Prof Parvesh Singh

Academic Qualifications

Research Fellow in Computational Chemistry and drug discovery – Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa (January 2013-March 2014)
Post-Doctoral Fellow in Peptide folding studies using computer simulations – Peptide folding studies using computer simulations (October 2007-December 2012)
PhD in Organic Chemistry – Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India (March 2001-June 2006)
MSc in Applied Chemistry specialized in Pharmaceuticals – Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India (February 1998-February 2001).
BSc in Medical – Adarsh Bhartiya College, Pathankot, India ( January 1995- December 1997)

Biography

Prof. Parvesh Singh is an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Chemistry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. He develops novel synthetic methodologies to design new heterocyclic scaffolds targeting cancer, tuberculosis and diabetes, with around 170 publications, including four books and two book chapters. Dr. Singh serves as Associate Editor for Chemistry Africa and as an Ambassador for Bentham Publishers, and has acted as Guest Editor for journals including Pharmaceuticals and Frontiers in Chemistry. He has received multiple research awards, including recognition as one of South Africa’s emerging researchers by the NRF as well as NRF rated researcher. He has successfully supervised several postgraduate students and mentored numerous interns, research associates, and postdoctoral fellows.

Learn more about his research group here: MedChemic and Synthesis Group

Research Interests

Heterocyclic Synthesis using conventional and greener synthetic approaches.
Biological evaluation of synthesized compounds against different cancers, diabetes and microbial strains.
Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics simulations, ADME/T and Density Functional Theory calculations.

Prof Singh’s group is working on several multi-disciplinary research projects involving the synthesis, molecular modelling and biological evaluation of heterocyclic scaffolds. Predominantly, we are using[2+2], [3+2] and [4+2] cycloaddition modes to synthesize heterocyclic pharmacophoric assemblies of different ring sizes. In parallel, They are also using various molecular modeling techniques such as molecular docking, molecular dynamics, QSPR and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to complement our experimental studies.

Prof Singh’s group is currently using the molecular hybridization and cycloaddition methodologies to prepare a variety of heterocyclic scaffolds including pyrimidinones, beta-lactams, thiadiazolo-pyrimidinones, caumarin-1,2,3-triazoles, coumarin-oxadiazole, pyrazoles, chalcones, alkenes, thiadiazole-thiazolidinoneconjugates. Some of the synthesized compounds such as pyrimidinones, tetra substituted alkenes, coumarins and carbapenam chalcones, tested in vitro against breast (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), lung (A-549), colon (Caco2), hepatocellular (HepG2) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines have shown promising activities. Additionally, we are also exploring the antidiabetic and antimicrobial potential of thiazolidone-and quinoline-based heterocycles. We are also using molecular docking simulations to determine the binding modes of potent compounds in the active sites of their receptors.

Research Fellow
Department of Chemistry
Durban University of Technology, Durban, South AfricaJan2007-Dec 2013 Post-Doctoral Fellow
Department of Chemistry
Durban University of Technology
Durban
South Africa June 2006-Sept 2007
Research Scientist
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients unit, Research and Development Unit
Jubilant Organosys, Sector- 59
Noida,
India Jan 2005-May 2006 Senior Research Fellow Fellowship awarded by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, India).

National

School of Molecular and Cell BiologymUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg.
Department of Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, Durban
Department of Chemistry, University of Johanesburg, Johanesburg
Department of Biochemistry School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Department of Chemistry, University of Zululand
Department of Microbiology School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus
Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, ML Sultan Campus, Durban University of Technology
Department of Chemistry, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban.

International

Sytheon Ltd315 Wootton Street, Boonton, NJ 07005, USA•
Department of Chemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, Punjab (India)
Department of Chemical Sciences, I. K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, Kapurthala, Punjab, India
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, JamiaNagar, India
Department d’ Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Apeejay Stya University, Gurgaon, India
Department of Pharmacology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Hershey, USA.
CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, HP, India
Department of Chemistry, GITAM Institute of Sciences, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, AndhraPradesh, India
Departamento de Quimica Analitica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Spain
CO-ADD, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia• Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, USA

Research Profiles

Media

“Difficulties in life don’t come to destroy you, but to help you realize your hidden potential.”

Discipline

Chemistry

Email

singhp4@ukzn.ac.za

Contact

031 260 2181

Campus

Westville