Prof. Anuradha Chowdhary receives the prestigious MAHE Prof. JV Bhat Memorial Oration Award

Bellevision Media Network

Manipal, 06 Mar 2024: Manipal School of Life Sciences (MSLS), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) organized the 18th “Annual MAHE Prof. JV Bhat Memorial Oration”, delivered by Dr. Anuradha Chowdhary (Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, New Delhi) in Manipal on March 3, 2024, in the presence of Dr. Sharath K Rao (Pro Vice-Chancellor - Health Sciences, MAHE, Manipal) and Dr. BS Satish Rao (Director, MSLS, Manipal). The annual event commemorates the birthday of late Prof. JV Bhat for his significant contributions to scientific research in microbiology by awarding an eminent Indian scientist who has excelled in this area of research.

 

 

Dr. TS Murali (Professor, MSLS) welcomed the audience and provided an account of the genesis of this annual oration award. In his presidential address, Dr. Sharath Rao spoke about the endowment created with equal contributions from students, family and well-wishers of Prof. JV Bhat and MAHE, which supports the annual oration, the award of gold medal to the best outgoing post-graduate (Biotechnology) student, and cash prizes and certificates for the top performers in the first semester of post-graduation at MSLS. He elaborated on the voluminous and critical body of research carried out by Prof. JV Bhat in the field of microbiology and proposed to compile his scientific journey in a book format.

 

Dr. Guruprasad KP (Associate Director-Research, MSLS) introduced the award winner to the audience. Accepting the commemorative silver plaque and certificate as part of the award from Dr Sharath Rao, Dr. Anuradha Chowdhary delivered a compelling oration focusing primarily on her research on the pathogenic yeast Candida auris. She highlighted the fast global spread of this yeast as a critical multidrug-resistant pathogen. In just a decade, C. auris has evolved into a significant threat due to its resilience and adaptable nature and has contributed to the alarming increase in mortality rates, particularly among immunocompromised and ICU patients, and underscored its role in contributing to higher COVID-19 mortality rates by co-infection. Additionally, she showcased the relevance of fungal infections in agricultural and veterinary sectors, advocating for a holistic approach encapsulated by the concept of One Health. Dr. Padmalatha S Rai (Associate Director-Academics, MSLS) proposed the vote of thanks.