OU-AIG Research wins top award at World Gastro Congress 2026

Hyderabad: Osmania University secured prestigious global recognition for its joint colorectal cancer research when a scholar from its Department of Genetics and Biotechnology won the First Prize in the Luminal Session under the Young Investigator Awards at the World Congress of Gastroenterology 2026.

Held at YASHOBHOOMI, India International Convention and Expo Centre in New Delhi, the international forum awarded Anil Vashapaka, a doctoral scholar at Osmania University who works simultaneously at the Asian Healthcare Foundation, which serves as the research wing of AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad.

An official communication issued on Wednesday detailed that Vashapaka earned the accolade for his research exploring the multi-omic landscape of colorectal cancer specific to the Indian population. His scientific presentation focused on identifying novel molecular signatures, key cancer drivers, and potential therapeutic targets associated with colorectal malignancies.

The study seeks to deepen understanding regarding the specific molecular traits of colorectal cancer among Indian patients, directly advancing population-specific precision oncology strategies. The research project was conducted under the joint guidance of VV Ravikanth from the Genomics and Sequencing Laboratory at the Asian Healthcare Foundation and K Srinivas Naik from the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology at Osmania University Department of Genetics and Biotechnology.

The collaborative research initiative received extensive clinical and translational support from the AIG Hospitals medical team, including D Nageshwar Reddy, GV Rao, M Sasikala, and VV Ravikanth.

Their clinical expertise proved instrumental in structuring the research design and applying findings toward cancer genomics. Securing the First Prize at a prominent international scientific forum represents a major accomplishment for scholar Anil Vashapaka and underlines the global impact of joint cancer research between Osmania University and AIG Hospitals.

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