Two-Day National Conference on “STEERING PHARMACY EDUCATION AND AI FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH AND INNOVATION”

Venue: Auditorium, ABIPER,

Date: July 10, 2026

Time: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM

DAY 1

Aditya Bangalore Institute of Pharmacy Education and Research (ABIPER), in association with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Karnataka State Pharmacy Council (KSPC), and Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), organized the first day of the Two-Day National Conference on “STEERING PHARMACY EDUCATION AND AI FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH AND INNOVATION” on 10th July 2026 at the ABIPER Auditorium. The conference brought together academicians, researchers, industry experts, faculty members, and students to discuss recent developments in pharmaceutical research and the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in drug discovery.

The inaugural session was graced by Dr. B.A. Vishwanath, Founder Chairman, Aditya Group of Institutions; Chief Guest Mr. Anjan Roy; Dr. Priya Vishwanath; Mr. Aditya; Dr. Sivananda B.G, CEO, Aditya Group of Institutions; Dr. Sowjanya Battu, Vice-Principal, ABIPER; Dr. Venkatesha V.A., Director, ABIPER; and distinguished dignitaries Dr. M.D. Karvekar, Dr. Pulok K. Mukherjee, and Dr. Saleemulla Khan. The conference was formally inaugurated with the traditional lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries.

Welcoming the gathering, Dr. Sowjanya Battu, Vice-Principal and Conference Convener, spoke about the need to integrate emerging technologies with pharmaceutical education and research. She emphasized that such academic programmes provide an opportunity for students and researchers to interact with experts from academia and industry.

In his inaugural address, Mr. Anjan Roy, Chairman, Flow Chemicals, Bengaluru, spoke about the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence in pharmaceutical research and healthcare. He explained that AI is transforming the way research is carried out by improving efficiency and supporting decision-making. At the same time, he reminded the participants that scientific knowledge, ethical values, and critical thinking will always remain essential for successful drug discovery and development.

The scientific sessions began with a lecture by Dr. Purushottam M. Dewang, who discussed the application of Artificial Intelligence in drug discovery. He explained how AI supports target identification, protein structure prediction, and virtual screening, while emphasizing that it serves as a tool to assist researchers rather than replace human expertise.

The next session was delivered by Dr. Trinadha Rao Chitturi on “Small Molecule Campaigns and Optimization Strategies in Approved Drugs for Oncology and CNS Indications.” He explained the importance of medicinal chemistry, molecular optimization, and the process of improving drug candidates to achieve better therapeutic outcomes.

The third technical session was delivered by Prof. Pulok K. Mukherjee on “Natural Product Drug-like Molecules: Their Potential and Challenges for Development.” He highlighted the scientific importance of medicinal plants and emphasized the need for quality evaluation, standardization, and evidence-based validation in natural product research.

The post-lunch session featured Dr. Mahesh Pavar, who delivered a lecture on “Peptides as Therapeutic Molecules: Past, Present and Future Development Methodologies.” He discussed recent developments in peptide therapeutics and their expanding role in the treatment of various diseases.

One of the major attractions of the programme was the Panel Discussion on “AI in Drug Discovery,” moderated by Dr. Venkatesha V.A. The panel members, Dr. Trinadha Rao Chitturi, Dr. Sreedhar Narayan, Dr. Purushottam M. Dewang, and Dr. Narasimha Murthy, shared their views on the use of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Large Language Models in pharmaceutical research. The discussion focused on the opportunities, limitations, and future scope of AI in drug discovery. Students actively participated in the discussion by raising questions on research, higher education, and career opportunities in AI-enabled pharmaceutical sciences.

The final technical session was delivered by Dr. Ramanath Hegde, Senior Principal Scientist, Novartis, Hyderabad, on “Translationally Relevant In-vitro Assay Tools for Oncology and CNS Drug Discovery Programmes.” He explained the importance of reliable in-vitro models in preclinical research and discussed current approaches used to improve the success of drug development programmes.

The technical sessions were chaired by Dr. Sujith Kempa, Dr. Saleemulla Khan, and Dr. J.Anbu, while Dr. Veeresh P. Veerapur, Dr. K. Mruthunjaya, Dr. Ram Gopal Dhanwad, and Dr. Shaista Ahmed served as Co-chairpersons. Each session concluded with an interactive discussion, followed by the presentation of tokens of appreciation to the speakers, chairpersons, and co-chairpersons.

The programme concluded with the Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr. Sowjanya Battu, who expressed gratitude to the Chief Guest, dignitaries, speakers, delegates, faculty members, students, and the organizing committee for their valuable support and participation. The first day of the conference concluded with a group photograph, marking the successful completion of the day’s scientific proceedings.