Autar Singh Paintal (24 September 1925 – 21 December 2004) was a

medical 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 practic ...

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosoph ...

who made pioneering discoveries in the area of

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...

s and respiratory sciences. He is the first Indian Physiologist to become the Fellow of the Royal Society, London. He was a merit student and did his post graduation in

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

from King George Medical College,

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

. Paintal completed his PhD under the supervision of David Whitteridge at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. His major contribution to the world of science is the development of a single-fiber technique for recording afferent impulses from individual sensory receptors. Paintal discovered several sensory receptors including atrial B receptors, pulmonary J-receptors, ventricular pressure receptors, stomach stretch receptors, and muscle pain receptors. They have set the beginning of new era in physiological understanding. Paintal returned to India in 1953 and joined

All India Institute of Medical Sciences The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a group of autonomous government public medical universities of higher education under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India. These institutes ha ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...

. He later became Director of the Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute. He was also the first Principal of

University College of Medical Sciences University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) is a medical college in Delhi, India, affiliated with the University of Delhi. It is associated with Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, which serves as the teaching hospital. History The University College ...

, Delhi. Paintal subsequently was elevated to Director General of the

Indian Council of Medical Research The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world. The ICMR is funded by the Gove ...

and he was also the founder president of Society of Scientific Values. Paintal had 3 children by his first wife Iris Paintal. His second daughter

Priti Paintal Priti Paintal (born 1960) is an East Indian composer, performer, music producer and promoter who lives and works in England. Life Paintal was born in New Delhi, India, the daughter of the distinguished Indian scientist Autar Singh Paintal. She tr ...

is a music composer in the UK. His second wife Dr Ashima Anand-Paintal is also a scientist.

References

External links

A.S. Paintal — a celebrated physiologist
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Obituary from Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences
1925 births 2004 deaths Indian physiologists Indian Sikhs Fellows of the Royal Society All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi faculty Alumni of the University of Edinburgh King George's Medical University alumni University of Lucknow alumni TWAS fellows Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in medicine {{India-scientist-stub