Web based Faculty Training Program concluded at UIPS

Chandigarh, February 19, 2022: The one-week long virtual Faculty Training Program under UGC Networking Resource Centre in Pharmaceutical Sciences on the theme “Emerging Trends and Alternatives in Pharmacological Research" conducted by University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University, from February 14 – 19, 2022 successfully concluded today.
 
A total of 146 participants selected for training, hailing from various Colleges/Universities, representing 20 different states of India and 2 from abroad were trained on emerging tools, techniques and various alternatives to animals in pharmacological research. As many as 40 eminent speakers’ ‎from academic institutions, industrial houses and research organizations across India, USA and Canada deliberated on the emerging tools, techniques and alternatives to animals in the field of Pharmacological research
 
Professor S K Kulkarni, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology & Former Pro-Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, Chandigarh, delivered the Valedictory Keynote Lecture on "Impact Of Covid19-Pandemic On Lab-Based Research". In his talk, Professor Kulkarni shared the data indicating COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on mental health especially anxiety disorders and depressive disorders with an associated rise in prescriptions of psychotropic medicines. He discussed about the impact of COVID pandemic on bench based research, in terms of publications, new grant application fund, new collaboration and conference. Publications in the area of COVID have dramatically increased with most of them not contributing to any significant outcomes in future.
 
Professor Anil Kumar, Program Course Coordinator briefed about the deliberations of the week-long course and appreciated the interactions between the resource persons and the participants. Professor Kanwaljit Chopra, Head Pharmacology and Former Chairperson UIPS welcomed and introduced the Chief Guest and Guest of the Honor of valedictory session.
 
The Chief Guest, Dr Sujit K Dutta, Joint Commissioner (Animal Welfare); Member, Secretary Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) & Secretary & Appellate Authority, Animal Welfare Board of India; Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Government of India, New Delhi admired the efforts made by UIPS in training young researchers in Pharmaceutical research. He apprised about the mission, objectives and activities of CPCSEA and the new reforms and guidelines made to enhance its functioning.
 
Professor R C Sobti, Former Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, Chandigarh & Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Guest of the Honor reiterated about the convergence of technologies like artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, omics etc and their role in dissolving the boundaries across various fields.
 
Dr Anurag Kuhad, Joint Course Coordinator, presented the Vote of Thanks.

Around 300 students and selected faculty participants enthusiastically attended the weeklong events.