Vaibhav Santosh Shikare: A Young Mind Building His Place in Pharmaceutical Research and Academic Excellence
At just 27, his journey from a pharmacy student to Assistant Professor, researcher, reviewer, academic writer and founder reflects what focused learning and consistent effort can build at a young age.
Success at a young age is rarely about reaching the final destination early. More often, it is about having the courage to start early, the patience to keep learning and the discipline to build one step at a time.
The journey of Vaibhav Santosh Shikare reflects this spirit.
With qualifications in B.Pharm and M.Pharm in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Vaibhav has steadily developed his identity across pharmaceutical education, research, academic writing, peer reviewing and entrepreneurship. He serves as an Assistant Professor at Mauli Institute of Pharmacy & Research Centre, Washim, Maharashtra.
Alongside teaching and research, he founded PharmBuddy Writing Services, an academic-support initiative aimed at helping pharmacy students and researchers organise and present their scholarly work more effectively.
At an age when many young professionals are still discovering the direction they want to take, Vaibhav's journey shows the value of choosing a field, remaining curious and gradually creating opportunities around one's knowledge.
The Foundation: A Student with the Desire to Grow
Vaibhav's academic journey was built in Maharashtra.
He completed his B.Pharm from Anuradha College of Pharmacy, Chikhli, Buldhana, during 2019–2023, followed by an M.Pharm from Rajarshi Shahu College of Pharmacy, Buldana, during 2023–2025, specialising in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance. His academic record lists an 8.26 score for both programmes.
His stated career objective is simple but revealing: to create a “positive & meaningful impact”, while continuing to learn, develop skills and grow with the organisation he serves.
That desire for continuous development gradually took him beyond routine academics and into research, competitions, publications and scholarly reviewing.
Research Became More Than an Academic Requirement
For many students, a research project ends when the degree is completed.
Vaibhav chose to take it further.
During his B.Pharm, he worked on a project involving the degradation study of Paracetamol by UV Spectroscopy. His postgraduate research focused on the design, formulation and evaluation of herbal oral strips to enhance the delivery of Cynodon dactylon with reference to quality-control parameters.
His research interests subsequently expanded into pharmaceutical analysis, formulation, quality assurance, artificial intelligence in pharma, drug discovery and academic review writing.
This growing engagement with research also brought competitive recognition. He secured First Rank at the Avishkar District-Level Competition (SGBAU) at PG level and later achieved Fifth Rank at the Avishkar University-Level Competition (SGBAU).
For a young researcher, these achievements were more than positions on a certificate. They represented an important confirmation that serious academic effort could open doors beyond the classroom.
Building a Footprint in Pharmaceutical Literature
Vaibhav's academic journey gradually moved towards scientific publication.
His work includes research and review articles covering a diverse range of pharmaceutical subjects.
Among them is “A Review on the Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Pharma Industry,” followed by work on “Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery: Research with Updated Ways.”
He has also contributed to research involving a multi-functional face mist, while another publication examines Hormone Replacement Therapy in Menopause, discussing evidence-based benefits, risks and evolving practice guidelines.
His academic writing further includes topics such as UPLC, antihistamines and their associated hazardous effects, 3D printing for pharmaceutical applications, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Hylocereus undatus, and RP-HPLC method development and validation.
One particularly relevant area of his work is “Academic Review Writing in the AI Era: Processes, Tools, and Best Practices,” reflecting his interest in how technology is influencing modern research and scholarly writing.
Each publication became another step in transforming him from a student consuming academic literature into a young researcher contributing to it.
From Writing Research to Reviewing It
A meaningful transition in an academic career occurs when a researcher is trusted not only to write scholarly work, but also to evaluate it.
Vaibhav has begun building experience in this area as well.
He is documented as a Member of the Referral/Review Management System of the International Journal of Current Science (IJCSPUB), ISSN 2250-1770, holding Member ID 118118 since 25 January 2025.
His professional record also identifies him as a Peer Reviewer and records reviewing activities associated with scholarly journals.
A separate reviewer certificate dated March 2025 recognises Mr. Vaibhav Santosh Shikare for completing a journal review.
Reviewing scientific work carries a different responsibility. It requires patience, critical reading and an understanding that academic literature must be evaluated carefully before becoming part of the wider body of knowledge.
For Vaibhav, this role represents another stage in his development as a pharmaceutical academic.
Stepping into Editorial Responsibility
His involvement with scholarly publishing has also extended towards editorial activities.
A certificate from the International Journal of Agriculture Development recognises Vaibhav Santosh Shikare, Assistant Professor, as an Editorial Board Member, acknowledging his contribution and commitment towards advancing peer-reviewed publications.
His professional profile additionally records editorial-board involvement as part of his academic activities.
For someone still in the early stages of his professional career, participating in research, reviewing and editorial processes provides exposure to several sides of academic publishing—not only creating knowledge, but understanding how scholarly work is evaluated and communicated.
The Teacher Behind the Researcher
Research forms an important part of Vaibhav's identity, but so does education.
As an Assistant Professor, his interests include pharmaceutical engineering, pharmaceutical analysis, pharmaceutical quality assurance, and the practical application of pharmaceutical science.
The transition from being a student to standing in front of students brings a different kind of responsibility.
A teacher is expected not simply to know the subject, but to communicate it. A researcher asks questions; a teacher must also inspire students to begin asking their own.
Vaibhav's early academic career brings these two roles together.
His journey therefore continues simultaneously in two directions: learning more deeply as a researcher and sharing that learning as an educator.
Learning Beyond the College Classroom
Vaibhav's professional development has also included practical exposure.
His record includes a one-month internship at Spandan Pharma, Washim, Maharashtra, as well as six months of experience with OneAsia Network India Pvt. Ltd., Khamgaon, Maharashtra, in Cosmetics IPQA.
His technical and professional learning also includes areas such as pharmacovigilance management systems and terminology, clinical diagnosis of adverse drug reactions, computer system validation and IT quality assurance.
These experiences helped connect academic knowledge with practical pharmaceutical processes—an important connection for anyone teaching or researching in the field.
PharmBuddy Writing Services: Turning Experience into Support
As his exposure to academic research and publication grew, Vaibhav identified another area where he could contribute.
He founded PharmBuddy Writing Services, an academic-support initiative for students and researchers in pharmacy and related disciplines.
The initiative is associated with support such as manuscript and dissertation formatting, reference formatting, presentation preparation, organisation of research documents, similarity-report assistance and guidance related to the publication process.
The idea reflects an experience familiar to many young researchers: doing research is one challenge, but organising it according to academic requirements and navigating the publication process can be another.
Through PharmBuddy Writing Services, Vaibhav seeks to use his growing experience to help others navigate that process while keeping academic integrity at the centre—where original authorship, research data, citations and conclusions remain the responsibility and genuine work of the researcher.
This venture adds an entrepreneurial dimension to his academic identity.
The Quiet Challenges Behind a Young Career
A CV can list qualifications, ranks, publications and memberships.
What it cannot fully show are the hours spent reading papers, correcting manuscripts, preparing presentations, understanding reviewer comments, learning research methodology, managing deadlines and starting again when something does not work as expected.
Academic progress is often quiet.
There may be no applause when a researcher spends hours correcting references. There may be no award for understanding why an experiment or manuscript needs another revision.
Yet these small, unseen efforts eventually become the foundation of visible achievements.
Vaibhav's journey is still young, but it reflects this gradual process.
His own listed strengths—motivation, innovation, communication, punctuality, smart work, determination, teamwork and active participation—capture many of the qualities he seeks to carry into his professional life.
At 27, Success Means the Journey Has Begun
Perhaps the most important way to understand Vaibhav Santosh Shikare's story is not to present it as a journey that has already reached its peak.
At 27, his larger professional story is still unfolding.
He has moved from pharmacy education into postgraduate specialisation, from academic projects into publications, from reading research papers into reviewing scholarly work, and from seeking academic guidance himself to creating PharmBuddy Writing Services to support other students and researchers.
These are beginnings—but meaningful ones.
His journey shows that young professionals do not have to wait for decades before contributing to their field. They can begin wherever they are: with one project, one research question, one paper, one classroom or one useful idea.
A Future Built on Knowledge and Responsibility
The next chapter of Vaibhav's journey will naturally demand even more—stronger research, deeper subject knowledge, responsible academic practices, effective teaching and continued professional growth.
But the foundation has been laid.
From B.Pharm and M.Pharm in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance to becoming an Assistant Professor, participating in pharmaceutical research, publishing academic work, undertaking peer-review responsibilities and founding PharmBuddy Writing Services, Vaibhav has begun creating an identity that connects pharmaceutical research, education, academic writing and scholarly communication.
His story carries a particularly meaningful message for students and young researchers across India:
You do not need to have your entire future figured out before you begin. Start with what you know, remain willing to learn what you do not know, and allow consistent work to build the path ahead.
For Vaibhav Santosh Shikare, the age of 27 is not the conclusion of a success story.
It is the age at which the story is gathering momentum—one classroom, one research paper, one review and one determined step at a time.
