Vasant Ramji Khanolkar (13 April 1895 – 29 October 1978), better known as V. R. Khanolkar, was an Indian

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causal, causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when us ...

. He made major contributions to the epidemiology and understanding of cancer, blood groups, and

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

. He has been called the "Father of Pathology and Medical Research in India." He was born on 13 April 1895 in

Gomantak Maratha Samaj Gomantak Maratha Samaj is a Hindu community found in the Indian state of Goa. They are known as ''Nutan Maratha Samaj'' in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra and ''Naik Maratha Samaj'' in Maharashtra, Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, ...

Family. He studied medicine at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

and obtained his M.D. in Pathology in 1923. He was a Professor of Pathology in Grant Medical and Seth G. S. Medical Colleges in Mumbai. He was also closely associated with the

Tata Memorial Hospital The Tata Memorial Hospital is situated in Parel, Mumbai, in India. Also popularly known as TMH. It is a specialist cancer treatment and research centre, closely associated with the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer ...

and served as director of laboratories and research. The government of India appointed him a national research professor of medicine, a position which he held for ten years. He helped to organize the Indian Cancer Research Centre and served as director from its inception until 1973. He was founder president of the Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists. He published three books on cancer and leprosy and more than 100 scientific papers. He received

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 ...

in 1955 from 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 died October 29, 1978. The ''Dr. V. R. Khanolkar Oration'' was established in 1987 by 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 ...

in his memory.http://www.nams-india.in/Oration%20and%20Awards.pdf

Honorable positions

* president of the International Cancer Research Commission (1950–1954). * president of the International Union Against Cancer. * member of the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

panel on cancer and leprosy. * member of the United Nations scientific committee on the effects of atomic radiation. * member of the World Health Organization advisory committee on medical research. * member of the governing body of the

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (IAST: ''vaigyanik tathā audyogik anusandhāna pariṣada''), abbreviated as CSIR, was established by the Government of India in September 1942 as an autonomous body that has emerged as the l ...

. * vice-chancellor of

Bombay University The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed ...

(1960–1963). * chairman of the Biological and Medical Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Department, Government of India (1955–1960).

Selected publications

* V. R. Khanolkar, Non-specific training of antibody production. The Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology, Volume 27, Issue 2, pages 181–186, 1924. * V. R. Khanolkar, T. B. Panse, and V. D. Divekar. Gamma-Sitosteryl Glycoside in Tobacco.

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, 16 September 1955: Vol. 122. no. 3168, pp. 515 – 516 * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khanolkar, V. R. Indian pathologists Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in medicine 1895 births 1978 deaths Marathi people Heads of universities and colleges in India Indian medical writers Alumni of the University of London World Health Organization officials Scientists from Maharashtra Recipients of the Padma Shri in medicine 20th-century Indian medical doctors Indian officials of the United Nations