Shridhar Narayanan ’96 receives Ohio State Alumni Medalist Award
Originally published by The Ohio State University Alumni Association
As one of India’s leading pharmaceutical scientists, Shridhar Narayanan ’96 PhD, has devoted his life to developing drugs to treat some of the world’s most deadly diseases, earning international recognition for his commitment to serving humanity by tackling global health challenges.
Shridhar is Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Neglected Disease Research, an organization focused on the discovery and development of drugs to treat tuberculosis, malaria and other neglected tropical diseases.
He also is a co-founder of Peptris Technologies, a company powered by artificial intelligence that aims to develop drugs that treat rare diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal muscle disease that strikes boys throughout the world. Peptris has identified a drug for DMD that could not only improve the quality of life but also prolong lives. This drug will start clinical trials within a year.
Shridhar says he was inspired to take up his life’s work by his Ohio State mentor, the late Norman Uretsky, a pharmacology professor.
“Shridhar Narayanan’s commitment to research, mentorship and collaboration in the pharmaceutical field has led to groundbreaking innovations addressing global health challenges and has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of diseases, especially in developing countries.”
“I have a passion and intent to make a difference in society through the knowledge I have gained in India and the United States,” Shridhar says. “As my mentor, Dr. Uretsky, always told me, if one can make a positive difference in the life of a single person, it is a life well lived. The goal is to make that difference.”
Of his many accomplishments, Shridhar says he is proudest of creating the Foundation for Neglected Disease Research. He saw the need for the organization after visiting a hospital in India where patients were being treated for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
“After talking with doctors and patients, I realized that there were several drugs to treat the disease, but they had severe side effects and could cause lifelong complications,” he says. “There was minimal effort in India to find new medicines for this horrific disease, which contributes to 25 percent of the global tuberculosis burden.”
Shridhar took up the challenge, starting the foundation in 2014 with a donation from AstraZeneca and raising $5 million in donations and grants for its work. Ten years later, his team has greatly increased the drug pipeline for neglected diseases and helped advance treatments, that could save many lives. The Foundation won the Longitude Prize Discovery Award for innovations in global health.
Colleagues and students describe Shridhar as a trusted mentor to students and entrepreneurs in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. He is also an active Buckeye who participates in events hosted by, OSU Global One Health Initiative and Ohio State’s India Gateway Office, including a medical conference in Mumbai where he generously shared his knowledge and encouraged others to do good wherever they can.
What is the Alumni Medalist Award?
This is the single highest honor bestowed by The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc. It is presented to alumni who have gained national or international distinction as outstanding representatives of their chosen fields or professions, bringing extraordinary credit to the university and significant benefit to humankind.