Jonathan BaellProfessor , Monash University Prof. Jonathan Baell, Ph.D is a Larkins Fellow, Director of the Australian Translational Medicinal Chemistry Facility and an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, at Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS). He obtained his PhD in 1992 under Professors Peter Andrews and Paul Alewood. Then he obtained a senior position in Australia’s prestigious National Scientific Organisation, CSIRO, where later at the age of 28 he became CSIRO’s youngest Senior Research Scientist. After a decade as Head of Medicinal Chemistry at Australia’s Premier Medical Research Institute, WEHI, he was appointed as a research professor at MIPS, which in 2017 was ranked #2 in the world for Pharmacy and Pharmacology (QS World University Rankings). His interests are in the design of quality of HTS libraries, medicinal chemistry hit-to-lead and lead optimization, and computer-aided peptidomimetic design in order to generate compounds with potential therapeutic utility and of value. He has papers in Nature, Nature Chemical Biology and Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (10) and over 40 granted pharmaceutical patents making key contributions to a number of compounds in various stages of development, from preclinical to one currently in phase I clinical trials for anxiolysis, and has consulted widely for the Australian Biotechnology Industry. In 2005 he was awarded the 2004 Biota Medal, a National Award for Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry for an early to mid-career researcher. His 2010 HTS publication on Pan Assay Interference Compounds, or PAINS, and has been most highly cited primary research article in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry over a 3-year period. |
Mukund ChorghadePresident & CSO, Chorghade Enterprises
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Umesh DesaiProfessor, Virginia Commonwealth University Dr. Desai is a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Director of Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development in the School of Pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. He received his baccalaureate from the M. S. University of Baroda, and his doctorate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India. Following short experiences at University of Iowa, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Illinois, Chicago, he moved to VCU in 1998 as an assistant professor. He specializes in rational drug design with emphasis on anti-thrombotics and anti-cancer agents. He has received an Established Investigator Award from the American Heart Association (2006) and Distinguished Scholarship Award from VCU (2013). |
Sanjay MalhotraAssociate Professor & Head, Stanford University School of Medicine Dr. Sanjay Malhotra is a Professor of Radiation Oncology, and Radiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Also, he serves as Director, Stanford-SRI Drug Discovery & Development Program at Stanford Cancer Institute and Director, INDO-US Center for Non-Communicable Diseases. He has over 20 years of experience in basic and translational research. His interests focus on the design and discovery of synthetic, and natural product inspired small molecules which can be used as probes for developing understanding of biological phenomena, including protein-protein interactions, modulation of signal transduction pathways, and for translational research in drug discovery, development, imaging and radiation. He has edited five books and authored over 100 research articles. Dr. Malhotra severs on the editorial board of International scientific journals, and as advisor on several national and international committees for building educational programs & international collaborations to address global health issues. Dr. Malhotra is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK. |
Ramaiah MuthyalaAssociate Professor, University of Minnesota Dr Ramaiah Muthyala received his Ph.D. from Sagar University, India in 1970 and Ph.D. from University of East Anglia, UK in 1975, and MBA from University of St. Thomas, USA in 1998. He is currently associate professor in the department of experimental clinical pharmacology, University of Minnesota. He is fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry. |
Zaneta Nikolovska-ColeskaAssociate Professor, University of Michigan Dr. Zaneta Nikolovska-Coleska is an Associate Professor of Pathology, Director of Molecular & Cellular Pathology Graduate Program, and co-Director of T32 NIGMS training program in translational research, at Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Michigan. Dr. Nikolovska-Coleska received her B.S. in Pharmacy, M.S. and Ph.D in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. She completed post-doctoral training in drug discovery with Professor Shaomeng Wang at the University of Michigan. In 2008 Dr. Nikolovska-Coleska joined the faculty of the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan as Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor (with tenure) in 2015. Dr. Nikolovska-Coleska’s lab focuses on chemical genomics, discovery and application of active chemical compounds for the interrogation of biological systems and improvement of human health. Her research aims on discovery, design, characterization and development of small- molecules as new molecularly targeted therapies for cancer by using interdisciplinary approach combining biophysical and biochemical methods, structural biology, medicinal chemistry and functional biology. In particular her research is focused on targeting protein-protein interactions involved in controlling the programmed cell death and epigenetics. Dr. Nikolovska-Coleska was the recipient of several awards including New Investigator Award from Leukemia Research Foundation and Innovator Award from Harrington Discovery Institute. Dr. Nikolovska-Coleska is an inventor on more than 13 international and US patents and patent applications, contributing to the discovery and development of clinical candidate AT-406, an XIAP inhibitor, which is currently in Phase I clinical trials for the treatment of human cancer. Dr. Nikolovska-Coleska is also serving as a consultant of biotechnology companies in the drug discovery field. |
Ashok VaidyaResearch Director, MRC- Kasturba Health Society Dr. Vaidya is from a lineage of Ayurveda and medicine; the heritage archives are a treasure trove for new leads from natural products. He evolved Reverse Pharmacology (RP) to explore this heritage. His medical and research education was at Mumbai and at Yale. With Prof UK Sheth, he pioneered the first Clinical Pharmacology Unit in India. At Yale, he conducted trials with brocresine, p-CPA and L-dopa. Later, at CIBA and KEM Hospital, he carried out Phase I, II and III trials on several new drug molecules. He conducted the largest post-marketing surveillance trials. He was the Regional Medical Director for CIBA-GEIGY. Reverse Pharmacology has led to new leads from plants for Parkinson’s disease, hepatitis, eczema, diabetes, cancer, arthritis,malaria etc. ICMR’s Advanced Centre of Reverse Pharmacology in Traditional Medicine was awarded to Kasturba Health Society. Dr. Vaidya has been honored with orations and awards. He was the President of the ISCPT and of AMAPI. He has been on the editorial boards of several journals. He has been a consultant and expert to W.H.O., CSIR, ICMR, DBT, AYUSH, and for the 11th and 12th five-year plans of India. Dr. Vaidya has travelled extensively, as he has been a much-sought out speaker. Dr. Vaidya has more than 290 research publications to his credit. He has guided graduate students in basic and clinical drug research and Ayurveda. Dr Vaidya is married to Dr Rama Vaidya, a reproductive endocrinologist. They have a daughter- Prof Vidita Vaidya, a neuroscientist. |
Ram VishwakarmaDirector, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Dr Ram Vishwakarma is Director of Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu. Prior to joining IIIM, he worked (2005-2009) as Vice-President at Piramal Life Sciences, Mumbai on NCE discovery on cancer, inflammation and drug-resistant infections. Prior to that, he was a staff-scientist at NII, New Delhi working on chemical-biology of GPI anchors. He did his Ph.D. from CDRI, Lucknow and post-doctoral work from University of Cambridge on biosynthesis of Vitamin B12. He has expertise in new drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis, chemical biology and glycobiology, and has over 200 publications and 35 patents. He is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and was awarded Sun Pharma (Ranbaxy) Research Award (2014) in the Pharmaceutical Sciences. |
