About the Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture
Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture is an annual lecture series themed on ‘Science, Society, Sustainability’. This series was instituted in 2023 to honour our founder Dr. K. Anji Reddy’s passion for deep science. The event brings together eminent scientists representing industry and academia. The series has been attended by luminaries from the world of science and has featured Nobel Laureates.
First Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture
The first Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial lecture was organised on 15th March, 2023.
Lecture:Prof. Ada E. Yonath, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry, 2009), Weizmann Institute, Israel
Keynote Address:Dr. K. VijayRaghavan, Former Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India
Other speakers:Dr. Swami Subramaniam (CEO, Ignite Life Science Foundation), Dr. A.V. Rama Rao (Chairman & Managing Director, Avra Laboratories), Dr. Gullapalli N Rao (Founder, L V Prasad Eye Institute), Dr. Guru N Reddy (Chairman & Managing Director, Continental Hospitals), Prof. Goverdhan Mehta (University of Hyderabad).
About the lecture
Prof. Yonath spoke on the topic ‘From origin of life to future antibiotics and genetic diseases’. She explained her 2009 Chemistry Nobel-winning work on the structure of ribosomes and the protoribosome concept, which may open new avenues in designing next-generation antibiotics and in tackling antibiotic resistance.The keynote address was presented by Dr. K. VijayRaghavan, Former Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, on the topic ‘The Brain in Health and Illness’. Prof. VijayRaghavan shared his research focused on organisation of nerve cells in the brain, mapping to diverse functions in the nervous system.
Second Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture
The second Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial lecture was organised on 15th March, 2024.
Lecture:Professor Jack W. Szostak, Nobel Laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 2009), The University of Chicago
Keynote Address:Dr. V. Mohan, Padma Shri awardee in the field of Diabetology and the first Indian recipient of the Dr. Harold Rifkin Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes Award from the American Diabetes Association
About the lecture
In his lecture entitled ‘RNA and the Origin of Life,’ Professor Szostak highlighted the RNA molecule's dual role as a villain, seen in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and a savior, as seen in the mRNA vaccine. He further discussed his lab's current research on the transition from chemical to biological evolution on the planet Earth in its earliest days.Dr. V Mohan, shared his memories of Dr. Anji Reddy. Dr. Mohan highlighted Dr. Reddy as a visionary and loyal friend with a deep passion for science, innovation, and commitment to patients and society.
Our Co-Chairman and Managing Director, G.V. Prasad described Dr. Reddy's pioneering spirit, emphasising the company’s efforts to be first in bringing drugs to market. Our Chairman, Satish Reddy, underscored the importance of science and innovation in Dr. Reddy’s work. He assured the participants that the company would continue Dr. Reddy’s mission of new drug discovery and delivery.
On the eve of the lecture, a round table discussion was jointly hosted by Dr. Reddy’s and the Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS). Moderated by Citeline/Scrip. The world of pharma and biotech is seeing great disruption. Apart from exploring greater complexity in the more traditional pharmaceutical offerings, there is increased focus on ways of disease profiling, demographics, fusion of tech and biotech, rich clinical trial data, AI, and much more. With the timely and topical theme of 'Emerging Frameworks in Innovation', the round table brought together leaders from academia, pharma, healthcare and innovation to share their perspectives on emerging innovation ecosystems in healthcare and India's potential to excel in research and development.
The discussants included Professor Jack W. Szostak, Nobel Laureate, Dr. Harish Iyer, Deputy Director, Digital and Health Innovation – India Office, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Yamuna Krishnan, Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Dr. Shridhar Narayanan, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, Dr. Srinivas Oruganti, Director, Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences, Dr. Murali Ramachandra, CEO, Aurigene Oncology, Dr. Radha Rangarajan, Director, CSIR-CDRI, Dr. Ajit Rangnekar, Director General, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), Telangana; Dr. Ravindranathan, Continental Hospitals, Dr. Guru N. Reddy, Founder & Chief of Gastroenterology & Liver Diseases, Continental Hospitals, Dr. Trajko Spasenovski, Vice President, Custom Solutions, Citeline. The session was chaired by our Chairman, Satish Reddy and moderated by Anju Ghangurde, Executive Editor (Asia Pacific), Scrip/Pink Sheet, Citeline.
A white paper was released on the outcome of this event capturing the major takeaways.
Third Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture
The third Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial lecture was organised on 15th March, 2025.
Lecture:Prof. Ashok Venkitaraman, Director, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore and Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore.
Keynote Address:Dr. Gullapalli Nageswara Rao, Padma Shri awardee and Founder of the L.V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad.
About the lecture
Prof. Ashok Venkitaraman delivered this year’s Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture on ‘Suppressing the Genesis of Cancer.’ He discussed how genetic background and environmental exposures impact cancer progression, drawing from his two decades of research on the BRCA gene. He emphasized the role of tumor suppressive pathways in maintaining genomic integrity and how they can be disrupted by metabolic disorders and environmental factors. Highlighting the need for interdisciplinary research—including genetics, structural biology, chemistry, and imaging—he stressed the importance of early intervention in improving cancer outcomes.In his tribute to Dr. Anji Reddy, Padma Shri awardee Dr. Gullapalli Nageswara Rao, Founder of the L. V. Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad honoured Dr. Anji Reddy’s lasting impact on science, research, and affordable healthcare, highlighting his deep commitment to sustainability and philanthropy.
Our Co-Chairman and Managing Director, G.V. Prasad said “Dr. Anji Reddy’s commitment to science shaped his vision for affordable medicines, pioneering industry-first innovations and inspiring collaboration for societal welfare.” Our Chairman, Satish Reddy emphasized the need for pioneering studies in cancer drug discovery, reaffirming the company’s commitment to advancing Dr. Anji Reddy’s vision.
As a prelude to the memorial lecture, a round table discussion was jointly hosted by Dr. Reddy’s, Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS) and Aurigene Oncology Limited. Moderated by Citeline. Public health was the topic chosen for this year’s roundtable. Experts from academia, industry, and government explored key challenges, healthcare initiatives in cancer, cardiovascular health, women’s health, and nutrition, and the role of technology in advancing public health, aiming to identify actionable strategies for improvement.
The discussants included Professor Ashok Venkitaraman, Director, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore; Dr. Ajai Kumar, Executive Chairman, HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd. (HCG); Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairman & Executive Director, Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Cardiac Sciences; Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Former Chief Scientist, WHO; Chairperson, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation; Dr. Giancarlo Francese, Senior Program Officer, Global Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Mr. Galeb Gulam, CEO, Industrial Promotion Services (Aga Khan Foundation), Kenya; Professor Dr. Y K Gupta, Principal Advisor, India Strategy Development, Global Antibiotics Research and Development Partnership (GARDP); President, AIIMS, Bhopal; President AIIMS, Jammu; Dr. Miles Kemplay, Executive Director, Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF); Dr. Allan Kornberg, Medical Director and Executive Director, Physicians Association for Nutrition USA; Dr. Murali Ramachandra, CEO, Aurigene Oncology; Mr. Deepak Sapra, CEO, API and Services, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.; Dr. Srinivas Oruganti, Director, Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences and Dr. Trajko Spasenovski, Vice President, Custom Solutions, Evaluate/Citeline. The session was chaired by our Chairman, Satish Reddy and moderated by Anju Ghangurde, Executive Editor (Asia Pacific), Scrip/Pink Sheet, Citeline.