Dr. Punyangenie de Silva is an attending gastroenterologist at the BWH Crohn’s and Colitis Center, where she also serves as the center’s Director of Nutrition. Dr. de Silva is a dedicated IBD clinician and researcher who has conducted numerous clinical and translational studies in inflammatory bowel diseases.

In addition to her clinical responsibilities and caring for patients with IBD, Dr. de Silva is the principal investigator of an important prospective study examining dietary fat intake and its association with disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease. That research is supported by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. She has conducted numerous other studies investigating the relationship between diet and inflammation.

Dr. de Silva’s clinical and research interests extend to women’s health and the transition of young patients from pediatric to adult care. Dr. de Silva is the lead author of multiple research articles, review papers, and book chapters that have been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals.

She is also an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. As an instructor at the medical school, Dr. de Silva teaches and trains medical students, residents, and research fellows.

Dr. de Silva graduated from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. She completed her residency and gastroenterology fellowship training in the East of England Postgraduate Deanery, United Kingdom. After that training, she went on to complete a two-year fellowship in advanced inflammatory bowel diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.