Professor Asita de Silva, Senior Professor and Chair of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, has been recognized as a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society for 2024. This prestigious fellowship has been awarded in recognition of Prof de Silva’s substantial contributions to the disciplines of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, through his work, publication and presentation of research, leadership, and contribution to the Society

For 2024, the British Pharmacological Society has elected 40 Fellows and awarded 13 Honorary Fellowships. Fellows and Honorary Fellows play a vital role in advancing pharmacological disciplines, including the discovery, development, and application of medicines. They also provide leadership and mentorship, inspiring the next generation of pharmacologists.

Senior Professor Asita de Silva has been a key figure in academic medicine in Sri Lanka since 1993. He currently leads the Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Kelaniya, which he established in collaboration with the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford in 2005.

Professor de Silva completed his postgraduate training in Clinical Pharmacology and earned a DPhil in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Oxford in 1997. He is a member of many learned societies and holds senior positions in national and international academic organizations. He was recently appointed as a member of the Independent Scientific Advisory Group for global health research at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), in the United Kingdom. Prof de Silva also served as the Chairman of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority in Sri Lanka from 2016 to 2021 and is a past president of the Sri Lanka Association of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

His primary research interests focus on neglected tropical diseases and non-communicable diseases, with special emphasis on developing cost-effective therapeutic interventions. His current research focus has been to improve blood pressure control to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases and stroke in low- and middle-income countries. He collaborates with the George Institute for Global Health and many other centres of excellence on innovative clinical studies. He serves on numerous international steering committees of large clinical trials and is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Professor de Silva’s outstanding contribution to science was previously recognized when he was awarded the titular honour of ‘Vidya Jyothi’ in 2019, Sri Lanka’s highest award for science.

The University of Kelaniya extends its heartiest congratulations to Professor Asita de Silva on this outstanding achievement.