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Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research (ACBR) came into existence in March 1991 with the foundation stone laid by the then Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Sh. Chandra Shekharji, on the occasion of the birth centenary of Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The Government of India established this Institute at the University of Delhi under the leadership of Prof. Ramesh Chandra. The mandate of the Centre is high quality postgraduate education and research in Biomedical Sciences. The institute also has provision for doctoral and postdoctoral training to young scientists at the start of their research career to gain the skills and insights in frontier areas of biomedical sciences. During the last two decades the center has grown to have strength of 220 comprising faculties, students, Ph.D scholars and supporting staff.

In the year 1992, the University finalized the Ordinance relating to the ACBR, which was duly approved by the Hon'ble Visitor the President of India in 1997, when ACBR expanded and formalized its educational role by becoming a University Maintained Institute for Graduate and Post Graduate teaching and research for pursuing M.Sc. and M.Sc. - Ph.D. combined degree courses in Biomedical Sciences. The first batch of M.Sc - Ph.D and M.Sc. candidates was admitted in 1998, though the research activities of ACBR have been continuing since 1991 in a historical laboratory in the Department of Chemistry, where the CSIR and ICMR were born.

ACBR presents a unique amalgamation of basic and applied research in the field of human health and disease, which is first of its kind in the Indian University System. The innovative and creative vision of the Ex-Vice-Chancellor, Prof.Gurbakhsh Singh, Founder Director, Prof. Ramesh Chandra and other Professors at the Chemistry Department and eminent scientists and faculties of Delhi University and generous financial support from Planning Commission, Government of India, University of Delhi, UGC, DST, DBT, CSIR, UNESCO, Polariod Corporation, USA and other agencies helped in the establishment and extension of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research.

The Institute's first Governing Body was formed in 1996, and an outstanding scholar, a great institution builder and administrator, Padma Bhushan, Late Prof. Gurbakhsh Singh became the first chairperson. At present Prof. Vivek Suneja the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Delhi University is the Chairman of the Governing Body. Under the able guidance of eminent scientists and visionaries, the center continues to make excellent progress in both teaching and research in biomedical sciences.

Academic Structure

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research (ACBR) possesses a unique structure having an interdisciplinary, goal oriented approach with an objective to meet the high standards of research and teaching in Biomedical Sciences. Specialised laboratories, rather than conventional departments, are the fundamental units of the ACBR. Typically headed by a senior faculty, the lab may include several other faculty and scientists from neighboring institutes such as IGIB, INMAS, DIPAS, VPCI, ICPO, AIIMS etc. in addition to postdoctoral fellows and Ph.D. students, who share common scientific interest and teaching at the center . This structure provides flexibility and enhances the opportunity for wide intellectual interaction and collaboration and minimizes the administrative traffic that may impede university life.

The post graduate teaching program is dedicated to educating a carefully selected group of students considered as potential leaders in their area of specialization. Students associate with a faculty/scientist-scholars, all actively engaged in research, and learn primarily through a combination of courses, discussion groups, tutorial guidance, and apprenticeship in research laboratories.

The faculty of ACBR and other departments of University of Delhi, IGIB, INMAS, DIPAS and VPCI, ICPO, AIIMS collaborate in offering a M.Sc.-Ph.D. program of advanced study and research in advanced Biology, Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences. In addition to the didactic teaching, the ACBR arranges many research colloquia, seminars, lectures by visiting scientists under SURP (Summer Undergraduate Research Program) and other special scientific programs.

The Campus

Located in the heart of the University of Delhi, and is in front of the Old Vice Regal Lodge, which is the Vice Chancellor's office. It is 3 Km. from ISBT (Inter-State Bus Terminal), 4 Km. from Delhi Railway Station, and 20 Km. from Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The University campus is located near the Aravali foothills sprawling over 30 km. The building of ACBR houses, teaching rooms, research laboratories, Central instrumentation rooms with sophisticated research equipment facility, seminar halls, animal house and is surrounded by other Science Departments- Central Science Library and VP Chest Institute -with 50 bed hospital, which provides clinical research facility.

Immediate neighbors are IGIB (Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology) - a laboratory of CSIR dedicated for Biomedical and Genomics Research, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) of DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organization), Rajan Babu T.B. Hospital and Hindu Rao Hospital. The ACBR also operates a laboratory and Animal Research Facility, which is duly approved by the Government of India.

The locale is a lively residential area with many shops and restaurants and is convenient to Delhi's resources for culture and recreation.

Housing on campus for single student is available in the University Halls/Hostels. For married students no campus housing is available, rather they rent the accommodation around the campus. There is a dining facility for the faculty and students on the University campus. For visiting faculty accommodation is made available in the University Guest House and International Guest House.

The ACBR library contains only specialized books however the Central Science Library has more than 3 lakh books and scientific journals and it operates on an “Open Stacks” policy. ACBR organizes lectures and seminars by inviting expert scientists and academicians from time to time.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research along with its neighboring science and medical institutions and other undergraduate colleges on campus provide a unique academic environment for scientific interaction and collaboration.

The Faculty

ACBR has core faculty in the field of Chemistry and Biology, thus facilitating research and teaching in interdisciplinary areas in Biomedical Sciences. The areas of research pursued by the faculty encompasses molecular pathology of infectious diseases, Molecular Oncology, Gene Regulation, Molecular Genetics, Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry, Drug Discovery and Drug Designing, Bioinformatics and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. The research currently underway in each of the laboratories at ACBR Neuropharmaceautical chemistry, Protein chemistry and Genetics is outlined under the faculty profile in subsequent pages. Over the years, scientists associated with this Center have achieved national and international acclaim through their publications in, reputed journals, in national and international awards. Several young faculties- Dr. Anju Katyal, Dr. Manisha Tiwari, Dr. Vibha Tandon have received the “Young Scientist Research Award” of the Department of Science and technology, Govt. of India for their research work. This apart the scientists at ACBR are recipients of INSA-Royal Society fellowship, INSA visiting fellowship, DBT overseas fellowship, INSA young scientist award. Several senior faculties have received national and international awards and are fellows of national science and medical academies. Recently, as many as six new faculties have been appointed and one of them (Dr. Ajay Yadav) has been awarded the most prestigious Ramalingaswami fellowship by the DBT. Prof. B.C. Das is the recipient of prestigious J.C. Bose National fellowship. The faculties at ACBR have several patents to their credit and filed several patents on new molecules of therapeutic potential and diagnostic tools for infectious diseases both in India, UK, USA, and Europe and in other countries.