IISER Pune’s Prof. Jayant Udgaonkar Honored with the Prestigious Vigyan Shri Award for 2024

Pune, 20th August 2024: In a proud moment for the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Prof. Jayant B. Udgaonkar from the Department of Biology has been awarded the prestigious Vigyan Shri Award for 2024. The award, part of the newly instituted Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar by the Government of India, recognizes outstanding contributions to the fields of science and technology.

Prof. Udgaonkar is one of 33 scientists and technologists selected for the 2024 Vigyan Puraskar, which also includes one Vigyan Ratna Award, 13 Vigyan Shri Awards, 18 Vigyan Yuva Awards, and one Vigyan Team Award.

The felicitation ceremony for Prof. Udgaonkar was held at the IISER Pune campus, where the esteemed biophysicist delivered a special talk sharing insights from his illustrious scientific journey. The event was attended by IISER Pune’s Director, Prof. Sunil Bhagwat, faculty members, and students, all of whom expressed their admiration and best wishes for Prof. Udgaonkar.

During his talk, Prof. Udgaonkar reflected on the various milestones of his career, particularly his pioneering research in protein folding—a field that has significant implications in both biotechnology and medicine. His research focuses on understanding how proteins fold, misfold, and aggregate, using biophysical techniques to study the kinetics and pathways involved in these processes.

Prof. Udgaonkar also spoke about his two-decade-long association with the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bengaluru, where he played a key role in the institution’s growth before joining IISER Pune. He emphasized the importance of faculty members taking active roles in administrative responsibilities to contribute to the development of research institutions.

The event was anchored by Dr. Mayurika Lahiri, a faculty member at IISER Pune, with introductory comments from Prof. Girish Ratnaparkhi, senior scientist Dr. A.A. Natu, and PhD student Suman Pal, who all praised Prof. Udgaonkar’s contributions to science and his mentoring of young scientists.

Prof. Jayant B. Udgaonkar has had a distinguished career in biophysics, spanning over three decades. He began his academic journey with a BSc in Chemistry from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, followed by an MSc in Chemistry from IIT Madras. He then pursued a PhD in Biochemistry from Cornell University, where he studied under Prof. G.P. Hess. After completing his postdoctoral research at Stanford University under Prof. R.L. Baldwin, he returned to India to join the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), where he served in various capacities before moving to IISER Pune in 2017.

Prof. Udgaonkar’s research on protein folding has been groundbreaking, providing deep insights into the mechanisms by which proteins fold, unfold, and misfold. His work has applications in understanding diseases caused by protein misfolding, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Throughout his career, Prof. Udgaonkar has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Bhatnagar Prize for Biological Sciences (2000), the G.N. Ramachandran Gold Medal (2011), and the J.C. Bose National Fellowship. He has also served on the editorial boards of several prestigious scientific journals and has been actively involved in mentoring the next generation of scientists.

IISER Pune, established in 2006 by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, is a leading institution for teaching and research in science. The institute offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programs, integrating high-quality research with academic instruction. IISER Pune is consistently ranked among the top research institutions in India and is recognized globally for its contributions to science.