Prabal Sengupta

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemistry

Institution: Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
Research Institute: Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata
Duration: 1993 – 1999
Thesis Title: *Chemical and Immunochemical Studies on O-Antigens from Enteropathogenic E. coli
Research Focus: Structural elucidation and immunological studies of bacterial lipopolysaccharides, especially O-antigens, contributing to vaccine and diagnostic development.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Organic Chemistry

University: University of Kolkata, India
College: Science College, Kolkata
Year of Completion: 1992
Core Subjects: Organic reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, natural products, spectroscopy, and synthesis strategies.

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Chemistry (Honours)

University: University of Kolkata, India
College: Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College
Year of Completion: 1989
Major: Chemistry
Minor Subjects: Physics, Mathematics

• Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Discovery
  Design and synthesis of novel chemical entities (NCEs) for therapeutic applications in oncology, neurodegenerative disorders and inflammatory diseases.

• Structure-Based Drug Design (SBDD)
  Rational design of drug candidates using molecular modeling, SAR (Structure-Activity Relationship) and lead optimization approaches.

• Tyrosine Kinase and Enzyme Inhibition
  Discovery and development of selective inhibitors targeting kinases and other key enzymes implicated in cancer and metabolic disorders.

• Synthetic Organic Chemistry
  Development of complex multi-step synthesis routes, including heterocyclic and hydrazide-based scaffolds for preclinical and clinical drug candidates.

• Carbohydrate Chemistry & Glycobiology
  Synthesis and structural characterization of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates, including O-antigen polysaccharides for immunochemical applications.

• Chemoenzymatic Synthesis
  Integration of chemical and enzymatic methods for the synthesis of biologically relevant glycomolecules with applications in diagnostics and therapeutics.

• Clinical Candidate Development
  Advancement of drug molecules from discovery to IND-enabling studies and early-phase clinical trials, with a focus on translational research.

• Drug Repurposing & Polypharmacology
  Exploring new therapeutic uses for existing drug candidates, such as the repurposing of Vodobatinib from oncology to neurodegenerative indications.

• Integrated Drug Discovery Programs
  Managing interdisciplinary programs encompassing medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK, and toxicology for comprehensive drug development.

Carbohydrate Chemistry & Glycobiology

1. Sengupta P, Bhattacharyya T, Shashkov AS, Kochanowski H, Basu S. Structure of the O‑specific side chain of the Escherichia coli O128 lipopolysaccharide. Carbohydr. Res. 1995; 277: 283–290. doi:10.1016/0008‑6215(95)00201‑3 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+2pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+2pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+2

2. Sengupta P, Bhattacharyya T, Basu S. Isolation, purification and chemical studies on outer membrane lipopolysaccharide from enteropathogenic E. coli O128. Trends Carbohydr. Chem. 1996; 2: 83–92. (no DOI)

3. Sengupta P, Basu S. Chemical studies on the lipopolysaccharides from enteropathogenic E. coli O128 and enterohemorrhagic E. coli O26. Biochem. Arch. 1997; 13: 61–67. (no DOI)

4. Sengupta P, Sarbajna S, Basu S. Synthesis of disaccharides related to the O‑specific side chains from E. coli O126 and O128 lipopolysaccharides. J. Carbohydr. Chem. 1999; 18: 87–97. doi:10.1080/07328319908051110

5. Sengupta P, Basu S, Chatterjee BP. Structure of the core oligosaccharide isolated from E. coli O128 lipopolysaccharide. Biochem. Arch. 1999; 15: 261–265. (no DOI)

6. Sengupta P, Basu S, Chatterjee BP. Synthesis of a di‑ and a trisaccharide related to the repeating unit of E. coli O128 lipopolysaccharide. J. Carbohydr. Chem. 2000; 19: 243–251. (no DOI)

7. Sengupta P, Bhattacharyya T, Majumder M, Chatterjee BP. Determination of the immunodominant part in the O‑antigenic polysaccharide from E. coli O128 by ELISA‑inhibition assay. FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol. 2000; 28: 133–137. doi:10.1111/j.1574‑695X.2000.tb01454.x

8. Sengupta P, Misra AK, Suzuki M, Fukuda M, Hindsgaul O. Chemoenzymatic synthesis of sialylated oligosaccharides for their evaluation in the polysialyltransferase assay. Tetrahedron Lett. 2003; 44: 6037–6042. doi:10.1016/S0040‑4039(03)01565‑4 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Development

1. Sengupta P, Puri C, Chokshi H, Sheth C, Midha A, Rao CT, Rajamannar T, Murumkar P, Yadav MR. Synthesis, preliminary biological evaluation and molecular modeling of some new heterocyclic inhibitors of TACE. Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2011; 46: 5549–5555. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2011.07.042

2. Sheth G, Shah SR, Sengupta P, Jarag T, Chimanwala S, Kalapatapu S, Jain V, Talwar R, Dhanave A, Raviya M, Menon S, Trivedi S, Rao CT. In the quest for potent and selective malic enzyme 3 inhibitors for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2023; 14(1): 41–50. doi:10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00369 pubs.acs.org+4pubs.acs.org+4pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+4

3. Sengupta P, Puri C, Chokshi H, Kalapatapu S, Desai DM, Mandhane SN, Rao CT. Synthesis and biological evaluation of some novel diacylhydrazines as Bcr‑Abl kinase inhibitors. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. communicated 2025. (DOI pending)

4. Sheth G, Shah SR, Sengupta P, Jarag T, Chimanwala S, Kalapatapu S, Jain V, Talwar R, Dhanave A, Raviya M, Jha H, Chilakala RR, Rao CT. Strategic design and development of indole‑based compounds as potent malic enzyme 3 inhibitors for pancreatic tumour therapy. ChemMedChem communicated 2025. (DOI pending)

Head of the Department – Life Sciences

GSFC University, Vadodara, India
2025 – Present

• Leading the academic, research and administrative functions of the Life Sciences department.

• Designing and updating undergraduate and postgraduate curricula to align with industry and academic standards.

• Mentoring faculty and students on research methodology, project execution and higher education opportunities.

• Supporting interdepartmental collaborations and partnerships with research institutions and industry.

Professor of Practice – School of Science

GSFC University, Vadodara, India
2024 – 2025

• Designed and introduced new courses in medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis and drug discovery.

• Delivered lectures integrating industrial insights and case studies from pharma R&D.

• Mentored students on research projects and startup concepts in applied chemical sciences.

• Conducted workshops, special lectures, and joint academic–industry sessions to build innovation capacity.

Areas Taught

• Medicinal Chemistry

• Drug Discovery and Development

• Organic Chemistry

• Structure-Based Drug Design

• Industrial Applications of Synthetic Chemistry

• Intellectual Property and Patenting in Pharma

Research Contributions

• Over 25 years of research experience in medicinal chemistry, with a focus on novel drug discovery targeting cancer, neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases.

• Played a central role in the development of clinical candidates, most notably Vodobatinib, which advanced to Phase I/II trials for oncology and neurodegenerative indications.

• Contributed extensively to structure-based drug design (SBDD) and SAR optimization of lead molecules across multiple therapeutic programs.

• Expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, including multi-step synthesis and scale-up for preclinical and clinical studies.

• Published over 10 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is a co-inventor on 10 international patents.

• Research interests also include glycobiology, enzyme inhibition, BTK and ABL kinase inhibitors and chemoenzymatic synthesis.

🤝 Consultancy and Industry Collaboration

• Consulted for pharma and biotech companies in the areas of hit-to-lead optimization, ADME/Toxicity profiling and intellectual property strategy.

• At GSFC University, involved in initiating academia-industry partnerships, supporting joint research proposals, student internships and live problem-solving projects.

• Delivered expert lectures and workshops on drug development, translational research and AI in pharma R&D at reputed academic and industry forums.

• Actively mentors start-up initiatives and innovation cells in university settings, guiding early-stage drug development ideas and prototype design.

🔗 Research Management & Leadership

• Directed multidisciplinary teams at Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company, integrating medicinal chemistry, DMPK, biology and toxicology to drive drug discovery pipelines.

• Oversaw multiple IND-enabling studies, leading to successful regulatory submissions in the US, EU, Korea, and India.

• Built internal capabilities in GLP, safety compliance, and analytical validation, supporting robust R&D governance.

Professional Memberships

• Life Member, Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)

• Life Member, Indian Chemical Society (ICS)

Presentations & Invited Talks

• Delivered expert lectures at national forums including:

  • Indian Science Congress

  • Parul University, Vadodara – Industry-Academia Meet (2021)

  • MS University of Baroda – Advances in AI Tools for Drug Discovery (2023)

• Presented scientific research at multiple national carbohydrate conferences.

Workshops, Seminars & Conferences Attended

• International Conference on Drug Discovery – BITS-Pilani (2020, 2022)

• OECD GLP Principles Training – Sun Pharma (2018)

• Seminar on CNS & Oncology Medicinal Chemistry – University of Siena, Italy (2007)

• Workshops on process chemistry, elemental/genotoxic impurities, and antibody-drug conjugates across major pharma events.

Languages

• Fluent in English, Hindi, and Bengali

Personal Interests

• Passionate about photography, travelling, reading, and watching sports

Awards and Fellowships

• National Research Fellowship (GATE) – Awarded by IITs for excellence in chemical sciences.

• Junior and Senior Research Fellowships – Department of Science and Technology (DST), India.

• Young Scientist Award – Conferred by the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).

• Postdoctoral Fellowships –

  • The Burnham Institute, San Diego, USA (Glycobiology Division)

  • National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (Department of Chemistry)