Pharmacology & Drug Discovery Division

Vision:

To be a globally recognized leader in pharmacology and drug discovery, pioneering innovative therapeutics through cutting-edge research, translational science, and strategic collaborations within and outside the institute that address unmet medical needs and improve human health.

Mission:

Advancing Pharmacological Sciences
- Conduct fundamental and applied research in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicology, and safety pharmacology to understand drug/drug candidates’ interactions with biological systems.
- Explore mechanisms of action, drug metabolism, and personalized medicine approaches to enhance treatment efficacy and minimize adverse effects.
- Investigate drug-receptor interactions, signalling pathways, and disease-specific pharmacology to identify novel therapeutic targets.
Driving Drug Discovery & Development
- Identify and optimize new chemical and biological entities through high-throughput screening, structure-based drug design, and AI-driven drug discovery.
- Develop novel drug delivery systems and formulation strategies for targeted and controlled release.
- Conduct preclinical research to assess safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics using in vitro, in vivo, and computational models.
- Facilitate clinical pharmacology studies, ensuring a smooth transition from laboratory research to clinical trials for new therapeutics and the repurposing of existing drugs.
Ensuring Drug Safety & Regulatory Compliance
- Strengthen safety pharmacology and toxicology research to evaluate potential adverse effects and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Develop predictive models for drug metabolism, drug-drug interactions, and adverse reaction profiling.
- Engage with regulatory agencies to align research with global drug approval and safety standards.
Strengthening Translational Research & Multi-Divisional Collaboration
- Foster interdisciplinary collaboration among Organic & Medicinal Chemistry, Structural Biology & Bioinformatics, Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Cell Biology & Physiology, Cancer Biology & Inflammatory Disorder divisions of CSIR-IICB to accelerate drug discovery and development.
- Leverage internal expertise and state-of-the-art facilities within CSIR-IICB to integrate small-molecule and biologics research with pharmacology, toxicology, and preclinical evaluation.
- Establish research consortia with other CSIR laboratories, national institutes, and universities for synergistic drug discovery and translational impact.
Enhancing Industry & Global Partnerships
- Strengthen industry-academia partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, biotech startups, regulatory bodies, and healthcare institutions to accelerate drug development.
- Drive public-private partnerships for technology transfer, scale-up manufacturing, and commercialization of novel therapeutics.
- Engage in global research collaborations to bring international expertise and cutting-edge technology to CSIR-IICB.
Capacity Building & Knowledge Dissemination
- Train the next generation of scientists, pharmacologists, and regulatory experts through specialized academic and research programs.
- Promote multi-disciplinary education by integrating pharmacology with physiology, biochemistry, cell & molecular biology, and computational sciences.
- Organize scientific conferences, policy dialogues, and industry-academia exchange programs to facilitate knowledge dissemination.

Faculties

Parasuraman Jaisankar

Chief Scientist & Head, Pharmacology & Drug Discovery Division

jaisankar@iicb.res.in

Dr. Nitu Radheshyam Singh

Senior Scientist

nitusingh.iicb@csir.res.in

Faculties

Parasuraman Jaisankar

Dr. Nitu Radheshyam Singh