Dr Samir K. Brahmachari, Director, Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, has taken charge as secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and Director General, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), from Dr T Ramasami, secretary, Department of Science & Technology (DST), who was holding the additional charge as Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR.
Dr Brahmachari, a Ph.D in Molecular Biophysics from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore was a Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Genetic Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, before joining as Director, IGIB. He has pioneered functional genomics initiative in India and has successfully led the Indian genome Variation Consortium project and presently coordinating a national network project in 'In Silico Biology' for drug target development, an official release said.
He and his co workers have demonstrated association of two genes to Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder and identified several SNP's and other markers associated to various neurological disorders. He is the first to discover how human miRNA can target HIV genes and control virus replication, thus opening up a new vista of antiviral therapeutics.
Dr Brahmachari got several awards and distinctions. To name a few, INSA Young Scientists Award in 1979; Kani Medal (National Cancer Research Centre, Japan), 1981; Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (CSIR) 1990; FICCI Award, 1999; Millennium Medal (Indian Science Congress) 2000; Ranbaxy Award 2001; Prof. B.R. Ambedkar Centenary Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research (ICMR) 2005; J C Bose Medal (INSA) 2007; and H. K. Firodia Awards For Excellence In Science and Technology (2007).
As an advisor to Human Rights High Commission, he has also addressed issues of unethical exploitation of genetic resources of the Third World and has championed the concept of rights of patients in benefit sharing in the development of genomic medicines.