Workshop on Exploring the Interconnections between Plants, Environment and Human Health

A two-day workshop titled ‘Exploring the Interconnections between Plants, Environment and Human Health was organized by Dr. Anchala Kuruppu, Senior Lecturer of the Institute for Combinatorial Advanced Research & Education (KDU-CARE) from 19^th to 20^th February 2024. Around 30 participants comprising of undergraduates, postgraduates, research assistants and early career researchers joined the workshop from all over the island. The main aim of the workshop was to educate budding researchers about the importance of medicinal plants and how they can be used for drug discovery. The workshop was a great blend of lectures, hands on laboratory experiments and a field visit to a herbal products manufacturing company with a visit to a medicinal garden, and to an Ayurvedic hospital (Sethsuwa Ayurveda (PVT) LTD). This blend of events demonstrated the importance of every aspect of the drug development cycle from identifying medicinal plants to the development of herbal drugs and food supplements.  

This two-day workshop was conducted by the following eminent resource persons:

• Arunika Gunawardena, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, Canada
• Rajesh Rajaselvam, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, Canada
• Anchala I. Kuruppu, Institute for Combinatorial Advanced Research & Education, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka
• Sujeewa Vithanage, Sethsuwa Ayurveda Hospital (PVT) LTD.

This workshop provided an opportunity to all participants to learn new laboratory skills in herbal plant related research. The participants also had an opportunity to network with all resource persons and peers. This networking opportunity will open up graduate study and job opportunities for the participants.