The Vice Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University, Professor Tariq Mansoor has appointed Professor Tabassum Shahab as the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University, till further orders, in addition to his own duties. Prof Mansoor has made this appointment in exercise of the powers vested in him under Section 19(3) of AMU Act 1920.
Prof. Tabassum Shahab, a senior faculty member in the Department of Paediatrics, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College passed MD (Pediatrics) in 1981 from Madhya Pradesh and joined the Department of Pediatrics in March 1984.
Prof Shahab has published a number of research papers in important national and international journals such as Indian Pediatrics, Indian Journal of Pediatrics, Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, etc. He has also supervised 16 theses for MD Pediatrics and delivered lectures on important developments in the field of paediatric research at national level conferences and seminars. He has also served as a nodal officer of WHO and UNICEF’s global polio eradication programme.
Prof Shahab has also proved his mettle in administrative capacities as Nodal Officer, Minority Students’ Affairs, President, Gymkhana Club in University Games Committee, Chairman of Department of Pediatrics and Provost, Hadi Hasan Hall.
source: http://www.twocirlces.net / Two Cirlces / Home> Indian Muslim / TCN News / October 29th, 2017
In a development that is something Bihar should be proud of, Dr Mumtaz Naiyer, a UK-based scientist from Kishanganj district, has come up with an ‘exciting’ discovery on path to develop new type of vaccine to treat global viruses.
He along with other scientists from the University of Southampton has made a significant discovery in efforts to develop a vaccine against Zika, Dengue and Hepatitis C viruses that affect millions of people around the world.
In a study published in Science Immunology, researchers have shown that natural killer cells (NK cells), which are a fundamental part of the body’s immune system, can recognise many different viruses including global pathogens such as Zika, Dengue and Hepatitis C viruses, through a single receptor called KIR2DS2.
The Southampton team have shown that this NK cell receptor is able to target a non-variable part of the virus called the NS3 helicase protein, which is essential in making the virus work properly. Unlike other proteins, the NS3 helicase protein does not change, which allows the immune system to grab hold of it and let the NK cells deal with the threat.
Lead researcher Salim Khakoo, professor of hepatology, said the findings are very exciting and could change the way viruses are targeted by vaccines but warned that the research is still at an early stage, and animal studies/clinical trials will be needed to test the findings.
It is very exciting to discover that other viruses similar to Hepatitis C, such as Zika virus, dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and in fact all flaviviruses, contain a region within their NS3 helicase proteins that is recognised by exactly the same KIR2DS2 receptor.
“We believe that by targeting this NS3 helicase region, we can make a new type of vaccine based upon natural killer cells, which can be used to help protect people from these infections,” said Khakoo.
In an exclusive interview with MuslimMirror, Dr Naiyer, a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Southampton who the first author of the paper, talked at length about his roller coaster journey from Bihar to the United Kingdom and study.
Here are the excerpts:
MM: Please tell us about your journey from Bihar’s one of the most backward districts of Kishanganj to the University of Southampton, United Kingdom?
Dr Naiyer: I was born in one of the remotest village of Kishanganj in Bihar. The place earlier was referred to as ‘Kala Pani’ because of sheer backwardness and no access to mainland India. You can consider my small village as ‘Kala Pani’ with no access to schools etc. So much so, electricity in my village arrived in 2016 after 70 years of independence.
I was born in the 80s in a humble family of farmers. My parents were illiterate but had great quest for education. I was youngest among my siblings with five elder brothers and two sisters. The eldest brother did not attend school, one studied up to class V and three attended college. One of them did masters and later PhD in English literature.
My father passed away when I was 8 years old. It was extremely difficult for my mother to support us. As madarsas are cheaper, my mother even asked me to attend the Islamic seminary and become an ‘Aalim’ (Islamic scholar). After my father’s demise, one of my eldest brothers Mr Zainul Abedin had to discontinue his studies to support the education of two younger brothers.
As there were no schools nearby, I studied at home and a single teacher used to teach all the children in the village. I was directly admitted to standard three in a government school, which was 4 km away from my village. There were no roads and the situation in rainy season was like a nightmare. There was a strict discipline in our family for education. No matter how bad the day, one cannot miss the school.
I studied up to high school in my village. After that, I moved to Patna. Since my medium of instruction was Hindi till high school, it was difficult to switch to English books at 10+2. Contrary to my elder brothers who studied arts, I choose science with biology, physics and chemistry. I had a dream to become a doctor as I had seen young children die in my village without medical facilities.
However, after repeated attempts I could not clear Premedical Test (PMT) conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Bihar Combined Entrance Examination (BCEE). I moved to Delhi from Patna in the year 2000. I cracked BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) entrance examination of Karnataka and B.Pharm (Bachelor of Pharmacy) entrance examination of Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi. Unfortunately, I could not afford any of these two. Then, I decided to do a simple B.Sc. course.
I appeared in the entrance test of B.Sc. (Biosciences) at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and I got selected for the course. That year, Jamia had lauched B.Sc. (Biotechnology) programme. The central university gave us an option to choose either of the programme. In addition, those who were top in the merit list have an option to choose biotechnology. I choose biotechnology.
Teachers were very supportive. Till that time, I had no predefine goals for an academic career like this. But later, I attended lectures of prominent academicians and scientists in my university. That changed my attitude completely towards higher education.
Surviving in a metro city like Delhi was not an easy job. The money I used to get from my family was not enough. I used to give tuitions in the posh colonies of Delhi to earn some bucks and support myself. Apart from that, I received Merit Scholarship by Central Wakf Board, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, for consecutive two years at bachelors level. I must say my brothers tried their best to support me throughout my academic journey.
After my bachelors, I joined Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi in its master’s programme in biotechnology, which was one of the best in the capital. Here too, my teachers were very supportive and encouraged me to do pursue research. I got training in institutions like Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi. I got an exposure to quality research at my masters level. I was the recipient of Tasmia Merit Scholarship for best academic performance at masters level university exams in Jamia Hamdard.
My M.Sc. final year was full of turmoil. I lost my mother just a month before my final year’s examination and my family was going through financial crisis. Somehow, I managed to continue my studies.
I appeared in national level exams like National Eligibility Test (NET) jointly conducted by CSIR-UGC. I was awarded NET -Lectureship and Junior Research Fellowship by the UGC to pursue Ph.D. I also cleared GATE with 97 percentile.
After my masters, I joined National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, an autonomous institution of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, for my Ph.D. This is one of the top biotechnology research institutes in India. It is also a national cell repository. One of the best Immunologists in the country Dr Bhaskar Saha who is also a Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Awardee mentored me.
During my Ph.D., I gained knowledge in molecular immunology and cell signaling. I worked on Human Visceral Leishmaniasis also called Kala-azar. My research work ‘Identification and Characterisation of Interleukin-10 Receptor Antagonist’ was published in the journal ‘Human Immunology’. The financial support was provided by the UGC for five years in which I was awarded Junior Research fellowship (JRF) for two years and senior research fellowship (SRF) for three years.
At the end of my Ph.D., I received offers for postdoctoral fellowships from University of Montreal, Canada; John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; National Institute of Health, Bethesda, USA; and Imperial College London, UK. Previously, Khakoo lab was in Imperial College London, which was later shifted to University of Southampton where I work now since March 2012.
Although I had options to join other labs in the USA and Canada, I decided to join Professor Khakoo’s lab for my postdoctoral research as my research goals were best matched with the objectives of Khakoo lab.
At University of Southampton, I started working on clinically important viruses such as Hepatitis C virus, Dengue, Zika, etc. and tried to understand how Natural Killer cells – which are fundamental part of body’s immune system – can clear the viruses.
MM: Tell us about your research.
Dr Naiyer: This is a well-presented study and a significant advancement in this field that identifies the important role of the receptor KIR2DS2. Since I come from India, which has thousands of cases of dengue each year, I can understand the suffering of patients with dengue. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to ease the suffering of these dengue-affected patients.
Natural Killer Cells play important role in fight against cancer and viral clearance. Our study focuses on how a single vaccine can be effective against multiple viruses. Our findings, which was recently published in prestigious journal “Science Immunology” also suggests that this strategy for virus therapeutics could be easily translated into the field of cancer.
2. What kind of encouragement did you find from your family and friends?
Dr Naiyer: My family was supportive. My brothers would often say, ‘Do not think about money, you just focus in your studies and leave rest to us’.
I had a very healthy competition with my friends and some of them genuinely motivated me.
MM: given the literacy rate of your area, what did inspire you to select this stream in higher studies?
Dr Naiyer: During my growing up years in the 90s, the sentence I often hear in my surrounding was “padh likh kar kuch nahi hota” (education gives you nothing). Most of the parents would send their school going to children to Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab and other metro cities of India to earn money and livelihood. That was such a discouraging period for education in my area called Seemanchal, which resulted in very high number of unskilled labour force.
Nevertheless, I was never tempted to leave my school or studies and determined to prove that education is the most powerful tool. Despite hardship, I keep going systematically. Even during my bachelors and masters in Delhi, people from my area would say “kab tak padhte rahoge miyan” (how long would you study)?
MM: Why did not you go for engineering and other short-term professional courses like others belonging to humble family background do to support their families?
Dr Naiyer: As I said before, I wanted to become a medical doctor, so engineering or any other short-term courses were never in my mind.
MM: What are your future plans?
Dr Naiyer: I want to contribute more to science and use my knowledge and expertise against the serious threats to humankind posed by dangerous viruses such as Zika, Dengue, Ebola, etc.
I would like to establish my own lab and become a principal investigator. If given the opportunity, I would like to return to India and want to contribute to the Indian science.
MM: Is there anybig project in your mind?
Dr Naiyer: I am contemplating to write grants for my own funding to support my research work. I shall apply for grants in Medical Research Council, UK, and Wellcome Trust, UK.
MM: Where do you want to see yourself 10 years down the line?
Dr Naiyer: After 10 years, I want to see myself as a successful scientist who has contributed a bit for the welfare of humankind by doing high-level science. I want to become an expert in my field.
Do you have any plan for the educational upliftment of your area, especially for Muslim youth?
Dr Naiyer: This is interesting question. I would definitely plan and would happy to contribute for the educational upliftment of my area. I along with some other friends from Bihar are trying to develop a unique platform where we can support meritorious students from Seemanchal (Bihar) irrespective of their financial conditions.
I have a dream to establish school/colleges, hospitals and healthcare in every block of Seemanchal. I would also focus in girls/women education. I would share the road map at appropriate time.
MM. Do you want to give any message to the youth of the community?
Dr Naiyer: Our community has some deeper problems and the youth are looking for microwave solutions. Our community has limited resources, please use them effectively. You must work hard, and should not waste time and resources.
The message I would pass to the youths is that there is no short cut for success. You cannot bypass the stairs of education and reach on the top through a side-lift. If you try, it would be disastrous for your career. Do not fear failures as failures are there to make you strong.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Health / by admin – Muslim Mirror Staff / October 10th, 2017
Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Farasat Hussain was honoured at a special function today.
Sports and culture minister Renu Devi felicitated Dr Hussain at the function organised to honour people associated with sports.
Dr Hussain, national president of Sports Medicine Association of India, received the honour for his contribution in the field of sports medicine and for promoting sports among physically challenged persons, including polio patients. Other members of sports fraternity were also felicitated at the function organised at the Sri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna. Renu Devi came on behalf of chief minister Nitish Kumar, who, due to some reason could not attend the function.
Dr Hussain has represented India at several international conferences on sports medicine at Muscat, Darussalam (Brunei), Bangkok (Thailand), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Tehran (Iran). Presently, he is associated with the Commonwealth Games.
Dr Hussain is also associated with Arpan, a Gaya-based organisation for physically challenged persons. He has motivated boys and girls in Magadh division to overcome their challenges and turn them into opportunities to participate in activities as equal partners in society.
Krishna Murari is one such member of Arpan. Encouraged by Dr Hussain, he represented India recently at the sitting volleyball competition held in the USA.
Dozens of other Arpan members have also made it to several national level sporting events, including cricket and cycling.
An expert in corrective surgery, Dr Farasat Hussain has operated on nearly 3,000 polio-affected children in different areas of Magadh division over the years.
President of a Gaya-based orphanage, Dr Hussain has also been associated with several other social, professional and charitable organisations, including Red Cross, IMA, Lions Club and Gaya District Sports Association.
Dr Hussain, after being honoured, told The Telegraph he would be continue on his mission to promote sports medicine for the larger benefit of the sporting community and would encourage physically challenged persons to find new meaning in their life through games and sport. Games, he believes, are the best levellers in society.
“This honour has given me a fresh impetus to carry forward my work. I hope that now the government will take more initiatives to promote sports among the physically challenged persons and give them jobs,” Dr Hussain said.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta, India / Front Page> Bihar> Story / by Farhana Kalam / Monday – August 30th, 2010
Abdul Wajid, a jobless village boy, built a plane from scratch to prove that he is not worthless!
The youth of this country have to face one huge challenge – that of unemployment. Whatever the government waxes on about all day, the fact of the matter is that the educated and even brightest of the youth sometimes have to settle for less than satisfactory jobs or just stay at home because there are no takers or no vacancies. While for those in metro cities the situation is relatively easier, for those in the rural areas, it is extremely terrible. They do not even have access to technology or means to reach out and if they do not leave their village, the chances of them getting a job in the village itself are negligent. While many disillusioned youth give up and go back to their village and take up the family profession, there are some like Abdul Wajid who decide to take matters in their own hands.
Image Credit: The Times of India
Abdul Wajid is a 26-year old youth residing in Muzaffarnagar village in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He completed his National Cadet Corps (NCC) training and since then has been hunting for a job but so far, has been unsuccessful in all his attempts. While training for the NCC, he had completed a course in aero-modelling at Safdarjung airport and used the skills he learned at the course to desgin and fashion his own aircraft! His one-seater plane was built entirely by himself at the cost of Rs 5 lakhs! How did a jobless youth get the amount? With the help of family, friends and the generous villagers! His plane is completely designed and made by him – from metal scraps and engines of old cars and Abdul Wajid is confident that it will definitely run.
He has already applied for a request and approval from the aviation board to try test-flying the plane. The plane he has created is made of wood and weighs a whopping 350 kgs. The plane is meter long in structure and is supported by steel frames and the engine is that of an old Maruti van he purchased specifically for this purpose. The plane was initially fitted with 2 bike engines but they had to be changed as the engines would not be adequate to give the required thrust. The plane uses petrol for fuel and comes fitted with a 25 litre fuel tank which is expected to carry Wajid Abdul through a distance of up to 10 kms. The only obstruction in front of him is how to get the permission to fly the air-craft!
The first request was placed at the Muzaffarnagar council where just like the villagers, everyone was stumped. The local civic body visited Abdul Wajid and even they were confused as they could not provide the permission. They then asked Abdul to write to the aviation ministry and Abdul has vowed to do just that. Although people in his village earlier mocked him, now everyone is proud of him. He is filled with hope that if he can make a plane all by himself, then he can definitely get a green signal from the aviation ministry! Also, he hopes that once he flies his plane, people will take notice of his abilities and offer him atleast a decent job. He also expects to get some monetary compensation from the Chief Minister for his efforts.
source: http://www.india.com / India.com / Home> News> India / by Rutu Ladage / May 26th, 2016
Saidullah has won many trophies (Pictures: Prashant Ravi)
Mohammed Saidullah, a resident of Motihari in the Indian state of Bihar, has received many awards and trophies in the last few years for his innovation.
In 1975, when his Jatwa-Janerwa village was swamped under flood waters – an annual monsoon menace – he pleaded with a local boatman to take him to safety.
When the boatman refused to give him space unless he paid for it, the young Saidullah looked for other ways to tackle the floodwater.
Necessity met creativity and in just three days, he made an amphibious bicycle which could easily negotiate the floodwaters.
He modified the conventional bicycle by adding four rectangular air floats to support it while it moved on water. Two fan blades were attached to the spokes of the rear wheel which enabled it to run on both water and land.
The blades were arranged in such a fashion that the cycle could be driven in reverse direction too.
Shining moment
Later, Mr Saidullah demonstrated the prowess of his vehicle before a stunned crowd, which included the then state governor, AR Kidwai, when he crossed the river Ganges in Patna city.
His big shining moment came in January 2005 when the then Indian President, APJ Abdul Kalam, presented him with the National Innovation Foundation’s (NIF) lifetime achievement award.
In the same year, he was selected as one of the 12 finalists for the prestigious Wall Street Journal Asian Innovation Awards.
Saidullah takes his grandchildren for a joy ride in his cycle-rickshaw
He was also profiled for the Discovery Channel’s “Beyond Tomorrow” programme.
In fact, he has won so many awards that he has lost count of them all.
An impressed NIF took away his bicycle and offered to get it patented.
But three years later, Mr Saidullah has neither got the patent nor the bicycle.
Today, he lives in penury.
Everyday, he pedals about 30 kms on his bicycle to sell honey so that he can feed his family of 16.
But the work brings him a paltry 1,500 rupees ($37) a month.
Grinding poverty
Unable to make the ends meet, he has now put up his roadside half-thatched, half-concrete house and the small plot of land – in Mathia Dih locality of Motihari in East Champaran district – on sale.
His disillusionment is such that Mr Saidullah wants to return all his awards and trophies.
“If you want to destroy someone, give him an award,” he says.
After the bicycle, Mr Saidullah also invented an amphibious cycle-rickshaw which he demonstrated before the BBC team in a nearby pond.
“On this, I can take my grandchildren for a joy ride in the water,” Mr Saidullah told the BBC.
The workshop is his favourite place
“But I feel hurt by what the NIF has done to me. They used us for their promotion,” he says.
“May I know how many innovators like me have been benefited and how many of us have been destroyed by them?” asks Mr Saidullah, with pain creasing his face.
NIF executive chairman, Anil Gupta, is sympathetic to Mr Saidullah’s plight: “We tried a lot, are still trying and will keep trying to explore things being done for Mr Saidullah’s amphibious bicycle. But yes his frustration is completely understandable.
“Despite our best efforts, for some reasons we failed to generate any entrepreneurship for his bicycle. We’ve given him the innovation fellowship of a fixed amount and we are ready to support him in future too,” Mr Gupta said.
There is still a chance that things may look up for him.
A senior official in Bihar state’s science and technology department, Ajay Kumar, told the BBC he would do all he could to help Mohammed Saidullah.
“Though there is no structured schemes for commercialisation of such innovations in my department but we would certainly help him in getting his product patented after talking with the NIF,” Mr Kumar said.
According to Mohammed Saidullah’s son, Mohammed Shakilurrahman, the family was not always poor. Mr Saidullah inherited acres of land, orchards, elephants and a big house from his father.
But, the rural scientist sold all his property to pursue his innovations, his son says.
New things
He blames his father’s “sheer madness” for the family’s poverty.
He too sells honey in the state capital.
However, Mr Saidullah’s bitter past experience has not stopped him from moving on to new things.
After the amphibious bicycle, he developed a key-operated table fan which can run non-stop for two hours, a mini-water pump that needs no fuel and a mini-tractor which can run for two hours on just five litres of diesel.
Saidullah names all his innovations after his wife, Noor
Now, he claims he’s making a helicopter which would cost the equivalent of $62,500 and a car that would be powered by air energy.
His dark, dingy workshop is crammed with a hand-made lathe machines and countless corroded nut-bolts littered on long rusty iron racks.
But it’s his favourite place. “I love to be here all the time,” he says.
Where would he go once his house and land is sold off?
“I’ll make a three-storey moving car with folding cots, pack my family in and park it on an open government land by the roadside anywhere,” he says.
The maverick innovator says he draws inspiration for his innovations from his everyday experiences. He has named all his creations after his loving wife, Noor Jahan.
“Noor means light and Inshallah a day would come when there would be light in our life too,” says Saidullah.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk / BBC News / Home> South Asia / by Amarnath Tewary / Motihari – Bihar / March 03rd, 2008
Aligarh Muslim University Alumnus, Dr Mohammad Abbas Khan has brought laurels to his Alma mater after graduating, among the top of his class at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine, USA for Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).
Khan has scored a 100 percent in Pharmacology besides scoring the highest marks in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology in his exams at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine. He has also been felicitated during the award ceremony of the Dental School. Meanwhile, he has also been awarded by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, USA for being among the top of the Dental School’s merit list.
Khan, who has been in the Boston University for over two years, has made remarkable contributions to the student bodies. As the elected President of American Association of Public Health Dentistry for the Boston University, he generated awareness about Public Health and spearheaded new initiatives. Due to his good academic record and passion to contribute to the students, he was appointed as the teaching assistant for the subjects of Pharmacology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Endodontics and Removable Prosthodontics.
Before beginning his journey at Boston University for his DMD, he did his MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) and graduated in 2015. Even at JHSPH, he was among toppers and contributed to the student community as the elected Vice-President for Johns Hopkins Student Assembly and Student representative for Committee on Academic Standards.
Khan’s mother, Dr Zebun Nisa Khan teaches at the Department of Education, AMU while his father Professor Huzoor H Khan teaches at the Department of Mathematics, AMU.
source: http://www.twocirlces.net / Two Circles.net / Home> Indian Muslims> Lead Story / TCN News / May 29th, 2017
Four years back, Naeem Ahmad Khan, professor at faculty of Unani Medicine, Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College, Aligarh Muslim University, set a goal for himself– he wanted to find a cure for diabetes.
It was possible only if he could regenerate the primary function of beta islet cells of the pancreas to store and release insulin.
Four years on, he claims to have succeeded in his mission. He has developed a medicine that, he says, will not only improve the function of pancreatic cells, but also protect them. Besides, it will regenerate beta islet cells and improve their health by giving them required nutrition.
“My medicine will regenerate the natural process of the pancreas. This medicine will help diabetic respond to fluctuations in blood glucose concentrations quickly by releasing stored insulin,” says Dr Khan.
He believes that the medicine, if clears clinical trials, will be a better alternative to the existing drugs. “Modern diabetic medicines stimulate beta cells to produce and release more insulin. If a person develops diabetes at a younger age, these medicines stop working after a few years. Then the alternative before the patient is to take insulin supplement, which is an expensive as well as painful treatment,” he says.
The clinical trial of the medicine, he believes, will help standardise traditional medicine system in India and bring it at par with modern medicine
“Apart from restoring the normal functioning of beta cells, I believe that this medicine will also bring down the number of pancreatitis cases in diabetes,” he says.
Khan says that his medicine has already been tested on animals and has gone through the necessary toxicological studies to rule out any heavy metal impurities and other toxic effects. It has been passed by the Government of India’s Institutional Ethical Committee, he adds.
The drug will soon be tested clinically before it is available in the market. “We will study it in a controlled environment where we will monitor its effect on diabetes in non- insulin dependent patients. We will also compare it with other existing popular modern drugs,” says Khan.
The clinical trial of the medicine, he believes, will help standardise traditional medicine system in India and bring it at par with modern medicine. “Evidence-based traditional medicine is the need of the hour. We need to exploit their potential to help people deal with various lifestyle diseases,” he says.
Khan says that this medicine has been developed from eight different medicinal plants, some of which were used by ancient Unani practitioners. “These medicines are as scientific as allopathic drugs. We need to validate their worth and that’s what I have been trying to do all these years, ” he says.
source: http://www.healthpost.in / Healthpost.in / Home / by HP Correspondent / Saturday – January 28th, 2017
Prof. Mahdi Hasan was born on March 21, 1936 in a village Gadayan, Akbarpur (then in Faizabad, now in Ambedkar Nagar), in UP.
His father, Jawad Husain, was Tehsildar, posted at that time at Tehsil Mohanlalganj of the District Lucknow, and his mother was Tayyabunnisa Begun. Hasan’s father died when Hasan was four years old, and his mother, being ill, was unable to care for him. His brothers late Bakhshish Husain, a police officer, and Syed Ghulam Husain, an IAS officer, subsequently raised him.
However, this did not deter him from pursuing his life with zeal and devotion to his studies and dedication for sports. He used to study at night in the light of a kerosene lamp and play during the day in the fields of the village. He excelled in studies and was appreciated for his sporting prowess. His father wanted him to be a doctor. He himself wanted to be a teacher. Finally he became both, and a sportsman too in the bargain.
In 1950, Hasan enrolled in the Christian College at Lucknow, where he did his Intermediate. Thereafter he did his B.Sc. I year from Lucknow University and in 1952 he was selected in M.B.B.S. at King George Medical College.
After graduation, he joined the Department of Anatomy as a Demonstrator in the year 1958 and worked till early 1963. He did his post graduation in Anatomy from KGMC. Thereafter, he moved to the J.N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, where he would spend the bulk of his career.
It was in 1958 that he got married to Abida Kazim, who was an MA in Urdu, a rare achievement at that time for a woman from a Muslim family.
His persistent endeavour was to pursue basic medical research and his main thrust was to study problems of national relevance, such as environmental pollution, pesticide and metal neurotoxicity and brain aging. His commitment and dedication to acquire and disseminate knowledge can also be judged from the fact that during the last 6 months of his life, when he was very seriously ill, he worked earnestly to complete a book on Treacher Collins Syndrome.
He would sit for long hours with swollen legs kept on stool writing the book, which he completed in December 2012, a month before his death. Fortunately, the book was published a few days before his death when he was in the intensive care unit.
Dr. Hasan, all through his illustrious academic career spanning around 55 years (1958–2013), fought a relentless battle and succeeded in giving a completely new orientation to the teaching of anatomy.
He has to his credit about five books, seven book chapters, 125 research papers in indexed journals. His research work has earned him over 600 citations including those in the prestigious Nature, Gray’s Anatomy, and NIOSH and in 38 other reference works. He was indeed a man of parts, combines excellent teaching and research capabilities with societal concerns and social commitments.
Hasan spent many years trying to establish a Brain Research facility at Aligarh.
With assistance from the German government, he succeeded in 1980 with the establishment of the first Interdisciplinary Brain Research Centre.
He has been an internationally renowned anatomist, a pioneering brain researcher and a reputed national expert of medical education and have been rewarded with a no. of awards.
A few to name are Dr. S.S. Misra Medal of National Academy of Medical Sciences (India), Dr. Dharam Narayan Gold Medal of the Anatomical Society of India (1977), Ati Vishisht Chikitsa Medal of College of Chest Physicians of India (1995), Sushruta Award of World Academy of Integrated Medicine (WAIM) 2002, Dr. Bachawat Life-Time Achievement Award of Indian Academy of Neurosciences (2004) and Dr. Tirumurti Award of Indian National Science Academy (2010).
Professor Hasan was a person who had utmost devotion, dedication and determination in acquiring, creating and disseminating knowledge. Seldom does one find a nucleus around which an institution is build, but it goes to the credit of Professor Mahdi Hasan that at least three premier medical institutions of North India will always fondly cherish his memory.
KGMC will always remember him as its illustrious student and teacher; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh will always remember him as an excellent, dedicated and devoted teacher; and Era’s Lucknow Medical College, Lucknow (a medical institution founded around him) will find it difficult to overlook its founder Director-Principal and Trustee. Alas!
This renowned medical teacher breathed his last on 12 January 2013 after fighting a relentless battle against cancer of the prostrate. He had been at Imambara Gufran Ma’ab sahib. His wife, Mrs Abida Mahdi died soon after on 24 February 2013.
Many Firsts In India To The Credit Of Mahdi Hasan
First in India to have obtained M.S. with Honours in Anatomy.
First Anatomist of the Country to be selected by Govt. of India for German Academic Exchange Fellowship (DAAD) in 1965.
First Anatomist of India to have learnt electron microscopy and published a large number of research papers using this technique from 1966 onwards.
First and only Indian Anatomist to be chosen a Fellow of Alexander von-Humboldt Foundation (Germany).
First to publish a new “in vivo” method of staining zinc (Experientia Switzerland) 1977.
First Indian Anatomist to have earned both Ph.D. and D.Sc.
First and only Indian Anatomist to be conferred both the Hari Om Ashram Alembic Award (1978) and Dr. B.C. Roy National Award (1991-92).
First to establish an Interdisciplinary Brain Research Centre in India (1977).
First Indian Anatomist to be appointed an Adviser in Neurotoxicology by WHO (Geneva).
First Indian Anatomist who presided over the First Afro- Asian Oceana Congress of Anatomists organized by AIIMS, in September 1988 at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi.
First and only Indian Anatomist to be appointed a member of the Governing Body of ICMR.
First and only Indian Anatomist to be appointed chairman of the Medical Committee of the Indian Red Cross.
First Indian Anatomist to be elected a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and also its Senior Scientist.
First in India whose academic and social contributions comprise the main theme of a Malayalam Short Story “Jeevacchavangal” (Living Cadaver) by Punathil Kunjabdullah in 1972 (translated into Hindi, Urdu, English, French and Russian language) and won the gyanpeeth puraskar for the same.
First Anatomist in recognition of whose meritorious contributions to clinical anatomy, a Gold Medal Award was instituted by the Anatomical Society of India in 1990 (continues till date).
First and only Indian Anatomist to be awarded Padma Shri by Government of India.
Positions held :
Demonstrator in Anatomy, King George’s Medical College, Lucknow (06.11.1958 to 30.04.1963)
Lecturer in Anatomy, King George’s Medical College, (01.05.1963 to 17.10.1963)
Reader in Anatomy, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, AMU, Aligarh (18.10.1963 to 31.03.1972)
Professor of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, AMU, Aligarh (1972-1996)
Director, Interdisciplinary Brain Research Centre, JNMC, AMU, Aligarh (1980-1993)
Medical Superintendent JNMCH, AMU, Aligarh (1983- 1985)
Principal and Chief Medical Superintendent, JNMC, AMU, Aligarh (1984-1987)
Dean Students Welfare, AMU, Aligarh (1988-1989) Dean, Faculty of Medicine, JNMC, Aligarh (1991-1993)
Guest Faculty, Department of Anatomy, KG Medical College, Lucknow University (1997-1999)
Emeritus Medical Scientist ICMR, New Delhi INSA Senior Scientist (2003-2006)
(1998-2001)
Member of NAAC (National and Accreditation Council of Govt. of India) Feb 2010
INSA Hon. Scientist, Dept. Of Anatomy, CSM Medical University,Lucknow (2006-2011)
President of :
Indian Academy of Neurosciences -1986
First Afro-Asian Oceana Congress of Anatomists held at Hotel Ashoka, organized by All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi -1988
Association of Gerontology-India -1992 -Anatomical Society of India.
Fellow of :
National Academy of Medical Science (India) [FAMS] -Indian National Science Academy [FNA]
National Academy of Sciences, India [FNAS]
Writer a is student, an aspiring painter & calligrapher
source: http://www.lucknowobserver.com / Lucknow Observer / Home> Others / by Akansha / January 26th, 2015 – / The Lucknow Observer, Vol.1, Issue 10 / January 05th, 2015
Co-founder of Ati Motors, Saad Nasser hopes to release his first autonomous goods vehicle prototype in the next 2 years
14-year old Saad Nasser’s start-up is building an autonomous goods vehicle
Saad Nasser, all of 14 years old, is no ordinary teen. Having read books on Java before the age of 5 and learnt C++ programming by the age of 7, Saad is a self-taught child prodigy with a lot to talk about. Saad is the co-founder of an autonomous vehicle start-up called Ati Motors, based out of Bangalore and is aiming to build the world’s first autonomous goods vehicle. But there is one more twist to this. This will be not like your regular goods vehicle but designed to offer the maneuverability of a two wheeler vehicle in order to run it on hilly areas apart from campuses.
Saad has been a winner at the Intel IRIS Science Fair 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016. His project on tiled processors won him the Sam Pitroda Award for Research and Creativeness as the best project of the fair.
BOOM caught up with Saad at the NASSCOM India Leadership Forum where we spoke to him about his entrepreneurial journey at such a young age.
source: http://www.boomlive.in / Boom / Home> Uncategorized / by Jency Jacob / February 24th, 2017
The system’s beginnings can be traced to the teachings of ancient Greek physicians like Hippocrates, and its principle revolves around strengthening the ‘Quwwat-e-Mudabbira-e-Badan’ (immunity).
Dr Yusuf Ansari has authored over two dozen books which are used by Unani and MBBS students across India. Mayur Bargaje
The Unani system of medicine, which was introduced by the Arabs and Persians sometime in the 11th century, is said to be dying a slow death. Though India is still one of the leading countries in Unani medicine today, with the largest number of educational, research and healthcare institutions, the number of Unani practitioners here is far less than what it was in the past. In Maharashtra, a doctor has been making efforts to make Unani medicine system more relevant and accessible in contemporary India. Dr Yusuf Ansari, a 62-year-old resident of Malegaon, has authored over two dozen books in the past two decades which are used by Unani students across the country. The books are based on the Unani medical curricula laid down by the government, but some of them, like the ones on physiology, surgery and pathology, are also referred by MBBS students.
The system’s beginnings can be traced to the teachings of ancient Greek physicians like Hippocrates, and its principle revolves around strengthening the ‘Quwwat-e-Mudabbira-e-Badan’ (immunity). The foremost book on Unani — ‘The Canon of Medicine’ — was written by Avicenna in the ninth century. While Avicenna’s works were followed by other writers as well, the content and language of these books made them a bit difficult for students to follow. “All these books are scholarly pieces, but seeing that many students found these books a little difficult to follow, I attempted to write a book which would be in tune with the contemporary times and would be lucid and understandable for students as well,” said Ansari.
Ansari’s first attempt was a book called ‘Tahafuzz-e-Tibb’, or preventive and social medicine. “The idea was to link the concept of Unani medicine with contemporary medical problems. I wrote the book to make this effective medical form understandable and more relevant. The book, however, was published only in 1996 after which I was asked to write more on the subject,” said Ansari.
Interestingly, Ansari’s primary degree has not been in Unani medicine. Coming from a very humble background, Ansari gained an MA in English, and for a time used to work for Rs 20 per week. He eventually joined a Unani college as an English language teacher to make ends meet. It was only in his 30s that Ansari’s interest in Unani medicine peaked and he decided to pursue a degree in it at the same college where he taught English.
Apart from Unani medicine, Ansari also writes in various science journals on subjects such as electronics and information technology. Ansari believes that education is the only way to empower communities in the country. His son Mohammad is the first IITian to emerge out of Malegaon. His sister Dr Zubaida Ansari was the first female scientist from Malegaon and is now a part of Jamia Millia Islamia’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences. His nephew Aleem Faizee runs a popular community website in Malegaon. “Today, this medicinal system is suffering because it is seen to be associated with a certain community. My attempts have been to ensure that people open their minds and see things for what they are really worth,” says Ansari.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> India / by Zeeshan Shaikh , Malegaon / July 10th, 2017
