Vijayawada: The Departments of Physics, Chemistry and Electronics of Andhra Loyola College jointly organised a two-day international conference, bringing together eminent scientists and researchers from India and abroad to discuss recent advances in imaging, drug discovery, biomaterials and next-generation medical technologies.

Dr Nimmagadda Sridhar of Johns Hopkins University, USA, was the chief guest and keynote speaker in the inaugural session. Dr Sridhar spoke about his cutting-edge research on developing imaging agents with clinical applications, particularly those targeting the tumour microenvironment. He highlighted his team’s significant contributions, including the development of a fluorine-18 labelled imaging agent for PD-L1, which is currently undergoing clinical trials.

Addressing the gathering, correspondent Fr Dr A Rex Angelo stressed that researchers must continuously learn emerging trends to become effective scientists capable of addressing societal challenges. Principal Fr Melchoir appreciated the conference team for publishing nearly 70 research papers within a short span and releasing the conference proceedings, which were unveiled by the chief guest.

The conference was convened by Dr DB Karunakumar, with Dr P Venu Gopala Rao, Dean of Sciences, as the coordinator. Organising secretaries Dr T Srikumar, Dr K Rayappa Reddy and L Ekambaram also played key roles in the event.

In the afternoon session, Dr MNV Ravi Kumar of the University of Alabama, USA, spoke on next-generation drug delivery systems, focusing on repurposing affordable drugs to address global health challenges. Dr Rajendra Koorapati from IISER Thiruvananthapuram highlighted the transformative role of biomaterials and nanoscale medicine, noting that advances in mRNA vaccines and lipid technologies would accelerate future vaccine development. He emphasised that students from physics, chemistry and electronics backgrounds could access nearly 1.5 million jobs globally by acquiring relevant skills.

As part of the conference, 12 research scholars and scientists presented their research papers, contributing to vibrant academic discussions and knowledge exchange.