Scientists were presented the awards for exemplary contribution in pharma and medical science
Sun Pharma Science Foundation, a non-profit organisation, announced the Sun Pharma Science Awards to Indian scientists for their outstanding work and exemplary contribution to medical research. These awards are presented in two categories – The Sun Pharma Research Awards for outstanding scientists and Sun Pharma Science Scholar Awards for young researchers. The winners for both these awards are identified in two sub-categories – Medical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences. An eminent jury panel comprising well-known scientists from India selected the final winners. These awards are presented annually to Indian scientists and young researchers working in India and abroad.
The awards were presented by Prof Vishwajit Nimgaonkar, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, USA and Dilip Shanghvi, MD, Sun Pharma.
The winners are: Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan, Chief Scientist, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, for his outstanding contributions in the area of protein biosynthesis, by studying proofreading mechanisms using structural biology approaches; Dr Vikram Mathews, Associate Director, Professor and Head, Department of Clinical Haematology, Christian Medical College, for his outstanding work in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) and the use of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in the treatment of this condition; Prof Ashish Suri, Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurosciences Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, for his pioneering research in developing innovative techniques and treatment protocols for complex skull-base and brain tumour surgery; Dr D Srinivasa Reddy, Senior Scientist, Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, for his work in the area of total synthesis of biologically active natural products and medicinal chemistry using ‘silicon incorporation approach’ towards identification of lead molecules of therapeutic potential; Punita Kumari, Biological Sciences & Bioengineering department, Indian Institute of Technology, for developing a better understanding of the signalling and regulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs); Aditi Jain, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, for her research work on ‘Understanding cardiac failure using engineered materials’; Gaurav Joshi, Junior Research Fellow, Laboratory for Drug Design and Synthesis, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjabfor his research work entitled ‘Targeting chromatin coupled enzymes by small molecules in cancer cells’; Shasank Sekhar Swain, Central Research Laboratory, Institute of Medical Sciences & SUM Hospital, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), for his innovative research work, ‘Conjugation of a phytochemical with an obsolete drug as a novel strategy towards antimicrobial drug discovery: a case study with sulfonamide-monoterpene phenols against MRSA.’
Sun Pharma Science Foundation also conducted its annual conference on the subject, ‘Training Pathways for Physician Scientists’ in association with Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, Faridabad. Prof K VijayRaghavan, Former Secretary DBT, Government of India, delivered the inaugural address. Eminent scientists from India and abroad participated in the conference.