovation in the Aesthetics Awards 2023.

Mayoni states, ‘As a nation, we have become more illness-focused than wellness-focused. We look for answers when our health has deteriorated to the extent that we need medicines and surgery, which have risks and complications. This approach also places huge pressure on the NHS and the people working within it, which is not sustainable. I truly believe our future lies in understanding our cell biology, metabolic processes, and gut health and how to positively influence these.’

Since 2022, she has been Vice Chair of the British College of Functional Medicine, which is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities through education, research, and advocacy in the field of functional medicine. She truly believes that the #futurehuman is possible. Someone who is well informed of their genetics and environmental factors along with hormonal, mitochondrial and immune health that allows them to feel healthy from the inside out.

We caught up with Mayoni recently for a Q&A session:

What aspects of Croydon High School did you enjoy and find most rewarding?

Feeling part of something that was bigger than the sum of the parts. Finding my tribe. I was a science fan, and at no point was I made to feel weird about it. In fact, it was celebrated!

What did you aspire to whilst at school?

To study hard, to be the best at my chosen subjects and to become a doctor.

How did Croydon High School empower you for your future?

Options, values and by giving me confidence in myself. My ability to be totally self-motivated to excel. Working hard and staying consistent produces results every time.

What has been your proudest moment?

Winning an award at the time of leaving Sixth Form together being a prefect.

What are your hopes for the future?

That women are able to realise how limitless they are. That they stop comparing themselves to men or other women. Instead, they truly focus on their own path and truest self. Finding that highest point of self-actualisation. Because when women believe they are limitless, they can achieve anything. I have seen this in my patients and colleagues alike.

What would you say to your younger self?

Do it. Don’t say no. Always reflect back on your achievements and take time to smell the roses. It’s why you have chosen the life you have. You have the most incredible opportunities in front of you; it all starts with your self-belief and a fantastic degree. Remember that all those ‘obstacles’ were blessings and steers to take you in the right direction. When you know this, you can truly relax and enjoy the journey!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

I would like to thank all my teachers, who gently but powerfully nurtured my passion for learning, advancing, and improving the lives of others. From them, I learnt that ANYTHING was possible. ‘Ok, so you want to be a doctor? Work hard, get the grades, and you can achieve anything, Mayoni,’ are the words I will always remember being told.

The path less trodden is also very possible if you stay true to who you are. With a traditional degree such as Medicine, it can feel like you are limited in your options. Yet nothing can be further from the truth—by focusing on what you love and observing how you can best serve society with your skills, you can truly push the boundaries of the expected path.

Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager