The Second Annual Conference of the Indian Academy of Biomedical Sciences (IABS) was organized as “International Symposium on Use of Animal Models in Human Diseases” on January 29, 2013 by the Department of Biochemistry, King George’s Medical College, Lucknow, India.

Eminent scientists from India and abroad delivered invited talks during the conference: Prof. A.A. Mahdi started the proceedings of the conference by giving a brief overview on the use of animal models in biomedical research. Thereafter, Prof. Pieter Koolwijk, The Netherlands delivered his talk on “Customized Fibrin(ogen) Matrices for in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis systems”,

Prof. Suresh C. Tyagi from USA spoke on “Autophagy mechanisms and heart failure in mice”, Prof. Hari S. Sharma from The Netherlands delivered his talk on “In vitro cell culture based models of Asthma and COPD”, Prof. Lindsay Brown from Australia presented his work “Animal Models of Cardiovascular Diseases and Obesity, Dr. TPA Devasagayam, BARC, Mumbai, deliberated on “Free radicals and natural products in cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: models for study and Prof. Bechan Sharma from Allahabad discussed “HIV/AIDS research and animal experimental models”.

The conference was inaugurated by Prof. D. K. Gupta, Vice Chancellor, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow. Prof. Gupta highlighted and emphasized the use of animal models in scientific research and said that it has contributed a lot for curing human diseases. Earlier, the Organizing Secretary Prof. Abbas Ali Mahdi welcomed the guests and participants and thereafter, Prof. Hari S. Sharma, President, IABS, delivered the presidential address. He started his address by paying rich tributes to the Patron of the Academy Padma Shri Prof. Mahdi Hasan who died on 12th January 2013. A few minutes silence was also observed in the memory of the renowned academician and scientist.

Large number of participants including faculties, research scholars and students from various institutes of Lucknow and other parts of the country participated in the conference. The conference ended with a vote of thanks proposed by the Joint Organizing Secretary Dr. G. K. Sonkar.