Ganesh Prasad Pandey obtained BSc and MSc from Agra University. He then joined Banaras Hindu University for PhD. He was at Purdue University as a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Harry Morrison and worked on the photobiology of urocanic acid. Thereafter, he retuned to India, joined Panjab University, Chandigarh as Pool Officer in 1983. Within a few months, he moved to Indian Institute of Chemical Technology at Hyderabad (1984) and initiated a broad research program concerning chemical dynamics of photo-induced electron transfer (PET) initiated radical ions. He continues these studies at National Chemical Laboratory, Pune since 1991.

Academic and Research Achievements: Pandey's research work led to the development of several new carbon-carbon bond forming reactions which were applied for total synthesis of natural products. He also ventured into the design, synthesis and evaluation of new glycosidase inhibitors. He has authored more than 100 original research papers and several chapters in books. During last two decades of his dedicated research career, he mentored 30 PhD and several masters and postdoctoral students.

Other Contributions: As Chairman, National Organic Symposium Trust (NOST), he organized two international symposia and brought Indian organic chemists/chemistry to the international fora. He was appointed Regional Editor of Tetrahedron, a prestigious journal in organic chemistry.

Awards and Honours: Dr Pandey won several prizes, notably: CSIR Young Scientist Award (1988), BM Birla Science Prize (1991), SS Bhatnagar Prize (1999), Vigyan Ratna Samman by Government of Uttar Pradesh (2002), Professor NS Narasimhan Lecture Award (1998), Professor RC Shah Memorial Lecture Award (1999), and Professor TR Seshadri 70th Birthday Commemoration Lecture (2003). He was elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore and National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad.