Indian scientist in cutting edge research team which gets Bill Gates Award

Ludhiana, June 23, 2014: A scientist from India has the proud distinction of being a key member of the research team which has got the coveted Bill Gates grant to develop a HIV-protective contraceptive.
Yudhishtar Singh Bedi is the son of renowned Indian Cardiac surgeon DrHarinder Singh Bedi and Paediatric surgeon DrNandiniBedi – both of whom are on the Faculty of Christian Medical College & Hospital , Ludhiana , Punjab . Yudhishtar has earlier done his BSC in Bio Technology from the Manipal Institute of Technology and his Masters in the Univ of South California USA. He was selected to the prestigious Texas A& M University in Texas USA after his Masters.
The Grand Challenge in Global Health award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aims to create a contraceptive that will protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The Texas team was  one of 54 applicants selected among 1,700 total applications from across the globe.“This is a tremendous accomplishment for my Chief - Dr. MahuaChoudhury-  andwill help us develop a product that will have an impact on the health of populations around the world,”  said Yudhishtar.
The Texas A&M University Chairman said that  “We encourage young talented scientists  to turn basic scientific discoveries into life-saving therapies, further propelling Texas A&M as a national leader in translational research.”
Over the next several years, Dr Choudhury and Yudhishtar Singh  Bedi will work toward creating a contraceptive that could protect against HIV, a disease that, according to the World Health Organisation, affects more than 35 million people – a large  percentage of whom are  in India . If successful, the contraceptive could be produced large-scale and offer protection and prevention against a number of sexually transmitted diseases, while still guarding against pregnancy.
“It’s an honor to receive the award and also to work for the foundation’s humanitarian mission. HIV is an overwhelming global health challenge and prevention is the best cure. Our project could ultimately save lives across the globe.”
Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) funds individuals worldwide to explore ideas that can break the mold in how we solve persistent global health and development challenges.  Choudhury’s project is one of more than 50 Grand Challenges Explorations Round 12 grants announced this month by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Choudhury received an award from the Gates Foundation in 2011 to explore early epigenetic biomarkers in preeclampsia. The latest research is an extension of this work.
“Our first award focused on finding early epigenetic biomarkers for the prediction of preeclampsia,” Choudhury said. “We are currently investigating the reversal of those epigenetics biomarkers with several antioxidants. This latest project uses antioxidants in a novel polymer to safeguard against numerous sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.”