Noshir Hormusjee "N. H." Wadia (10 January 1925 – 10 April 2016) was an Indian

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

. He was a prominent figure in the field of

neurology Neurology (from el, wikt:νεῦρον, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix wikt:-logia, -logia, "study of") is the branch of specialty (medicine), medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of co ...

. Wadia was given the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

award by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

. He was also given the Certificate of Appreciation for Services to Neurology by the

World Federation of Neurology World Federation of Neurology (WFN) was formed in Brussels, Belgium, in 1957, as an association of national neurological societies. It is a UK registered charity with a mission to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide through promo ...

in 1993. He pioneered the practice of neurology in India.

Career

Noshir Hormusjee Wadia entered Grant Medical College,

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

in 1943 and finished his MD Medicine from there in 1948, and did his MRCP from London. He joined as a Registrar, Neurology to Lord Brain, National Hospital for Nervous Diseases (1952–56), and then to the London Hospital as a Registrar and Tutor at the Medical School. He came back to India in 1957 and became Honorary Assistant Neurologist to his beloved alma mater. He served as a Lecturer in Neurology (1961–68) and Honorary Professor (1968–82),

Grant Medical College The Grant Government Medical College, Mumbai, is a public medical college, affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Founded in 1845, it is one of the oldest institutions teaching medicine in South Asia. Its clinical affil ...

. He headed the Neurology department at Grant Medical College and Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals for 25 years till 1982, when he stepped down and had his position taken by Bhimsen Singhal, one of his students. On retirement, he joined as a Consultant for Life at the Grant Medical College and Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals, and he was the Director, Neurology Department at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre (1973 to-date). He was felicitated DSc (hc) by

Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University (BHU) IAST: kāśī hindū viśvavidyālaya IPA: /kaːʃiː hɪnd̪uː ʋɪʃwəʋid̪jaːləj/), is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916 ...

(1999).

Books

N H Wadia is an author of book in Neurology 'Neurological Practice :An Indian Perspective.' He is one of the contributors of the book Tropical Neurology.

Notable works

Wadia has explored neurological manifestations of Acute hemorrhagic

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness may ...

due to

enterovirus ''Enterovirus'' is a genus of positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus An RNA virus is a virusother than a retrovirusthat has ribonucleic acid (RNA) as its genetic material. The nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA ( ssRNA) but it ma ...

E 70. *He described a new form of heredofamilial spinocerebellar degeneration with slow eye movements a completely new to the world. This later went on to be designated SCA 2. *Myelopathy Complicating Congenital Atlanto Axial Dislocation. *Atypical Features in

acoustic neuroma A vestibular schwannoma (VS), also called acoustic neuroma, is a benign tumor that develops on the vestibulocochlear nerve that passes from the inner ear to the brain. The tumor originates when Schwann cells that form the insulating myelin sheath o ...

. *Venous signs in Cerebral

Angioma Angiomas are benign tumors derived from cells of the vascular or lymphatic vessel walls (endothelium) or derived from cells of the tissues surrounding these vessels. Angiomas are a frequent occurrence as patients age, but they might be an indicato ...

Awards and recognition

Indian Academy of Neurology has set up an oration in annual conference in the name of Wadia.Indian Academy of Neurology - Exploring new frontiers in neurology
(Accessed on 26 June 2013) * The Certificate of Appreciation for Services to Neurology by

(1993) * First Rameshwardas Birla National Award for an Outstanding Practising Clinician in Modern Medicine (1999) * Lifetime Achievement Award in Medical Excellence by Harvard Medical International and Wockhardt Ltd for Pioneering and Immense Contributions in Speciality of Neurology, * SS Bhatnagar Medal for Excellence in General Science by INSA (2003) * Dhanvantari Award by Dhanvantari Medical Foundation for Outstanding Contribution in

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

(2003) * Shree Dhanwantari Prize by INSA (2006). He was elected Fellow of the

National Academy of Medical Sciences National Academy of Medical Sciences (India), better known by its acronym, NAMS, is a nodal agency under the Government of India, which acts as an advisory body to the Government in matters related to National Health Policy and Planning and as a ...

(1972) *

Indian Academy of Sciences The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore was founded by Indian Physicist and Nobel Laureate C. V. Raman, and was registered as a society on 24 April 1934. Inaugurated on 31 July 1934, it began with 65 founding fellows. The first general meet ...

, Bangalore (1983) *

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

, London (1970) *

, New Delhi, (2013)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wadia, N. H. 1925 births 2016 deaths Indian neurologists Indian medical academics Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in medicine Fellows of the National Academy of Medical Sciences 20th-century Indian medical doctors Medical doctors from Mumbai Parsi people Parsi people from Mumbai Wadia family Indian expatriates in the United Kingdom