Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences And Drug Research 3.58

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research is housed in Pharmaceutical Sciences Block, which was inaugurated on November 24, 1995 by S. Harcharan Singh Brar, Chief Minister of Punjab. The department was envisaged since inception to develop into a centre of excellence for drug research and for training personnel at graduate, post-graduate and doctoral levels. The administrative wing and lecture halls are situated on the ground floor. The Pharmaceutics Division comprising laboratories, machine room, a microbiology and fluid mechanics laboratory is situated on the ground floor. The Pharmaceutical Chemistry Division is located on the second floor. Pharmacology Division comprising cardiovascular and molecular pharmacology laboratories is situated on the third floor. Pharmacognosy and Pharmacy Practice Divisions also form a part of the third floor of the department. Apart from the basic amenities for undergraduate and post-graduate students, the department has a well-equipped analytical instrument room, library, conference room, animal house and museum. Presently, Dr. R.K. Goel, is the Head of the Department and there are 19 faculty members in the Department. The Department has a rare distinction of being granted financial assistance under the coveted FIST scheme of Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi as well as SAP scheme of University Grants Commission, New Delhi in the academic session 2009-10 in recognition of its excellent performance in academic and research areas.The division of Pharmaceutics is actively pursuing research in niche areas of drug delivery. These include transdermal, colonic, bioadhesive, liposomal, ethosomal and nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. Studies on microspheres and tablets for modulating drug release are also being conducted. Development of spermicidal dosage forms also forms an integral part of research endeavors of this division.The Pharmacology division is engaged in studies on new target sites in ischaemic myocardium, diabetes induced neuropathy and biochemical pharmacology of memory.Pharmaceutical Chemistry group is involved in the designing (QSAR studies) and synthesis of nonpeptide angiotensin receptor antagonists, insulin sensitizing agents and anti-adhesion molecules. Work on stress testing and degradation studies on drugs also forms a part of research pursuits of this group.The Pharmacognosy division is pursuing research related to phytochemical investigations on anti-anxiety and anti-diabetic drugs.

Research interests of Pharmacy Practice division include assessment of anti-arthritic drugs, cardiovascular dysfunction and diabetic complications in patients.The department hosted the 28th Conference of Indian Pharmacology Society from November 24-26, 1995. The department from January 22-26, 2001 hosted an International Conference on Pathophysiology and Drug Therapy of Cardiovascular Disorders. Recently, National Conference on Innovations in Drug Discovery and Research was organized by the department from 3-5 March 2009. Department has successfully completed three major research projects funded by CSIR, New Delhi to Dr. A.K. Tiwary and Dr. Subheet Jain and three minor projects funded by UGC, New Delhi to Dr. Subheet Jain, Dr. Gurpreet kaur and Mrs. Yogita Bansal. Presently, five major research projects funded by UGC, New Delhi to Dr. R. K. Goel, Dr. Om Silakari, Dr. Gulshan Basal, Dr. Nirmal Singh and Dr. Vikas Rana are in progress. Two proposals have been sanctioned financial assistance under the Research Promotion Scheme of AICTE, New Delhi to Dr. A. K. Tiwary and Dr. Subheet Jain in 2009-10 are also in progress. Recently, one major project has been sanctioned to Dr. A. K. Tiwary by ICMR, New Delhi and another one to Dr. R.K. Goel under the Indo-Russian collaboration scheme jointly funded by DST, New Delhi and REBR, Moscow. Dr. Goel is first one to get this sanction in the northern region of India.The department has earned international acclaim by successfully completing a consultancy project sanctioned to Dr. A. K. Tiwary by Kemin Industries Inc., Des Moines, Iowa, USA for testing one of its newly developed chemical for possible use as percutaneous permeation enhancer in transdermal formulations. Bio Plus Ltd., Hosur, Karnataka has sanctioned one consultancy to Dr. Subheet Jain to work on “Biosafety evaluation of Jaymer”.The department has MOU for research with IHBT, Palampur (CSIR Lab), Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS), Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, SriRam Institute for Industrial Research (New Delhi) and Jubliant Chemsys Ltd. (Noida). The pharmaceutical companies regularly contact the teaching faculty for their expert comments on product development thus, enabling a good academia-industry interaction. Further, experts are invited from the industry in order to expose the students to the latest trends being practiced in the pharmaceutical industry.The students of the department have found placements in Ranbaxy, Torrent, Cadila, Ind Swift, Morepen, Jubliant Organosys, Jubliant Chemsys, Cipla, Dabur and Panacea Biotech to name a few leading pharmaceutical companies. In addition, many students have gone abroad for further studies. The department maintains a close contact with leading pharmaceutical companies for training and placement of its students. This has earned the department a good name and the credibility of the teaching faculty is widely appreciated and accepted.The department has produced 13 Ph.D. students and has 24 regular and part-time students registered for their Ph.D. degrees. The name of few faculty members figures in the panel of reviewers of prestigious international journals like AAPS PharmSci.Tech., AAPS Journal, Current Drug Delivery, International J of Pharmaceutics, Acta Pharmalogica Sinica and European Journal of Pain. Approximately 400 publications in journals of international repute made by pharmaceutics, pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry divisions have brought an international fame to the department