Interview: Dr. Evans Coutinho - Indian Pharmaceutical Association

Interview
whatever you do you should be dedicated, disciplined
and devoted to the field you are ‘in’....
were the thoughts of a ‘Good Teacher’ - Dr. Evans Coutinho, as
expressed to undergraduate students - Harshil Renawala, Misbah
Momin, Prutha Desai and Chintan Mehta.
P.T. How was your journey from an undergraduate B.Sc.
(Tech) student to the HOD-Pharmaceutical Chemistry?
Dr. Coutinho: I enrolled for my B.Sc. course at Parle College
which is now known as Sathaye College in Mumbai. I did well in
my final year which helped me to get admission into B.Sc. (Tech)
at UDCT in the stream of Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals.
There were 7 branches of specialization in B.Sc. (Tech) - Foods,
Oils, Pharmaceuticals, Paints, Polymers, Textiles and Dyes. In
Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals the intake was just 18 at
that time. As the selection was on All-India basis, the competition
was really stiff. The top rated course at that time was Polymers,
Plastics and Paints but considering that Pharmaceuticals was an
evergreen field, I took the advice of a friend and enrolled for the
Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals course. I completed my
B.Sc. (Tech) having secured the First Rank in the University. I had
actually intended to quit at that point and work in the industry. So,
I applied for a few job openings in the pharmaceutical industry but
my perceptions changed after my results were declared. As I had
topped the University, there was pressure from my peers to study
further and so I continued with M Sc. (Tech) at UDCT. At that time
we had to select our guide and Dr.S.K.Pradhan, an internationally
noted organic chemist who had also worked under Sir Derek
Barton (a Nobel Laureate!) wanted me to join his lab. However, he
was known to be very demanding and thus I was apprehensive of
working in his lab. I eventually decided to join Dr. Radhakrishna
Iyer, another stalwart, who himself was a student of Dr. Pradhan.
After I completed two years of M Sc. (Tech), I had no intentions
of doing a PhD although both Dr. Pradhan and Dr. Radhakrishna
Iyer wanted me to stay back and pursue a PhD at UDCT. Chance
had it that I came across an advertisement in the Indian Express
about vacancies at Bombay College of Pharmacy (BCP) in 1986,
for which I applied and got selected as a Lecturer. During that time
Dr. Evans Coutinho did his B.Sc(1981), B.Sc. (Tech) (1984),
M.Sc.(Tech) (1986), and PhD(1989) on his journey to becoming
the Professor and HOD- Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Bombay
College Of Pharmacy. In addition of having a teaching experience
of more than 25 years, Dr. Coutinho is also an active researcher
in the field of Computer-Aided Drug Discovery (CADD) and has
guided several Masters and PhD students. He is at ease being a
UG teacher and a PG mentor and is routinely invited for both UG
and PG lectures and research presentations. He is lovingly called
“Walking Chemistry” by many of his students and peers!
Here is a peek at his life journey from his younger days…
Dr. Tipnis was the Principal and Dr. V.M.Kulkarni was a Professor
in the chemistry department of the college. Both were impressed
with my interview and it was they who encouraged me to pursue
my PhD alongside my lectureship. I joined Dr. V.M.Kulkarni for my
PhD program and together we embarked on molecular modeling
that was quite novel in those days. We did not have enough
facilities at Bombay College of Pharmacy for practicing molecular
modeling. It was then that Dr. V.M.Kulkarni who had done his first
post doc in TIFR introduced me to the institute and to Prof.A.Saran &
Prof.R.V.Hosur. This set me on a path of working on computational
chemistry for my PhD using the facilities at TIFR. On seeing my
potential as a Lecturer, Prof. Tipnis encouraged me to apply for
the post of Asst. Professor for which I was selected in 1992. From
then on I built my own research facilities at BCP and started guiding
students for the M.Pharm and PhD program. In 1997 there was a
vacancy for the Professor’s position. Once again the management
of the college encouraged me to apply for the position; the Selection
Committee was impressed with my research work and offered me
the post of Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and also the
HOD of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. I was the youngest person to
be selected as a professor at the age of 36 in BCP!
P.T.: Why did you opt for a career in pharmacy inspite of
your qualifications in pure sciences?
Dr. Coutinho: I haven’t really pursued a course in pure
sciences other than my B.Sc. in Chemistry. I did my B.Sc. (Tech)
in Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals. The only difference
between B. Pharm and B.Sc. (Tech) in Pharmaceuticals is that
in B.Sc. (Tech) you learn all the pharmacy subjects plus a lot of
chemical engineering aspects including unit operations, process
controls, instrumentation, heat and mass transfer, etc. It was really
a very rigorous course with about 13 subjects in a year. It is a
technology course and it puts you in a position well suited to be in
the industry. The course did encompass core pharmacy subjects like
pharmaceutics, pharmacology, biochemistry, microbiology except
we did not study pharmacognosy in those days. So, pharmacy was
in my blood right from my UDCT days.
P.T.: Please share some of your experiences during your
undergraduate years.
Dr. Coutinho: My student years at UDCT were very silent and
uneventful. The course syllabus was too hectic and needed constant
attention all along, so I found it difficult to pursue any other interests.
One thing about UDCT is that the environment over there is guided
by a strong ethos of learning and excellence. Neither the professors
nor the curriculum let you rest. You got to be a genius to be able to
Pharma Times - Vol. 44 - No. 03 - March 2012 14

manage and pursue other interests other than your work. So all 18
of us had quiet and uneventful years! Also since this was technically
our second graduation (after B.Sc. in Chemistry), we had become
quite mature and sober. There is nothing really remarkable that I
can comment upon about my UG years! Also at M.Sc. (Tech) which
was strongly driven by research goal, you couldn’t ‘fool’ around. We
devotedly worked in the lab from 8:00 in the morning up to 9:00 in
the evening, even on weekends and holidays!
P.T.: What sort of problems do you encounter in your
research work?
Dr. Coutinho: I made use of the facilities at TIFR during my
PhD program. Over there I had complete access to the computers,
NMR facilities and other equipments. Dr. Tipnis was very gracious
to spare me the time to work at TIFR as I also had to fulfill my duties
as a Professor at BCP. The only obstacle was travelling to TIFR
which is located at Colaba (quite away from BCP). But, once I was
at TIFR I had unrestricted access to NMR machines and computer
systems there. When I had to start my own research work at BCP,
I had to build my own facility and that was a bit difficult. I really had
to struggle for grants to set up the whole facility with sophisticated
hardware and software needed to practice CADD. Over the years
I have been able to build up the facilities, computers and the lab.
More than that, the Principal and the management of the college
did provide strong support for research, without any interference.
The main problem was that molecular modeling was an upcoming
area and many of the students needed to be taught the basic. In the
past we did struggle a bit to train our students in this area to initiate
research in CADD. But now that the syllabus covers molecular
modeling, the effort in teaching is less strenuous.
P.T.: Pharmacy being an applied science, what importance
do you give to strong basics in fundamental sciences?
Dr. Coutinho: I don’t think there is anything in applied science
which you can do without understanding basic science, i.e.,
Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Biology. I still go back and
read fundamental books much more than I read advanced topics.
I strongly believe that understanding the basic is quite essential
before trying to do anything advanced. If your basics are weak than
you can neither do anything advanced nor applied. Everything boils
down to understanding the fundamentals. There are two reasons
why I still like to revise my basics. It is because I think I can teach
better and I can do my research better. So, it is imperative as an
applied science that you understand the basic thoroughly.
P.T.: What approach should a student have towards his/her
studies during undergraduate B. Pharm years?
Dr. Coutinho: I feel there is a difference in the attitude and
mindset of students pursuing pharmacy now than what I observed
when I joined this college back in 1986. I do not know whether it is
peer pressure that is driving students to take up B. Pharm course
or something else, because I have seen through these years that
students who are not really inclined towards the course take it up.
But, all said and done, once you come into B. Pharm you must
realize that it is going to be your profession. You may diverge after
B. Pharm to doing something in finance or MBA or some thing
totally different. But whatever you do you should be dedicated,
disciplined and devoted to the field you are ‘in’. You may not end
up as a practicing pharmacist but there are certain things in your
education which mould your thinking, reasoning and guide you to
discipline and organize yourself. You may not remember all the
definitions but there are certain things in your course which need
emphasis like writing things methodologically, rationalizing your
observations, arguing your results, developing a holistic view and
being systematic and careful. These are the things that will be of
use to you all through your life. These are the traits which you will
carry later in your life. This is the ultimate goal of your education.
P.T.: What are the core subjects in pharmacy curriculum
that a student should be thorough with? What subjects
according to you should be given more weightage?
Dr. Coutinho: I would say that a student should be completely
thorough with the basics in Physical Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry,
Pharmacology and Pharmaceutics. To top it all, I’d say Analysis
is one area that is by far the most critical, especially because of
its role in fields like Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Formulation
development etc, all of which does require some or the other
analytical techniques in their evaluation. I think that Analysis is a
subject in which students should take an active interest in. I’d also
love to see Molecular Biology being covered to a larger extent
in the B.Pharm syllabus. It is a subject that is sadly neglected
in our curriculum. Many of our students pursuing their Masters
and Doctoral studies in biological sciences abroad would find the
principles of Molecular biology quite handy and useful. So, I think
Mol Bio is one subject that would equip a pharmacist with skills to
be a good researcher.
P.T.: Do you believe that there needs to be a change in
the framework of the present pharmacy undergraduate
curriculum to meet the current requirements?
Dr. Coutinho: I think that the current syllabus covers the basic
subjects in a good way. Having said that, I’d love to see the syllabus
being updated more frequently to keep up with the present global
trend. The syllabus has become quite ‘old’ and many of the aspects
in the syllabus are ‘outdated’. So, there needs to be a mechanism
to constantly update the curriculum with newer understanding.
We face a few constraints in doing this. The curriculum needs to
be reviewed keeping in mind that the faculty in all colleges under
the umbrella of the University are competent enough to teach the
new aspects in pharmacy. But, the fact remains that with many
colleges still struggling to find good teachers, not all can be at
the same level with respect to teaching a ‘modern’ syllabus. Only
those institutes, which through years of productive research and
exceptional teaching, have gained competency, will be able to do
good justice to a ‘modern’ syllabus. One way out of this predicament
is that colleges go in for autonomy. This would allow them to have
a tailor made syllabus suited to their strengths and skills. This
definitely would prove to be mighty useful for students studying in
these colleges.
P.T.: Sir, please elaborate on the importance of
communication and presentation skills amongst pharmacy
professionals.
Dr. Coutinho: The ability to communicate clearly and effectively
is important in all spheres of life including ones’ professional life. It
is essential that a student is good in his/her grammar and diction.
That would surely enable the student to put forth his/her ideas and
thoughts convincingly to peers or to reviewers. Communication skill
does not imply talking in a flowery and fancy way. It rather implies
the ability to put your point across to a group of people convincingly
and clearly. A good test of our communication skills is when we
try to present our ideas to a lay man and are able to convince
him. Now that is indeed tough! I would suggest that an English
course emphasizing especially on grammar, writing, speaking and
presentation skills in our syllabus would go a long way in honing
the communication skills of our students.
P.T.: How is the industry looking at CADD as a tool for
procuring breakthrough molecules of industrial relevance?
Have any molecules made it to the market or are in the
pipeline?
Dr. Coutinho: Presently there are very few industries working
on CADD. This is because people at the helm of affairs in the
Pharma Times - Vol. 44 - No. 03 - March 2012 15

industry are not really convinced about the utility of CADD mainly
due to their lack of understanding about the area. I have, in the
past, faced very stiff opposition from the ‘managers’ of some of the
top level industries while convincing them about CADD’s potential
to deliver. Also, since both the software and the hardware that
are essential to run computational drug development are quite
expensive, it isn’t cheap to establish a CADD centre in the industry.
Industries where the ‘head of research’ has some background in
CADD are indeed adopting it for drug design and development.
Astra Zeneca, Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy’s are among the few using CADD
effectively for drug design in India.
Drugs like ciprofloxacin, donepezil, indinavir, etc, are products of
CADD. The Indian academia has widely accepted CADD as a tool
for drug designing. I see a lot of institutions across India that has
started practicing CADD. So, I’d say down the line when some of
the students from these institutions would occupy high positions in
the industry, CADD would be accepted more easily in the research
arsenal of the pharmaceutical industry.
P.T.: What are the new avenues in India and abroad for
students aspiring to have a career in molecular modeling
and drug designing?
Dr. Coutinho: In India not many industries are actually
practicing CADD, so there isn’t a great requirement for a lot of
people trained in it unlike other fields. It is not like a manufacturing
unit that requires many people: a CADD lab can easily be manned
by 2 to 3 people. Students pursuing their PhD’s in CADD are
thus finding it difficult to strike satisfying jobs. Many students
go abroad where there are more opportunities. CADD is not
only about designing drugs. There are other fields which do
use some element of computational modeling. In India there is
still a lot of hesitation in applying CADD in other areas. There’s
certainly much need for introducing molecular modeling in all
areas of pharmacy.
P.T.: How industry oriented is the research in colleges?
Dr. Coutinho: There is some element of industry directed
research in certain ‘good’ colleges, especially where there is strong
interaction between the teachers and the industry. But mostly
projects given by the industry deal with problems that are very
mediocre and ordinary. They hardly support work on some novel,
path breaking research that is of a basic fundamental nature. I
believe that the industry and academia should join hands on novel
path breaking ideas, working on things that are “out of the box”.
P.T.: Like Bachelors in Engineering where a student
selects a field at the entry level, do you think that the
same can be done with B.Pharm where a student selects
a field say clinical research, formulation development or
pharmacology etc. Do you see this as a good alternative
to the present system?
Dr. Coutinho: No, I really don’t think that specialization should
be done at the B.Pharm level. I feel a student should first learn the
fundamentals in the core pharmacy subjects during the four years of
the undergraduate program. An early specialization in one particular
area will lead to the students missing out on the fundamentals in
other subjects. How can a student be good at Pharmaceutics if he/
she doesn’t understand Pharmacology or Biochemistry fully? How
can you develop a formulation if you do not understand the stability
requirements of the drug that depends on its chemistry? All the core
subjects of pharmacy are dependent on each other. No one can
master any one area without gaining a certain level of expertise in
the other areas. So I strongly assert that specialization would be a
better option during the post graduate years.
P.T.: What makes you so passionate about teaching and
how do you sustain it even after 25 years of teaching?
Dr. Coutinho: Honestly, when I look back I don’t think I was
‘fit’ to adapt to the industry environment. Early on in my life I did
recognize that I had some traits as a teacher and also I did have a
passion for it. My mother was a teacher and so was my aunt and
several other relatives. One could say that teaching is in my “family
blood”. I think I have chosen the correct line. I have enjoyed every
moment of it. Teaching gives me a lot of satisfaction especially when
I am able to put forth ideas convincingly to students.
P.T.: How do you balance your career, professional and
personal life?
Dr. Coutinho: It is tough to juggle all the three. I manage it by
devoting quality time to all these. During my vacation time, it is just
‘vacation’ with my family. I totally ‘close out’ everything related to
my professional life. However while on vacation I do attend to the
problems of my research students. During working days my family
respects my time for professional work. I think I balance things
reasonably well with the support of my family!
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