About the Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture
Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture is an annual lecture series themed on ‘Science, Society, Sustainability’. This series was instituted in 2023 to honour our founder Dr. K. Anji Reddy’s passion for deep science. The event brings together eminent scientists representing industry and academia. The series has been attended by luminaries from the world of science and has featured Nobel Laureates.
First Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture
The first Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial lecture was organised on 15th March, 2023.
Lecture:Prof. Ada E. Yonath, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry, 2009), Weizmann Institute, Israel
Keynote Address:Dr. K. VijayRaghavan, Former Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India
Other speakers:Dr. Swami Subramaniam (CEO, Ignite Life Science Foundation), Dr. A.V. Rama Rao (Chairman & Managing Director, Avra Laboratories), Dr. Gullapalli N Rao (Founder, L V Prasad Eye Institute), Dr. Guru N Reddy (Chairman & Managing Director, Continental Hospitals), Prof. Goverdhan Mehta (University of Hyderabad).
About the lecture
Prof. Yonath spoke on the topic ‘From origin of life to future antibiotics and genetic diseases’. She explained her 2009 Chemistry Nobel-winning work on the structure of ribosomes and the protoribosome concept, which may open new avenues in designing next-generation antibiotics and in tackling antibiotic resistance.The keynote address was presented by Dr. K. VijayRaghavan, Former Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, on the topic ‘The Brain in Health and Illness’. Prof. VijayRaghavan shared his research focused on organisation of nerve cells in the brain, mapping to diverse functions in the nervous system.
Second Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture
The second Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial lecture was organised on 15th March, 2024.
Lecture:Professor Jack W. Szostak, Nobel Laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 2009), The University of Chicago
Keynote Address:Dr. V. Mohan, Padma Shri awardee in the field of Diabetology and the first Indian recipient of the Dr. Harold Rifkin Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes Award from the American Diabetes Association
About the lecture
In his lecture entitled ‘RNA and the Origin of Life,’ Professor Szostak highlighted the RNA molecule's dual role as a villain, seen in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and a savior, as seen in the mRNA vaccine. He further discussed his lab's current research on the transition from chemical to biological evolution on the planet Earth in its earliest days.Dr. V Mohan, shared his memories of Dr. Anji Reddy. Dr. Mohan highlighted Dr. Reddy as a visionary and loyal friend with a deep passion for science, innovation, and commitment to patients and society.
Our Co-Chairman and Managing Director, G.V. Prasad described Dr. Reddy's pioneering spirit, emphasising the company’s efforts to be first in bringing drugs to market. Our Chairman, Satish Reddy, underscored the importance of science and innovation in Dr. Reddy’s work. He assured the participants that the company would continue Dr. Reddy’s mission of new drug discovery and delivery.
On the eve of the lecture, a round table discussion was jointly hosted by Dr. Reddy’s and the Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS). Moderated by Citeline/Scrip. The world of pharma and biotech is seeing great disruption. Apart from exploring greater complexity in the more traditional pharmaceutical offerings, there is increased focus on ways of disease profiling, demographics, fusion of tech and biotech, rich clinical trial data, AI, and much more. With the timely and topical theme of 'Emerging Frameworks in Innovation', the round table brought together leaders from academia, pharma, healthcare and innovation to share their perspectives on emerging innovation ecosystems in healthcare and India's potential to excel in research and development.
The discussants included Professor Jack W. Szostak, Nobel Laureate, Dr. Harish Iyer, Deputy Director, Digital and Health Innovation – India Office, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Yamuna Krishnan, Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Dr. Shridhar Narayanan, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, Dr. Srinivas Oruganti, Director, Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences, Dr. Murali Ramachandra, CEO, Aurigene Oncology, Dr. Radha Rangarajan, Director, CSIR-CDRI, Dr. Ajit Rangnekar, Director General, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), Telangana; Dr. Ravindranathan, Continental Hospitals, Dr. Guru N. Reddy, Founder & Chief of Gastroenterology & Liver Diseases, Continental Hospitals, Dr. Trajko Spasenovski, Vice President, Custom Solutions, Citeline. The session was chaired by our Chairman, Satish Reddy and moderated by Anju Ghangurde, Executive Editor (Asia Pacific), Scrip/Pink Sheet, Citeline.
A white paper was released on the outcome of this event capturing the major takeaways.