Dr Pradip Sen, a senior scientist at the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, has been conferred the prestigious Horizon Prize 2026 by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The award recognises the collaborative efforts of an international team of scientists, of which he is a member, to combat two major neglected tropical diseases — leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
Together, these diseases affect more than 20 million people worldwide, mainly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and there are currently no effective vaccines to prevent them, experts at IMTECH said.
Also known as kala-azar in India, leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread through the bite of infected female sandflies. It can result in skin ulcers, destruction of the membranes of the nose and mouth, and life-threatening infections of internal organs. Chagas disease is a tropical parasitic illness primarily spread through the faeces of infected bugs, although it can also be transmitted through contaminated food or blood transfusions.
The Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society and professional association in the United Kingdom dedicated to advancing the chemical sciences. With around 49,000 members worldwide, the society counts the reigning British monarch, King Charles III, as its patron.
Dr Sen was part of a global consortium of 51 scientists, led by Durham University in the United Kingdom, that worked together to identify and validate new drug targets that could pave the way for improved treatments for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
The team’s efforts have generated valuable tools and knowledge that are accelerating the search for new therapies for these devastating illnesses. Dr Sen and his team made significant contributions to research on visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar, the most severe and potentially fatal form of the disease.
At IMTECH, a constituent laboratory of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr Sen’s research focuses on how ‘Leishmania donovani’, the parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis, infects host cells. His work also involves identifying the molecular basis of disease pathogenesis in visceral leishmaniasis, as well as discovering new drug targets and drug molecules.
Congratulating Dr Sen, IMTECH Director Dr Alka Rao said the institute has been at the forefront of delivering solutions for unmet medical needs. Despite more than 1.5 billion people worldwide requiring treatment for at least one neglected tropical disease, investment in the development of new medicines remains limited, she said. The prize awarded to Dr Sen also recognises IMTECH’s research efforts in tackling these major health challenges, she added.
IMTECH is a national centre of excellence in microbial science. Established in 1984, it was created to build a translational ecosystem driven by fundamental discoveries and to address unmet healthcare and industrial needs through state-of-the-art processes and platforms.
