BITS Pilani is a Deemed to be University, offering on-campus programs to more than 17,500 students across its campuses in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad and Dubai. It has been recognized as an Institute of Eminence by the Ministry of Education, Government of India in 2020. In the NIRF 2022 rankings, BITS Pilani has been ranked 5th in Pharmacy, 18th in the University category and 29th in Engineering. In QS Asia University Rankings 2023, BITS has been ranked 188th, the only private institute from India in Asia Top 200, and at 18 in India.
Are you ready to turn your passion for research into a thriving entrepreneurial venture? Look no further than the PhD DRIVE program at BITS, Pilani – Hyderabad Campus! This innovative initiative not only offers a stimulating academic environment but also provides a unique opportunity to transform your groundbreaking research into real-world solutions.
Title of the Research Problem : AI/ML integrated personalized treatment approaches for psoriasis, ageing, wrinkle and other skin ailments.
Abstract of the Research problem : Problem requires implementation of AI/ML to design a mobile application trained on pre-existing repositories of psoriatic, eczematous, aged, wrinkled, pigmented skin/biomarkers etc, for diagnosing the skin ailment of a prospective end-user. Based on the severity of condition, the app will recommend personalized therapies from a catalogue of cosmeceutical product portfolio developed in-house. The therapies could be topical/systemic and will amalgamate less explored Ayurvedic actives with novel drug delivery approach like ‘ionic liquids.’ Resultant product will be developed as per regulatory standards and will undergo preclinical safety and efficacy validation, thus providing complete skin-care solution for select conditions.
Target TRL to be achieved : TRL-5 or above
Previous work done by the faculty : We have founded a start-up ‘Tangerne Esperer’ whose objective is development of cosmeceutical and healthcare products. We have identified four active combinations from Ayurvedic literature which have application in psoriasis, and have developed a topical formulation comprising of plant derived ingredients like Capryl glucoside, phenoxoxyethanol, sodium cocoyl apple amino acids, saccharide isomerate, sorbitan oleate decyl glucoside cross polymersodium carrageenan etc. Dr. Prajna has also been simultaneously working on an app to carry out image-based detection of psoriatic skin conditions. This app will first guide users to capture images of affected areas from different parts of the body and recommend its severity level using AI based image processing techniques.
Related Research Equipment / Lab Space / Facilities Available for solving this problem : Cumulative Facilities at BITS Pilani (HyderabadCampus) to PI/Co-PI: HPLC system, Flow Cytometer, Microplate reader, DLS analyser, Inverted Fluorescence Microscope, Rotary Evaporator, Cryotome, Freeze drier, Hybrid vacuum pump, Organ bath system, Powder XRD, LSCM, UV-VIS-NIR Spectrophotometer, FTIR Spectrometer, Fluorimeter, CD Spectrophotometer, Digital Polarimeter, DSC, TGA, GC, LC-MS, NMR 400 MHz, FE-SEM, Water bath, Platform shaker, Vortex mixer, Horizontal gel electrophoresis, Refrigerator(-20C, -80C), Biosafety cabinet, CO2 incubator, Shaking and still incubator (variable temp), Ultrasonicator, Magnetic stirrer, mechanical stirrer. Other resources such as, experimental garden, machine room etc. CCSEA approved state of the art animal facility with 3700 sq. ft. is also available in the host institute for conduction of preclinical studies. Research Equipments in the Computer Science department: Smart Racks for Network Servers (HPC) with Accessories and PDU Computer Workstation (Server), Model:Tyrone Camarero DS 400TN-48 R (WITH MONITOR 27) HP Work Station hpZ4 (Xeon W-2123/2*8GB DDR4/2TB with 1TB SSD/GFX Nve Qdr 4GB/Win 10/DVD-RW/3YW/HP V270(27 Monitor)/HP W/L KB+Mouse Combo/Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 - 01 Each HP Omen x 15 -DG0018TX-New Intel Core i7-9750H/16GB DDR4/512GB+512GB SSD/Win 10 Home/15.6 FHD/8GB RTX 2080 Nvidia Graphics/IPS 144Mhz Antglare/Bag/1Yr WTY & HP Color LJ Pro Printer - 01 Each
UN SDG Impacted : UN-SDG-3 (Good Health and Well Being)
Ideal Applicant Background : The candidate should ideally possess a master’s degree in pharmaceutical or biomedical sciences, and an ability to conceptualize and execute multidisciplinary experiments with the flexibility to coordinate with cross functional stake holders involved in pharmaceutical development. The candidate will have to produce robust formulations inspired from Ayurvedic actives, and test them in preclinical disease models. Additionally, the candidate will spend significant time developing AI/ML tools for detection of skin problems and honing the software to make recommendations from the formulations he/she generates. The applicant will get to work with image, free text, and molecular data and have the opportunity to be co-supervised by a computer science faculty. Thus, an ability to grasp concepts from pharmaceutical science and computer science will be vital.
Preferred Discipline of the Applicant : Pharmaceutical Sciences/ Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Name : Yuvraj Singh
For Ph.D project under Yuvraj Singh : Apply Now
Title of the Research Problem : Preservative free topical products to treat various ocular diseases.
Abstract of the Research problem : Preservatives are part of topical ophthalmic medications to maintain the products sterility during its shelf life. However, many clinical studies report ocular surface toxicity as a prime concern for patients who chronically use eye drops containing preservatives. Additionally, regulatory bodies like the European Medicines Agency have raised several concerns about the use of preservatives and promote the development of alternate safe products. Recently, Food and Drug Administration approved preservative-free Alaway and IYUZEH eye drops indicate the regulators interest and business potential of the preservative-free formulation. We propose to develop and evaluate preservative-free topical ophthalmic products to treat various ocular diseases thereby improving patient compliance among the Indian population.
Target TRL to be achieved : TRL-4
Previous work done by the faculty : Dr. Nirmal has been working in the field of ocular drug delivery for treating various ocular diseases. To date, he has been involved in several projects that aim to achieve optimum therapeutics (right concentration of drug at the right target site at the right time). His team has expertise in designing and developing topical ocular formulations and conducting preclinical safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy studies. Dr. Prashant is a pioneer in treating ocular surface diseases. His lab works in ocular infectious diseases. Mr. Kapil Shah, CEO at Suyaash Pharmaceuticals is involved in the manufacturing of a wide range of topical formulations.
Related Research Equipment / Lab Space / Facilities Available for solving this problem : Dr. Nirmal lab at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad campus, is a research lab (Translational Pharmaceutics Research laboratory) involved in developing ocular drug delivery systems. Also, the common Department and Central Analytical Laboratory facilities are available.
LVPEI, Hyderabad has the facilities to evaluate the sterility of the developed formulations.
Suyaash Pharmaceuticals have the facility to produce pilot and large-scale batches for wide range of ophthalmic formulations.
UN SDG Impacted : UN-SDG-3 (Good Health and Well Being)
Ideal Applicant Background : The applicant must hold a Masters degree in any field of Pharmaceutical sciences. Previous experience in formulation design and development would be an added advantage. The applicant must be interested in learning new concepts, tools, and techniques throughout the PhD program. The candidate must demonstrate good written and communication skills.
Preferred Discipline of the Applicant : Pharmaceutical Science
Faculty Name : Nirmal J
For Ph.D project under Nirmal J : Apply Now
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