KIIT-DU hosted the prestigious 46th National Symposium on Autoimmunity and Autoimmune Diseases, organized by the Sun Pharma Science Foundation (SPSF), on November 15, 2025. The one-day event brought together over 250 eminent scientists, clinicians, researchers, and students to explore the advancements in immunology, autoimmune disorders, and therapeutic innovations.
The day commenced with a grand inaugural session where Prof. Gopal C. Kundu, Director R&D at KIIT-DU, extended a heartfelt welcome address. Dignitaries including Prof. B. Ravindran, CEO of IMGENEX; Prof. Raju KD, Pro-Vice Chancellor of KIIT-DU; Mr. Satyananda Misra, Member Secretary of SPSF and Dr. Debasis Dash, Director of BRIC–ILS, Bhubaneswar. A word of thanks was proposed by Prof. J. R. Mohanty, Registrar, KIIT-DU. The session highlighted SPSF’s enduring legacy in advancing medical research, with Mr. Misra sharing glimpses of its transformative contributions over the decades.
The first technical session was chaired by Dr. Debasis Dash, Director of BRIC–ILS. The session started with Dr. Amit Awasthi’s captivating lecture on “Fueling the Flame in Colitis – Succinate–SUCNR1 Axis” from THSTI, Faridabad. Dr. Liza Rajasekar from NIMS Hyderabad unraveled “Immune Dysregulation and Challenges in Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” (SLE). Dr. DipyamanGanguly from Ashoka University, whose talk on “Understanding Endophenotypes of Systemic Lupus: Pathways, Natural Histories, and Therapeutic Response Heterogeneities” redefined lupus subtypes through a lens of immune heterogeneity. Highlighting genetic and environmental factors, The session culminated with Dr. RuchikaGoel’s enlightening presentation from CMC Vellore on “Biological Basis of Targeted Therapy for Small Vessel Vasculitis.” Delving into molecular drivers of vascular inflammation, she showcased precision therapies like biologics, inspiring optimism for better outcomes in rheumatology.
The second session, chaired by Prof. Suresh C. Satapathy, Director of Doctoral Research and Publications at KIIT DU; and Prof. Srinivas Patnaik, Dean of the School of Biotechnology, unfolded with groundbreaking talks by Dr. Soumen Basak from the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, titled, “Gut-Wrenching Conversation Between Cellular Pathways: A Tale of the NF-κB System.” The session continued with Dr. Ramnath Misra from KIMS Bhubaneswar on “CAR T Cell Therapy and Beyond for Treatment of Autoimmune Disease,”
Prof. Saranjit Singh, Vice Chancellor of KIIT-DU also joined for a special session where he addressed the audience with his inspiring talk. The third session under Prof. A.K. Kar, Principal of KIDS, featured Dr. Sakir Ahmed from KIMS Bhubaneswar on “Fevers to Infarction: How Auto-inflammation Sets Immunology Ablaze.” Dr. Girdhari Lal from NCCS Pune closed the lectures with “Neuroimmune Communication in Gut Inflammation and Autoimmunity,” unveiling gut-brain axis dynamics in disorders like IBD and MS.
Concluding remarks were delivered by Prof. B. Ravindran, Mr. Satyananda Misra, and Prof. Gopal C. Kundu, reflected on the symposium’s rich dialogues and KIIT-DU’s pivotal role. Prof. Kundu lauded the event’s fusion of academia and industry, urging sustained partnerships for autoimmune breakthroughs.
Prof. Gopal C. Kundu, Director R&D, KIIT-DU, as the organizer of the event, thanked Prof. (Dr.) Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT, KISS & KIMS; and Prof. (Dr.) Saranjit Singh, Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU for their continuous support and encouragement towards Research and Innovation at KIIT University.