Scientist Srivari Chandrasekhar named Director of IICT

HYDERABAD: Senior scientist Srivari Chandrasekhar has been appointed Director of the city-based CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology ( IICT), a premier research institute of the Central Government.

Chandrasekhar, who took charge yesterday, was named to the top post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his capacity as President of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which functions under Union Ministry of Science and Technology, an official release said today.

Chandrasekhar joined IICT in 1986 as a Junior Research Fellow and grew up to the level of Chief Scientist in 2010. Since then he has been leading one of the largest groups at the IICT, Natural Products Chemistry.

He has made significant contributions in diverse areas of organic chemistry with a special emphasis on chiral chemistry, total synthesis of biologically active natural products and pharmaceutical products, the release said.

The distinguished scientist has developed technologies for synthesis of latest anti-tuberculosis drug bedaquiline; anti-tumor and abortive drug mesoprostol and drug for treatment of schizophrenia asenapine, among others.

"Chandrasekhar has more than 250 publications with 5,000 citations to his credit," the release added.