MD (Medicine), PhD (Pharmacology)
Title: Research Director, Medical Research Centre, Kasturba Health Society
Other Affiliations:
Director, Clinical Pharmacology, BSES-BK GLobal Hospital & Research Centre
Adjunct Professor, Saurashtra University, Gujarat Vidyapith,
Trans- Disciplinary University, Gujarat Cancer Research Society,
Drexel University, USA
Dr. Ashok Vaidya is an internist MD (Medicine) and PhD (Pharmacology), from Seth GS
Medical College, University of Mumbai. Currently, he heads MRC-KHS as Research
Director. Earlier, Dr. Vaidya was Medical and Research Director at Bhavan’s SPARC
and prior to that was Regional Medical Director (South Asia) at Ciba-Geigy. He also was
a Visiting Asst. Professor/ Merck Fellow, Yale University School of Medicine; he
worked on hypertension and amine-secretory disorders. At Yale, he had advanced
research training in biochemical pharmacology nuclear medicine, biomedical electronics
and new drug discovery. Along with Prof UK Sheth, he started the first Clinical
Pharmacology Unit in India. He conducted the phase 1,2,3 and 4 trials with new drugs,
discovered in India and abroad. His experience at CIBA Research was invaluable for drug discovery.
Discovery/development of new drugs is a challenging; it is expensive, uncertain and
often inefficient. A paradigm shift was badly needed. Dr. Ashok Vaidya, a pioneer
clinical pharmacologist, and his team took up the challenge Reverse Pharmacology (RP),
a trans-discipline for discovery novel drugs inspired by experienced remedies of
traditional medicine. It is a cost-effective, rapid and safe approach. Dr Vaidya’s
knowledge and a long experience in clinical pharmacology, Ayurveda and new drug
development have been seminal in inspiring, through RP, new hits, leads and drug
candidates for hepatitis, arthritis, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, menopausal
health issues and cancer.
Dr Vaidya has held prestigious positions in professional societies, editorial boards, and
research advisory councils. He has been honored with lifetime achievement awards,
orations and prizes. Dr. Vaidya has many research publications, reviews, chapters and
books to his credit. He has guided students for their Master’s and Doctoral research. Dr
Vaidya has a deep interest in psychology, philosophy and Gandhian thought.