Professor Georg Weber from University of Cincinnati, USA visited various Schools of KIIT Deemed to be University (KIIT-DU) from 6th July to 3rdAugust, 2023 as an International Visiting Professor. He was welcomed to the campus by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS. During his visit, Prof. Weber and Prof. Samita Samanta, Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU discussed the prospect of initiating joint programs on Strategic Partnership between the two universities. The visit was coordinated by Prof. G. C. Kundu, Director-R&D, KIIT-DU.
Prof. Weber delivered about 12 talks during his visit and interacted with the Director-General, Directors, Deans, Principals, Faculty Members, Ph.D. and UG-PG students of KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT-TBI, KIMS, KIMS Tumor Board, KIDS, KIIT School of Public Health, and KIIT School of Nursing. He also delivered lectures at the orientation and induction programs of B.Tech first year students of KIIT-DU. Further, Prof. Weber took about 11 classes of different semesters of the Integrated B.Tech-M.Tech students of KIIT School of Biotechnology.
He also presented several talks, including “Molecular mechanisms of metastasis” at KSBT, in which he laid out the elucidation of molecular functions that cause the spread of cancer, based on more than two decades of research in his laboratory.
At KIMS, he talked about his work on biomarker development and translational therapeutics to clinicians at the Tumor Board meeting and made presentations on “The long journey of biomarker development: A personal account” and “Theranostics: The need for molecular medicine” at the Interdepartmental Academic Seminar. These presentations elaborated on Prof. Weber’s efforts to bring a diagnostic test for cancer progression and a therapeutic for cancer metastases to the clinic.
Prof. Weber had substantive interactions with students at the KIIT School of Biotechnology. These included a recent double lecture in the biotechnology program (Molecular mechanisms and the immunology of cancer), and several lectures in the classes on Molecular Basis of Disease/Cancer and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology/Pharmacogenomics.