Director, Interdisciplinary Center for Innovation in Biotechnology & Neuroscience, University of Sri Jayewardenepura Professor Ranil De Silva delivered a talk at Panjab University (PU) during the 8th Basic Science Colloquium. Professor Ranil De Silva delivered the talk on the topic of "Banking the brain and blood: What Sri Lanka can offer for multidisciplinary Collaborative research in Neutrigenomics and Neutraceuticals leading to Healthy brain aging" as reported by Times Of India.

He showed that there are high incidences of neurological disorders in Sri Lanka compared to India. He showed from the research work that daily consumption of black tea plays a neuroprotective role and lowers the risk of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer disease. Professor De Silva introduced the audience to the brain and blood repository established in Sri Lanka which has brain tissues collected from patients with wide background of neurodegenerative disease from both Indian and Sri Lankan descent.

He emphasized upon the collaboration between India and Sri Lanka on multidisciplinary areas of neuroscience and suggested that such collaborative projects will provide extending arms to the society regarding benefits of consumption of natural products which could potentially help to combat brain related problems as both these countries have lot of traditional medicinal plants and we have similar genetic profile.