Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, in collaboration with Tumkur University, successfully organized a National Symposium on “Drug Discovery and Development” under the ANRF–PAIR Grant on “One Health,” held on 14-15 Oct 2025 at the Jnanasiri Campus, Tumkur University, Tumkur.
The Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) program, initiated by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), aims to strengthen research capabilities in Indian institutions through a Hub and Spoke model. MAHE, Manipal, serves as the Hub institution, mentoring and collaborating with Tumkur University, Mysore University, Central University of Kerala, Kuvempu University, and Goa University as spoke institutions. The collaboration focuses on the theme “One Health,” emphasizing integrative research connecting human, animal, and environmental health.
The symposium was inaugurated by Prof. Sharath Ananthamurthy, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Kuvempu University. Prof. Sajan Daniel George, Project Director - ANRF PAIR Grant and Director, Manipal Institute of Applied Physics, MAHE, was the Chief Guest. Prof. M Venkateshwarlu, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Tumkur University, presided over the function, while Prof. M Kotresh, Registrar (In-Charge), Tumkur University, was the Guest of Honour. Prof. Srinivas Mutalik, Principal, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS), launched the e-book titled “Drug Discovery: An Interdisciplinary Approach Towards Innovation in Health and Wellbeing.” The symposium was coordinated by Dr. RG Sharathchandra, Dr. Suresh D, and Dr. Devaraja S of Tumkur University.
The scientific sessions featured lectures by Dr. Raghu Chandrashekhar H, Professor & Head - Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, MCOPS, who spoke on “Peptide-Based Drug Discovery: Lessons from Mini-Alpha-A Crystallin’s Protective Mechanism”; Prof. Srinivas Mutalik, Principal, MCOPS, who discussed “Targeted Drug Delivery: Overview and Case Studies”; & Dr. Nandakumar K, Professor & Head - Pharmacology, MCOPS, who delivered a talk on “Metabolic Steatohepatitis: Epidemiology, Unmet Therapeutic Needs, and Mechanistic Insights.”
Other notable speakers included Dr. BT Prabhakar (Kuvempu University, Shivamogga), Dr. Ateeq Mohammad Khaliq (Indiana University School of Medicine, USA), Dr. HS Santosh Kumar (Kuvempu University, Shivamogga), Dr. Gollapalli Pawan (Nitte University, Mangalore), Dr. Poornima Ramesh (Yenepoya University, Mangalore), Dr. Surya Prakash and Dr. Kamalesh Kumar Pandey (Natural Biogenex Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru), and Dr. Devaraja S and Dr. RG Sharathchandra (Tumkur University, Tumkur).
The poster presentation session saw enthusiastic participation from students and researchers, encouraging knowledge sharing and collaboration. The event served as a vibrant platform for scientific exchange, reinforcing the spirit of interdisciplinary research and the importance of integrative “One Health” approaches in drug discovery.
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