Dr. NC Desai

Prof. (Dr.) Nisheethkumar Chhotalal Desai is a highly accomplished academic, currently serving as a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Applied and Basic Science. He earned his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar. In 1998, he visited the USA and collaborated with Prof. Govind Kapadia at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA. Prof. Desai has held positions as Associate Professor and Professor at Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar. He has successfully completed five research projects and supervised 49 Ph.D. students. He has published more than 170 research articles in national and international journals and authored/co- authored seven national/international books. His extensive contributions to the field of chemistry, along with his dedication to teaching and research, have made him a respected figure in both national and international academic circles.

His notable achievements over an extensive career of 43+ years in the field of Chemistry are:

• Being recognized among the top 2% of scientists/researchers globally from Stanford University, USA. PLoS Biol 18(10): e3000918. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pbio since 2021
• He is the only Indian who is the Editor-in-Chief of two Journals of Taylor & Francis, i.e. Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, (IF=2.4), www.tandfonline.com/toc/gpol, ISSN 1563-5333 (Online), Atalytic Chemistry Letters, (TACL), (IF=2.4), www.tandfonline.com/loi/tacl
• His research group has four Indian granted patents.
• Received a prestigious BSR Faculty fellowship from 1st November, 20190 to 31st October 2022
• Guided 49 Ph.D students and published more than 170 research papers in national and international Journals, and cumulative impact factor is over 300 and the h and i10 index are 37 and 112. The total number of citations is 4421. Received funding worth INR 1.75 crore from government agencies like UGC, CSIR, MoES, and BRNS
• With expertise in organic chemistry, his research group has developed 5,600 different heterocyclic bioactive compounds that were screened for cancer, HIV, antimicrobial, and antitubercular activity.
• Recipient of the Career Award for Young Scientists, UGC, and New Delhi from 1995 to 1998.
• He is actively engaged in creating IP awareness programs for academic institutions.
• He is also an expert in Brown and Greenfield projects for the development of world-class infrastructure in academic institutions.