written on 25.03.2014

Ranbaxy awards deserving researchers

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Ranbaxy Science Foundation (RSF), a non-profit organisation set-up by Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, on March 24, 2014 announced its Ranbaxy Research Awards 2012 for excellence in original research work in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The Foundation also announced the Annual Science Scholar Awards to the young and brilliant new generation of scientists.
The Awards were presented by internationally acclaimed scientist, Pierre Alain Clavien, Professor & Chairman, Department. of Surgery, University Hospital in Zürich, Switzerland, at a function held today at National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi. Dr. Tsutomu Une, Ranbaxy’s Chairman and Padma Shri Dr. Nitya Anand, Chairman of Ranbaxy Science Foundation were also present at the award ceremony.
The awards were given to five scientists and five science scholars.
Outstanding research scientists honoured for excellence in original research work in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences were:
Medical Sciences – Basic Research: Prof. Umesh Varshney, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, India Institute of Science, Bangalore, for his pioneering discoveries in the areas of protein synthesis and DNA repair using Escherichia coli and mycobacteria as model organisms.
Medical Sciences – Medical Research: The Award was jointly shared by Prof. Kanjaksha Ghosh, Director, National Institute of Immunohaematology, Mumbai and Prof. Saumitra Das, Professor, Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Prof. Ghosh received the award for his significant contribution in understanding and economic management of congenital bleeding disorders. Prof. Das received the award for his outstanding contribution towards developing novel antiviral agents against Hepatitis C virus.
Medical Sciences – Clinical Research: Prof. Parmjeet Randhawa, Professor of Pathology, Division of Transplant Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, USA was bestowed with the Award for recognising BK virus nephropathy masquerading as rejection in the era of modern immunosuppression. BK virus PCR initially developed for research is now a routine diagnostic and screening tool.
Pharmaceutical Sciences: Prof. Sandeep Verma, Shri Deva Raj Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, UP was given the award for outstanding contribution in creating novel, self-assembling peptide scaffolds to mimic aggregation of amyloidogenic proteins and for using them as screens to discover inhibitors of these processes.
The Science Scholar Awards in the field of Bio-Medical Sciences were given to Kumar Somyajit, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; Priyanka P. Trivedi, Ph.D. Scholar, Facility for Risk Assessment & Intervention Studies, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, NIPER, Punjab; Pushpa Mishra, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Chemistry, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. In the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Awards were given to Priyanka Shreekrishna Gokhale, PhD Student, Department of Infectious Diseases Biology, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai and Chetan Prakash Yewale, Senior Research Fellow, Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Technology and Engineering, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
Earlier during the day, Ranbaxy Science Foundation organised its 20th Annual Symposium on "Regenerative Medicine – Current and Future Perspectives" in association with the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi. The Chief Guest, Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India delivered the inaugural address followed by the key note address by Prof. Pierre Alain Clavien. Eminent scientists from India and abroad participated in the symposium and deliberated on the recent advances in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy and its recent applications in various disease areas such as kidney disorders, type II diabetes mellitus, neuronal disorder, ocular disorders, liver injury, cardiac disorders etc.
Ranbaxy Science Foundation received an overwhelming response when the nominations for Ranbaxy Research Awards opened in May 2013. The nominations were then evaluated by a Panel of Jury comprising 11 distinguished scientists from all over India.
Ranbaxy Science Foundation (RSF), presently chaired by Dr. Nitya Anand, is a non-profit organization, promoted by India’s leading pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited. RSF aims to encourage scientific endeavour in the country by rewarding excellence in medical and pharmaceutical research and channeling national and international knowledge and expertise. Among the prime activities it undertakes every year are presenting Ranbaxy Research Awards to the Indian scientists for outstanding research work and Ranbaxy Science Scholarship Awards to the young and brilliant science scholars, presenting special award for outstanding work in the field of public health, holding of Scientific Symposia in frontline areas of research, inviting Foreign Scientists as Visiting Professors, holding Round Table Conferences on topics of public health concern and publishing the proceedings of symposia and Round Table Conferences.
Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India’s leading pharmaceutical company, is an integrated, research based, international pharmaceutical company producing a wide range of quality, affordable generic medicines, trusted by healthcare professionals and patients across geographies. Ranbaxy serves its customers in over 150 countries and has an expanding international portfolio of affiliates, joint ventures and alliances, ground operations in 43 countries and manufacturing operations in 8 countries. Ranbaxy is a member of the Daiichi Sankyo Group, a leading global pharma innovator headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.