PGI organizes 7th Professor R.N. Chakravarti Memorial Oration Lecture

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Chandigarh 18^th February:- The Department of Experimental Medicine & Biotechnology, PGI, organized the prestigious 7^thProfessor R.N. Chakravarti Memorial Oration Lecture. The oration lecture was delivered by Professor AnandSwaroop, Program Director, Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. He also occupies the prestigious Dr. P. N. Chhutani Chair at PGIMER. Prof. Y. K. Chawla, Director PGI, Chandigarh, introduced the oration award while the speaker was introduced by Prof. D. Kaul, Head, Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology.

Prof. Anand Swaroop gave a talk entitled "Genetic and Epigenetic Control of Retinal Development: Implications for designing therapies of retinal disease." Retinal and macular diseases are a major cause of visual impairment and affect the quality of life for millions worldwide. In his lecture, Prof. Swaroop covered the basic concepts of the cause and repair mechanisms involved in the retinal degeneration using modern technologies. He demonstrated how genetic research can contribute in identifying the various molecular features of retinal degeneration, during its course of development, and how this knowledge can complement the development of therapeutic modalities for these complex diseases. The lecture was attended by faculty members and students of different departments of the institute.