Ivory Tower: GNDU prof designs hybrid molecules for Alzheimer’s treatment

Dr Preet Mohinder Singh Bedi, Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of the Global Ranking and International Collaboration Cell, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), has developed a national project on development of potent healing agent for skin diseases and disorders, along with establishment of biochemical as well as bio-analytical aspects.

Currently, he is working on developing Tacrine inspired multi-targeting hybrid molecules for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: with focus on design, synthesis, docking and biological investigations.

He has been named in the 2025 Stanford-Elsevier list of the world's top 2 per cent scientists. This prestigious list recognises researchers based on the impact of their work across their entire

academic career.

With over 150 scientific publications in reputed international journals, Prof Bedi’s research contributions have led to several innovations and earned him global recognition.

“My research in medicinal chemistry focuses on designing and synthesizing chemical compounds for therapeutic use. It’s a highly interdisciplinary field that integrates chemistry, biology and pharmacology to understand drug action, metabolism and side effects. My key research areas include identifying new drug targets, optimising drug properties, developing drug screening technologies and applying artificial intelligence (AI) in molecular design. Besides, exploring open-science models to accelerate drug discovery,” he said.

When asked about his vision for GNDU as a senior professor, Prof Bedi emphasised the importance of strengthening industry-academia collaborations at both national and international levels.

“Research must be translated into tangible products, resulting in more patents and innovations. Establishing and promoting additional incubation centres will foster entrepreneurship and drive technological advancements in education. With a population of 150 crore, India needs to progress both scientifically and economically. Reducing poverty is a national priority and higher education plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal,” he said.

Prof Bedi began his career as a lecturer at GNDU and went on to become the Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Under his mentorship, 12 PhD scholars and over 40 MPharmacy students have successfully completed their research.