V. Ramalingaswami

Vulimiri Ramalingaswami (8 August 1921 — 28 May 2001) was an eminent Indian Physician, Pathologist, Fundamental Scientist and great Teacher.

He was born in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh State, India. He had his early education in the historical town of Bobbili. He did his graduation in Medicine from Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam in 1944 and M.D. in Internal Medicine in 1946. He obtained his D.Phil. and D.Sci. in 1951 and 1967 from Oxford University, United Kingdom. He started his research career at the Nutrition Research Laboratories, Coonoor in the Nilgiris (now the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad) in 1947. He worked as Professor of Pathology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He became the Director of the institute1 and served the premier institute for 10 years 1969-1979). He became the Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi. In remembrance of his great service, the Indian Government has decided to name the Indian Council of Medical Research building after him (Ramalingaswami Bhavan). He was also President of the Indian National Science Academy. He was Special Advisor to World Health Orgnisation and President of National Institute of Immunology. He has served as Chair of the International Task Force on Health Research for Development in Geneva (1990-93). He was Secretary-General of the International Conference on Nutrition, in Rome in December 1992, which was held under the auspices of the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He was appointed to the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada in 1999. His contributions to pathophysiology of protein energy malnutrition are well known. His classical experiments on correction of Iodine deficiency by supplementation of common salt with potassium iodate laid foundation for the National Iodine Deficiency Control Programme. He has significant contributions in the discovery of new syndrome of Non-cirrhotic Portal Fibrosis (NCPF) and Indian Childhood Cirrhosis. He has been honored with Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award2 by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in 1967 and Padma Shri in 1969, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan by Government of India, KK Birla National Award and Basanti Devi Amirchand Award. Leon Bernard Foundation Award6 was presented to him by Sir Harold Walter, president of the 1976 World Health Assembly.

Fellowships

 * Indian Academy of Sciences.
 * Indian National Science Academy.
 * National Academy of Medical Sciences.
 * National Academy of Sciences, USA7.
 * Royal College of Pathologists (London), UK.
 * Royal College of Physicians, UK.
 * Russian Academy of Medical Sciences

Selected Publications

 * 1. Ramalingaswami, V., Menon, P. S. , and Venkatachalam, P. S. , The Indian Physician, 7, 229 (1948).


 * 2. V. Ramalingaswami, H. M. Sinclair : The Eelation of Deficiencies of Vitamin A and of Essential Fatty Acids to Follicular Hyperkeratosis in the Rat. British Journal of Dermatology. 65(1), 1-22, 1953.


 * 3. Ramalingaswami, V., Sriramachari, S. , and Patwardhan, V. N. , Ind. J. Med. Sci., 8, 433 (1954).


 * 4. V. Ramalingaswami, E.H. Leach and S. Sriramachari: Occular structure in Vitamin A Deficiency in the Monkey. Q J Exp Physiol Cogn Med Sci., 40, 337-347, 1955.


 * 5. V. Ramalingaswami, T.A.V. Subramanian, M.G. Deo, The Aetiology of Himalayan Endemic Goitre, Lancet, i: 791, 1961.


 * 6. V. Ramalingaswami: Perspectives in Protein Malnutrition, Nature, 201: 546-551, 1964.


 * 7. Lancet, 1969.


 * 8. Ramalingaswami V., Nayak N.C. Liver Disease in India. Prog. Liver Dis. 1970,


 * 9. V. Ramalingaswami, Endemic Goitre in South East Asia: New Clothes on an Old Body, Ann. Int. Med., 78: 277 (1973).


 * 10. V. Ramalingaswami: Knowledge and Action in the Control of Vitamin A Deficiency. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Vol. 300 Page 210 November 1977.


 * 11. Ramalingaswami V and Purcell RH: Waterborne non-A, non-B hepatitis. Lancet. Mar 12;1(8585):571-3, 1988.


 * 12. V. Ramalingaswami, Prevention of Micronutrient Deficiencies: Tools for Policymakers and Public Health Workers, The National Academies Press (1998).


 * 13. V. Ramalingaswami, The Public health imperative of permanent elimination of iodine deficiency, 2000.