A state-of-the-art Computational facility was inaugurated at the PSG Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (PSGIMSR), recently.
The facility has been named Dr. Ramalingam Sankaran Computational Lab for Quantitative Sciences, as a fitting tribute to the former Dean of PSGIMSR and founder president of the Society of Pharmacometrics and Health Analytics Sciences (SOPHAS), whose visionary leadership laid the foundation for this initiative.
The inauguration was graced by the dignitaries, including V Jagannathan, General Manager, Administration; Dr JS Bhuvaneswaran, Director, PSG Super Specialty Hospitals; Dr. Sudha Ramalingam, Director of Research and Innovation, PSGIMSR; Dr. Vijay Ivaturi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Pumas-AI Inc. (PumasAI); Dr. Surulivel Rajan M, President, SOPHAS; Dr. Sivaselvakumar, Treasurer; and Dr. Habibur Rahman, Secretary.
The laboratory, established through the joint efforts of SOPHAS, PumasAI, and PSGIMSR, is equipped with a high-performance computing cluster designed to advanceAI-based data analysis in Drug Development, Pharmacometrics and Predictive Health Modelling, in the institute.
Dr. Sudha Ramalingam observed that the laboratory would serve as a vital platform for healthcare data analytics and the application of real-world data to address contemporary health challenges.
“This facility will propel PSGIMSR to emerge as a leading Centre in healthcare data analytics, enabling evidence-based solutions for pressing medical and societal concerns,” she said.
Speaking ahead of the inauguration, Dr. Surulivel Rajan described the laboratory as “The fulfilment of a long-cherished dream to support the students of the AI in Drug Development program conducted by SOPHAS.”
He expressed confidence that the facility would equip the students with the computational resources necessary to translate their training into impactful research.
Dr. Vijay Ivaturi described the laboratory as a product of the long-term commitment of PumasAI to foster the application of AI in drug discovery and development.
He added that the initiative represented the company’s contribution towards establishing India as an important global player in the field, expressing the aspiration to witness the approval of new drugs developed indigenously in India.
The facility forms a key component of PSGIMSR’s broader research-integrated vision, bridging clinical medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, and computational research.
The tripartite collaboration is expected to significantly enhance the institute’s capabilities in model-informed drug development (MIDD), real-world evidence generation, and quantitative health analytics.
The initiative is designed to offer researchers rich experiential learning opportunities through live research projects, industry collaborations, and translational health challenges. Participants will gain hands-on exposure to AI-driven drug discovery, clinical data modeling, pharmacometric simulations, and population health analytics, while engaging closely with global experts and leading industry partners.
The laboratory aspires to position Coimbatore as an emerging hub for computational health sciences in southern India. Over the coming years, the initiative envisions cultivating a strong talent pool in AI/ML for healthcare, pharmacometrics, computational biology and digital health, while developing innovative solutions to pressing regional and global health challenges, the institute said.
