Ms Srimadhavi Ravi and Mr Dependu Dolui, both from the discipline of Chemistry at IITGN, are among the 660 young scientists from 101 countries, who will get an opportunity to meet the Nobel laureates.

Two PhD students of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) have been selected this year to attend the prestigious 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting to be held from June 28 to July 03, 2020, in Lindau, Germany. Ms Srimadhavi Ravi and Mr Dependu Dolui, both from the discipline of Chemistry at IITGN, are among the 660 young scientists/ researchers from 101 countries from all over the world, who will get an opportunity to represent their work at the symposium in front of around 70 Nobel laureates from different disciplines and interact with them in an informal setup. The student selection process is very rigorous and competitive based on a number of important criteria like research work, achievements, experience, among a few others.

Srimadhavi is working in the area of ‘drug discovery and medicinal chemistry towards making new age cancer therapeutics’ under the guidance of Prof Sivapriya Kirubakaran, Associate Professor, Chemistry, IITGN. While Dependu is doing his PhD research on ‘designing bio-inspired molecular catalysts for energy-relevant small molecule activations’ under the supervision of Dr Arnab Dutta, Assistant Professor, Chemistry, IITGN.

I feel honoured and humbled to be one of the 660 students attending this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. It is a lifetime opportunity to meet and discuss my research with the stalwarts in their respective fields. I would like to thank my guide, Dr Sivapriya Kirubakaran, for her constant support and encouragement. I will get an opportunity to meet and interact with not only like-minded professionals but also experts belonging to different fields like physics and medicine which will be very useful for me to further develop my understanding and knowledge about the significance of interdisciplinary research. I will also use this opportunity to identify the nuances of pursuing research as a career.

Srimadhavi Ravi

PhD Scholar, Chemistry, IIT Gandhinagar

From the day I gained my scientific conscience, I have realised that the Nobel Prize is the ultimate recognition of a researcher. Thus, all the Nobel laureates have been a role model for all the upcoming young researchers like me. We have grown by studying their innovative research that has not only changed the direction of science but also brought a new dawn to the human society. It is a ‘dream come true’ situation for me as I will have the opportunity to directly interact with my heroes who have inspired me to embark on my journey in the path of curiosity-driven research. Additionally, I would also get to meet the best researchers of my generation from all around the globe and I am positive that it will aid my science to gradually gain the cutting-edge.

Dependu Dolui

PhD Scholar, Chemistry, IIT Gandhinagar

The visit will be fully supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. The Lindau Nobel Laureate meetings include various sessions like lectures by the Nobel Laureates, panel/ round-table discussions on interdisciplinary topics and informal small-group meetings with the Nobel Prize winners. The meeting is dedicated to multi- disciplinary subjects viz., Physics, Chemistry and Medicine/Physiology. It brings a unique opportunity to the budding researchers to directly interact with the current Nobel Laureates for half a week in an informal setup, not only to discuss science but also to learn from their life experiences. This provides young scientists a new perspective on their own research.

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