IIT Kanpur professor Bushra Ateeq wins GD Birla award 2025 for scientific research

Professor Bushra Ateeq of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has been awarded the 35th GD Birla Award for Scientific Research (2025) for her contributions to the biological sciences.

Ateeq’s research focuses on understanding how certain cancers, especially prostate and colorectal cancers, behave and why they stop responding to treatment. Her work has helped identify why some commonly used prostate cancer drugs fail at advanced stages and how this resistance can be reversed using alternative treatment approaches, the institute said.

She found that a widely used WHO-approved anti-malarial drug, artemisinin, can be repurposed to restore drug sensitivity in advanced prostate cancer. She has also worked on identifying new supporting therapies that can improve existing cancer treatments, helping doctors make better decisions for patients with aggressive or treatment-resistant cancers.

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GD Birla award recognises Bushra Ateeq’s scientific leadership

Instituted in 1991, the GD Birla Award is one of the most prestigious science honours given to Indian scientists below the age of 50 for original research carried out in India, IIT Kanpur said.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and is decided by a high-level selection board chaired by the president of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA).

Ateeq leads a translational biomedical research programme, meaning her work bridges laboratory research and real-world medical treatment. She is also a Senior Fellow of the DBT–Wellcome Trust India Alliance

Beyond research, Ateeq serves as the dean of international relations at IIT Kanpur, where she oversees global academic partnerships and international collaborations.

She began her education in Bareilly and completed her graduation, post-graduation and PhD from Aligarh Muslim University, before working at AIIMS and the National Institute of Immunology. She later pursued postdoctoral research at McGill University and the University of Michigan and joined IIT Kanpur in 2013.

The GD Birla Award adds to a long list of honours she has received, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, UNESCO–TWAS Award, JC Bose Fellowship, and several other national and international recognitions, reinforcing her position as one of India’s leading cancer researchers, the institute added.