JAMMU: The CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, on Thursday hosted the prestigious NASI Dr. Mridula Kamboj Memorial Lecture 2025 at the C.K. Atal Auditorium.
The memorial oration was delivered by eminent scientist Dr. Madhu Dikshit, JC Bose National Fellow, Distinguished Scientist Chair (Ministry of AYUSH), National Science Chair of ANRF, and former Director of CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow.
The lecture, titled “Journeys in Immunology: Tracing the Role of Nitric Oxide in Neutrophil Modulation,” drew scientists, researchers, scholars and students from the institute.
Instituted in memory of Dr. Mridula Kamboj, a renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist known for her dedicated service to the underprivileged, the memorial oration honours eminent women scientists of Indian origin who have made outstanding contributions to basic and applied medical sciences, particularly in reproductive biology.
Delivering the memorial lecture, Dr. Dikshit reflected on her scientific journey that began as a PhD scholar at CDRI and evolved into decades of pioneering work in immunology and pharmacology.
She spoke about the historical evolution of immunology, tracing early discoveries that identified soluble protective factors in blood and the subsequent identification of immune cells such as macrophages and neutrophils.
Explaining her research focus, Dr. Dikshit elaborated on the role of nitric oxide in regulating neutrophil function and inflammatory responses.
She shared insights from her work on drug discovery, traditional medicine validation and immune modulation, including studies undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate natural products in preclinical models.
Her presentation underscored how immune modulation, rather than direct antiviral activity alone, can play a crucial role in disease management.
She paid tributes to Dr. Mridula Kamboj, recalling her gentle demeanour and immense contribution to healthcare, and emphasised the importance of nurturing young scientists despite resource constraints.
She observed that scientific growth depends not only on infrastructure but also on clarity of purpose, mentorship and institutional legacy.
Earlier, welcoming the distinguished speaker, Director CSIR-IIIM Dr. Zabeer Ahmed described Dr. Dikshit as one of the country’s most decorated scientists.
He noted that it was a matter of pride for the institute to host her for the memorial lecture and highlighted her leadership roles in national science policy and healthcare missions.
The Director also outlined the institute’s achievements in drug discovery and societal mission programmes.
He informed that several phytopharmaceutical leads are in advanced stages of preclinical development, with select candidates progressing towards clinical trials in areas including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
He also highlighted the institute’s contributions to national aroma and rural livelihood missions, particularly lavender cultivation, which has received national recognition.
A formal citation was presented to Dr. Dikshit during the programme.
Among those present on the occasion were Chief Scientists of the institute including Er. Abdul Rahim, Dr. Asha Chaubey, Dr. Sumit G. Gandhi, Dr. Shashank Kumar Singh and officials from the institute. The proceedings of the event were conducted by Dr. Gurleen Kour.
