Pharmaceutical Research and Therapeutic Sciences

Paraskevi Zagana is a Chemist and an Adjunct Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Patras, Greece, within the Division of Pharmacology and Biosciences, with teaching experience in Biopharmaceutics - Pharmacokinetics, while she has also taught in the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy of the same Department. She has worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory (MESBL) and at the Laboratory of Cell Therapy Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of the Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences at the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT) in Patras. She has also served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology of the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Patras, in collaboration with FORTH/ICE-HT, where her work focused on the design, formulation and property characterization, active/passive drug loading, and evaluation of the anticancer activity of innovative liposomal and polymeric drug nanocarriers. In parallel, she served as the Quality Management System Manager (ISO 9001:2015) with the Scope of Application ‘Metabolic and Bioinformatics Analyses’ at MESBL, within the framework of the National Infrastructure for Translational Medicine (EATRIS-GR) at FORTH/ICE-HT. She completed her PhD dissertation at the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Patras, focusing on the development of liposomal drug carriers, the effect of their lipid composition on interactions with normal and cancer cells, and their in vivo biodistribution. She graduated from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Ioannina, specializing in the field of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, where she studied the inhibitory effect of cyclic peptide RGD- analogues against ADP-induced human platelet aggregation.

Amjad Ali, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Nanjing Forestry University, China. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Zhejiang University, along with an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry and a B.Sc. in Chemistry and Biology. His research expertise encompasses organic synthesis, catalyst design, functional and porous materials, MOFs, COFs, HOFs, reaction kinetics, catalytic mechanisms, CO₂ capture, and energy and environmental materials.

He has extensive experience in advanced composite materials, polymer chemistry, biodegradable polymers, analytical chemistry, and materials chemistry. His analytical expertise includes NMR, FTIR, mass spectrometry, HPLC, GC, GPC/SEC, DSC, TGA, and XRD. He is also involved in teaching, research supervision, mentoring, and scientific writing.

Dr. Ali serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Batteries and Electrochemistry and has extensive peer-review experience across chemistry, pharmaceutical, polymer, materials, environmental, and related scientific journals.

Early Education and Background

Prof. Dr. Bikash Medhi is a distinguished Indian clinical pharmacologist, academic leader, and medical researcher. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, in 1992. Driven by a strong interest in experimental drug mechanisms and clinical therapeutics, he went on to complete his Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Pharmacology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, in 1997.

Academic Leadership and Appointments

Dr. Medhi is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. Alongside his academic role, he has served in key institutional leadership capacities, including Additional Medical Superintendent (AMS) at PGIMER. Internationally, he serves as the Chairman of the Basic and Translational Section of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR). He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Journal of Pharmacology (IJP) and the Editor of PGIMER's Drug Bulletin.

Research Contributions and Infrastructure

Prof. Medhi's research spans experimental pharmacology, molecular neurosciences, nanomedicine, pharmacogenomics, and regulatory clinical trials. He expanded PGIMER's biomedical research capabilities by founding the Experimental Pharmacology Laboratory (EPL) and the Neurobehavioral Laboratory (NBRL). His core scientific focus addresses central nervous system (CNS) conditions—such as Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorders, and epilepsy—alongside target-driven nano-drug delivery, in-silico screening, and therapeutic repurposing for chronic and infectious conditions.

Pharmacovigilance and Public Health Impact

Under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Medhi established the Pharmacovigilance Centre and Materiovigilance Centre at PGIMER. Designated as a Regional Resource Centre for Northern India by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), this center trains healthcare professionals, logs individual case safety reports into the WHO Vigiflow database, and drives public health awareness around adverse drug reactions and medical device monitoring.

Academic Legacy and Mentorship

With over 700 peer-reviewed scientific publications, textbooks, and editorial pieces to his name, Prof. Medhi is among India's most prolific pharmacology researchers. He has led major research projects funded by national bodies such as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and Department of Science and Technology (DST). Through his mentorship, he continues to guide postgraduate doctors, PhD scholars, and postdoctoral researchers shaping translational medical science.

Dr. Praveen Kumar Ashok is a Professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jigyasa University, Dehradun. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, an M.Pharm. in Pharmacognosy, and a B.Pharm. degree, with more than two decades of academic and professional experience in pharmaceutical education, research, academic administration, and postgraduate supervision.

Dr. Ashok began his professional career in the pharmaceutical industry as a Trainee Production Chemist before transitioning to academia. Over the course of his career, he has held several academic and leadership positions, including Professor and Principal at Guru Nanak College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor and Director at Gyani Inder Singh Institute of Professional Studies, Professor at ACME Institute of Pharmacy, and Professor and Associate Professor at GRD(PG)IMT, Dehradun. He has been associated with Jigyasa University since June 2025.

His academic and research interests primarily include pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, herbal medicines, pharmacological evaluation of medicinal plants, pharmaceutical sciences, drug delivery, and interdisciplinary pharmaceutical research. He has supervised postgraduate research projects in Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. He has also guided Ph.D. scholars, with five scholars having successfully completed and been awarded their Ph.D. degrees.

Dr. Ashok has contributed extensively to pharmaceutical literature through research articles, review articles, books, and conference presentations. His research contributions encompass medicinal plants, phytochemical investigations, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, herbal formulations, drug delivery systems, pharmaceutical technology, pharmacovigilance, and computational pharmaceutical research. He has also authored books on Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry-I and Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry-II. His professional contributions extend to academic quality assurance, examination administration, faculty development, curriculum-related activities, and institutional academic leadership. He has served as an examiner and examination superintendent for various university and state-level examinations. He is also an approved PCI inspector and has been associated with professional organizations including the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India and the Society of Pharmacognosy. Dr. Ashok has contributed to innovation and intellectual property through patented design work. His CV records a UK design patent related to a nanotechnology-based antimicrobial bandage dispensing system and an Indian design patent for a portable UV disinfection device. He has also participated in leadership development programmes, faculty development programmes, national and international conferences, seminars, workshops, and other academic activities. In addition to his research and teaching responsibilities, Dr. Ashok has actively contributed to professional and institutional development through invited academic activities, technical-session chairmanship, faculty training, examination responsibilities, workshops, and conferences. His recent academic engagement includes organizing a UCOST-sponsored workshop on Intellectual Property Rights in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Recent Trends, Emerging Innovations and Their Impact on Research and Academic Practices in Higher Education at Jigyasa University in March 2026. With a strong combination of teaching, research, academic leadership, postgraduate supervision, pharmaceutical education, and innovation, Dr. Praveen Kumar Ashok continues to contribute significantly to the advancement of pharmaceutical sciences and higher education.