Dr. Indira Nath
Prof. Indira Nath, MD, FRC Path, DSc(hc) is Former Founder Head of Department of Biotechnology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. After retirement in 1998, she continued at AIIMS as SN Bose Professor of the Indian National Science Academy, later as Dean of Medical School of AIMST, in Malaysia, Director of the UK Lepra Research Centre in Hyderabad and Raja Ramanna Fellow and Emeritus Professor, National Institute of Pathology (ICMR), New Delhi, India.
She received an MBBS and MD from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and later served on the Faculty of AIIMS and started the first Biotechnology department in a medical school. She has made pioneering contributions to immunology research by her seminal work on cellular immune responses in human leprosy and a search for markers for viability of the leprosy bacillus which is not cultivable. She has also mentored many MBiotech, MD, and PhD students and made contributions to education, medical and science policies, and women scientists’ issues. She was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee to Cabinet, Foreign Secretary INSA (1995–1997), Council member (1992–1994 and 1998–2006) and Vice President (2001–2003) of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, and Chairperson, Women Scientists Programme, DST (2003) and served on several national and international advisory committees.
Recent activities include: Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Programme of the International Council of Science (ICSU), Paris and Co-Chair of the Inter-Academy Council’s programme on Responsible Conduct in the Global Research Enterprise, Co Chair Indo-US Academies meetings on Emerging Infections and Biosafety. She was invited plenary speaker on Global Health at the UN STI meeting in New York in May 2017 and Global Health Index, London May 2017, Member planning and speaker for the International workshop on ‘Assessing the Security Implications of Genome Editing Technology, Oct 11-13, Hanover, member and speaker at Indo US meeting on Biosecurity, Washington DC Nov 6-7, 2017.
She is Chair for Basic Medical Sciences, ICMR and for TEC on Genetic Diseases in DHR, member Academic Committee and Governing Body AIIMS, Rishikesh, DBT’s Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar. She is member for the Review Board for DHR, Min Health and Family Welfare, 2017.
She was conferred numerous awards, notably: Padmashri (1999), Chevalier Ordre National du Merite, France (2003), Silver Banner, Tuscany, Italy (2003), L’Oreal UNESCO Award for Women in Science (Asia Pacific) (2002), SS Bhatnagar Award (1983), and the Basanti Devi Amir Chand Award by ICMR (1994). She was elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, Delhi; National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad (1988); Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (1990); National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) (1992); Royal College of Pathology (1992); and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) (1995). She was conferred a DSc (hc) 2002, by Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France. Recently (16th January 2018) She was felicitated with the prestigious "Life Time Achievement Award" from A.I.I.M.S for her excellent contribution in the field of Biotechnology by Hon'ble President of India Mr. Ram Nath Kovid.