Sir Bernard Katz - The Physician Physiologist Who Shaped Electrophysiology

Sir Bernard Katz

(1911- 2003)

Bernard Katz was born on March 26th, 1911, in Leipzig, Germany, of Russian Jewish origin. He studied Medicine (MD) at the University of Leipzig, He left Germany in February 1935 and joined for a Ph. D. under Professor A.V. Hill at University College, London. Katz worked in A.V. Hill's laboratory until August 1939. He received a Ph.D. (London University) and a Beit Memorial Research Fellowship in 1938. In 1942, he was also awarded the degree of Doctor of Science (London University).Bernard Katz was an icon of post-war biophysics. He was one of the last of the generation of distinguished physiologists who were refugees from the Third Reich and who contributed immeasurably to the scientific reputation of their adopted country. In 1970 he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Prof.Katz, who shared the prize with the Swede Ulf von Euler and the American Julius Axelrod, was known for his studies on the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which carries impulses from nerve to muscle fibres. Using a micro-pipette, Katz began to measure the "end-plate potential" - the minute electrical voltage emitted at the junction between nerve and muscle - and found that his oscilloscope registered a random reading of about half a millivolt, even when there was no stimulation at all. At first Katz assumed that this was the result of random interference from the machine; but when the application of curare (a poison that paralyses the muscles) stopped the voltage readings, he knew that they must represent real activity at the nerve end. He then found that the size of the voltage potential, whether the nerve was being stimulated or not, was always a multiple of a tiny but exact minimum value. His iconic works on resting membrane potential. The student of medicine and physiology will never forget his works on "Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation" calculates as estimated membrane potential that reflects the relative contributions of the chemical concentration gradients and relative membrane permeability for K⁺ , Na⁺  and Cl^-. 

^{He was conferred Knighthood and Fellowship at The Royal Society,UK.}

Dipankar Chakraborti - Arsenic Man of India who shapes science with the touch of humanity

Professor Dipankar Chakraborti

Dipankar Chakraborti, (H-index 50)  is the former Director at School of Environmental Studies and currently  Professor at Arsenic Research Unit of Jadavpur University, Kolkata. It is very difficult to narrate a person like Professor Chakraborti. He is a scientist, researcher, activist and crusader, Dr. Dipankar Chakraborti has donned many hats in his two decades of work on arsenic contamination of ground water. His work in this domain started with a focus on West Bengal, way back in 1988 when he first sounded the alarm. Ever since, he has been single-minded in his pursuit of raising awareness and effecting mitigation of this problem, a task that has been far from easy.

Widely referred to as the 'Arsenic Man of India' for his blunt observations in the face of denial by state governments, this epidemiologist and internationally recognized annalist of the problem across Asia has a penchant for courting debates with a series of ground-breaking reports. His compassion for the arsenic affected people, his unabated work and personal support, has however, endeared him to villagers affected by arsenocosis in India, Bangladesh and elsewhere in Asia.

Prof.Chakraborti is an example of reverse brain drain. Research students from many countries including Harvard University, USA, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA, Asia Arsenic Network, Japan, have come to SOES for doing research under his guidance. He was invited by Harvard, MIT, UCL and many other world's top universities for academic and research collaborations.Currently Prof.Chakraborti is an Adviser of American Chemical Society. Dipankar Chakraborti's greatest contribution to humanity is to save Rs 1.22 crore ( INR 12.2 million)  from his own consultancy earnings and kept the sum in a fixed deposit jointly with the Jadavpur University. The interest earned funds several SOES activities. Recently the university has decided to set up a trust - 'Dipankar Chakraborti Research Foundation' - with this corpus for continued research. 

BLDE University is fortunate to have him as a collaborator in 'Project Fluoride' and as an Editorial Adviser of BLDE University Journal of Health Sciences.

Prof.Srinivas K. Saidapur - A legendary evolutionary biologist who shapes medical sciences for future !

Professor S.K.Saidapur

 FNA; FNASc, FASc ; FTWAS

Srinivas Kishanrao Saidapur (born 1947) is the former Vice Chancellor of Karnatak University Dharwad.& current Director of Karnataka Higher Education Academy (Government of Karnataka). He did his M.Sc. and Ph.D. Karnatak University Dharwad  and became Postdoctoral Fellow at Kansas Medical Center, University of Kansus (1976-79). He has also received Alexander von Humbolt Fellowship (1989-90) to work further at University of Mainz. Beside these he was Visiting Scientist at National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki,Japan and INSA-DFZ Exchange Progarm Fellowship (1995-2004) at University of Ruhr, Bochum & University of Wurzburg, Germany. Professor Saidapur is a recipient of prestigious 'S.S.Bhatnagar Prize (1991)' from CSIR. in Medical Sciences. 

Professor Saidapur is an outstanding biologist who has immensely contributed on comparative endocrinology of amphibians and explained the different types of reproductive processes followed by the tropical anurans and their control mechanisms. His studies are reported to have widened the understanding of the reproductive biology of the vertebrates and proposed gametogenesis methodologies for producing frogs of predetermined sex. His research also enlightened us with enriched knowledge of gonadal steroidogenesis, follicular atresia, luteal functions and hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis.  Professor Saidapur was responsible to introduce molecular biology, behavioral biology and more importantly evolutionary biology at Karnatak University Dharwad.

He has received many awards that includes INSA awards,  'Sir M. Visvesvaraya Lifetime Achievement Award', 'Professor MRN Prasad Memorial Lecture' and 'Professor Har Swarup Memorial Lecture'. In October 14 2016 Prof.Saidapur delivered the first "BLDE Alumni Lecture 2016" of BLDE University,Vijayapura. Professor Saidapur is also one of  the International Advisory Board member of "BLDE University Journal of Health Sciences'. 

Professor Dewan Majid - An Outstanding Physiologist, An Inspiration for Generations !

Professor Dewan S.A. Majid, MD; PhD

Dewan S. A. Majid is currently Professor of Physiology &  Director, Mouse Phenotype Core, Hypertension & Renal Center of Excellence, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans,USA. His  laboratory  mainly focused on the elucidation of the intrarenal mechanisms regulating renal hemodynamics and renal function. Current studies in his laboratory have been carried out to examine the hypothesis that ‘Salt-sensitive hypertension develops due to enhanced oxidative stress resulting from an imbalance between intrarenal nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O₂^-) which are regulated reciprocally in the kidney.’. This hypothesis is being tested in a series of experimental studies assessing such interactions between NO and O₂^- in an integrated approach involving acute and chronic experiments in gene targeted mice (Knockout mice for NOS, NADPH oxidase enzymes) as well as in rats evaluating systemic blood pressure and renal responses to various agents such as AngII, NO inhibitors and O₂^- scavengers etc. Professor Majid is one of the world leading renal scientists who has immensely contributed in the area of hypertension and renal hemodynamics. 

For his exemplary research on renal biology he was conferred "Prof.S.C.Mahalanabish Memorial Oration 2003" by The Physiological Society of India.  

A thorough gentleman, outstanding researcher and a physician Professor Dewan Majid inspires generations especially from researchers of India, Bangladesh etc. BLDE University is really honored to have him as Principal Research Collaborator on behalf of Tulane University with Laboratory of Vascular Physiology & Medicine of BLDE University. 

Prof.T.R.Raju - A legendary neuroscientist who inspires generations

Professor Trichur R.Raju,FASc

Professor T.R.Raju - Senior Professor of Neurophysiology at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore is considered as one of the greatest neuroscientists of India.  His works on developmental neuroscience to understand critical roles of trophic factors, glia, neurotransmitter and intrinsic electrical activity in neuronal survival, growth and formation of synaptic connectivity in the developing retina are just phenomenal. He is one of the pioneers in describing cytoskeleton and cell motility in the world. Prof.Raju’s contribution towards understanding neuronal plasticity in the developing and adult nervous system is noteworthy.  His work on rewiring or remodeling of brain circuitries which can form the basis for treating patients suffering from stroke and depression are extremely significant in neurosciences. Prof.Raju’s one more great contribution is on central nervous system regeneration and resident stem cell activation. This research has a potential application for achieving successful regeneration in the central nervous system including the spinal cord to treat paralysis. His further works on preclinical models on rodents for neurological diseases explores new therapeutic modalities for treating neurodegenerative diseases of the nervous system..

Prof.M.Fahim - An iconic Vascular Physiologist of India

Professor Mohammad Fahim,FAMS

Professor M.Fahim- Alexander Humbolt Fellow to Germany was the 1^st PhD student of legendary Prof.A.S.Paintal,FRS. He is considered as one of the greatest physiologists of India who redefines post Paintal physiology to the world.. His works under Paintal guidance on atrial receptor type B changed our understanding on Chronic Heart Failure (CHF).  The discovery of atrial receptor B and further works on that by Fahim enriched our knowledge on significance of cardiac vagal afferent fibers on various cardiac reflexes. Fahim’s works on  cardiac sensory atrial receptor B showed scientific communities how much these receptors are responsible for neural regulation of blood pressure and circulating blood volume. Fahim’s research explained the mechanisms on  neuro-humoral abnormalities and progressive loss of cardiovascular control in CHF. His works provide revolutionary changes of pharmacology to identify drugs to regulate blood pressure and chronic heart failure.

Professor Fahim was the former Director Professor & Head, Department of Physiology, V.P.Chest Institute,University of Delhi and currently Adjunct Professor at Jamia Hamdard University.

Prof. Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri - A Legendary Indian Theoretical Physicist.

Prof. Amal K. Raychaudhuri, D.Sc, FNA, FNASc.

Prof. Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri (1923-2005) was Professor of Physics in Presidency College Calcutta. Professor Raychaudhuri's greatest contribution was to discover "Raychaudhuri Equation", which governs the dynamics of the Universe and changes the concept of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Prof. Raychaudhuri addressed the fundamental question of singularity in the most general form with no reference to any symmetry and any specific property of space time and energy distribution. His equation characterized by time like velocity vector under its own gravity and modified Einstein's equation and changes the history of the concept of universe. His equation is routinely used by Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking to explain the theory of universe.

His biography has been written by J.V. Narlekar and a documentary film has been made on his life. Perhaps after Satyendra Nath Bose, he is the most accepted Indian Physicist by the Western World.

He was a great teacher, science orator and popularly known as AKR by his students. Even when I was in Presidency College (1979-82), I was fortunate to hear many of his lectures including the one on explanation to Dirac Equation.