Professor (Dr.) Ranbir Chander Sobti, Honorary Scientist INSA, Former Vice Chancellor, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow (UP) and Panjab University, Chandigarh, Former Education Consultant Governor of Bihar and Former Senior Scientist (Indian National Science Academy), is, indeed, a polymath--a renowned academician, distinguished scientist, dynamic administrator and a visionary gifted with an immensely optimistic disposition and integrity of character, words and action. He was elected as General President of Indian Science Congress Association for the Session 2013-14.
Prof. Sobti has delivered numerous keynote addresses at National and International forums, based on implications and applications of science and scientific temper and educational issues for general awareness and improvements of everyday life and lifestyle in a lucid and people-centric manner.
His immense contribution to education includes, inter alia, 400 high impact research publications about 60 books and 23 Sponsored Research Projects.
Professor Sobti is a Fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), National Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, National Academies of Medical Sciences and Agricultural Sciences and the Canadian Academy of Cardiovascular Diseases and is associated with many other Academic Associations and Institutions in the domain of higher education and research. The litany of honours showered on him includes, among others, the INSA Young Scientist Medal (1978), UGC Career Research Award, Punjab Rattan Award, JC Bose Oration Award and the Life Time Achievement Award of the Punjab Academy of Sciences, Zoological Society of India, and the Environment Academy of India, besides many other medals and awards of various reputed National and International Organizations.
As a protean public intellectual, Professor Sobti is a remarkable leader in the domain of education particularly science/scientific knowledge-both in theory and practice. In recognition of his enormous contribution to higher education, he has been bestowed with a large number of prestigious awards and medals which adorn his academic and professional career. The Government of India bestowed upon him the honour of "PADMASHRI"in 2009 by way of rightfully acknowledging his great contribution to higher education in India. On 2nd July, 2016, he was also honoured with 'Bharat Gaurav', Life Time Achievement Award at the House of Commons, British Parliament, London, U. K.
Owing to his exceptional contribution, and societal commitments, the Government of India has conferred upon him the honorary rank of 'COLONEL'. Professor Sobti, not only excels in creating academic atmosphere but is also equally steadfast and loyal towards environment and society. His charismatic aura and unrelenting attitude, that does encourage and motivate all, has an inherent capacity of transforming the organisation into a synergistic, cohesive and vibrant team.
Professor Sobti's pragmatic approach and dynamic vision encapsulated in his view that education in University should be a mechanism for social change and liberating force for the individual and the society, resulted in initiating various Community Engagement Programmes. His innovative ideas in enthusing the faculty and students to excel in research and academics and his efforts in transferring these ideas to the needy through scientific spirit and temper can be pronounced as distinct and exceptional. Professor Sobti has not only instilled the importance of science and scientific perspective in the personal and societal development, but has rigorously campaigned and spread awareness about the ill-effects of the abuse of scientific and technological advancements for greed. He has set examples and personally taken initiatives to make the campus-environment conducive, safe, and healthy through the successful implementation of numerous socially relevant and meaningful initiatives.
Professor Sobti has always gone beyond the call of duty in every arena, be it for his innovative ideas, constant encouragement, and his speedy actions aimed at comprehensive development of the society.
Professor R.C. Sobti is a personification of energy, synergy, positivity, creativity and development. He encompasses the best of tradition and modernity both to engineer a dynamic today-which is of vital significance to create a great future. He is an epitome of kindness, hard work and solidarity, an active researcher and a perfect protagonist in popularization of science and can carry along a large community towards a developed and progressive Nation.
Dr Awtar Krishan
Awtar Krishan obtained PhD in Zoology (cytogenetics) from the Panjab University, Chandigarh, India (1962) and a PhD in Micro-Anatomy from the Univ. of Western Ontario, Canada (1963). From 1965 to 1977, he was at the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School as Head of the Tissue Ultrastructure and Experimental Pathology Labs. He transferred to the University of Miami-School of Medicine and from 1980 to 1993 was Scientific Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Most of his work has focused on avian cytogenetics, experimental therapeutics and analytical cytology. He developed flow cytometric techniques for rapid analysis of DNA content by the propidium iodide staining method, monitoring of fluorescent drug retention and resistance and for hormone receptor and marker expression in tumor cells. Some of his recent work has focused on monitoring of cell volume and marker expression in human stem cells from apheresis samples and body cavity fluids. Dr. Krishan in association with Drs. Ranbir C. Sobti and Dr. Arvinder Singh initiated the Indo-US Cytometry Workshops in 2001 and has organized cytometry workshops in Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China etc., These activities are described in the website: www.cytometryworkshops.com. Prof. Krishan has published several research papers in peer reviewed journals and edited a book on Applications of Flow Cytometry in Stem Cell Research and Research and Regeneration.
Dr. Devendra K. Agrawal
Dr. Devendra K. Agrawal earned MSc, PhD (Biochemistry), PhD (Medical Sciences), MBA and MS (Information Technology & Management). He has served on several academic positions, including Clinical Biochemist, Professor, Founding Chairman of the Department of Clinical & Translational Science, Senior Associate Dean of Clinical & Translational Sciences, and Senior Vice President for Research and Biotechnology. Currently, Dr. Agrawal is the Professor and Director, Department of Translational Research, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA. Dr. Agrawal is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and is a Fellow of the AAAAI, AHA, APS, and IACS. He has been recognized with many awards, including the highest teaching award at Creighton University, Distinguished Research Career Award, Distinguished Professor Award, Distinguished Faculty Service Award, University Research Award, Distinguished Mentor Award, and more. Dr. Agrawal has been an invited speaker to many prestigious national and international scientific meetings. Dr. Agrawal has served on many grants review panels, including VA Merit Review, DoD, NIH-NIAID, NIH-NHLBI, MRC-UK and US-Israel BSF Grant Review Committees, Science Foundation Ireland, Austrian Science Fund, British Lung Foundation, Swiss NSF, ViCi Netherlands, and Asthma Research Foundation of Western Australia. Dr. Agrawal has served on the editorial board of several prestigious journals. Dr. Agrawal contributed to science by publishing >560 original research articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. He has co-edited books in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, COVID19 and Stem Cells, and Environmental Factors in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Diseases. His major research areas include the cellular, molecular and immunobiology of rotator cuff injury, coronary and carotid artery diseases, arterio-venous fistula, diabetes and diabetic foot ulcers, renal diseases, allergy and bronchial asthma, vascular diseases, and traumatic brain injury. NIH funds his research projects. Dr. Agrawal has trained >250 medical students (who are now academic physician-scientists), directly supervised and guided 72 graduate students to earn MD-PhD, MD-MS, MS, and PhD diplomas, 74 post-doctoral fellows, 15 assistant professors, many of whom are currently on high positions in academia and industries. Many clinical residents, fellows and research investigators have received training under his direct supervision. He is passionate to train and mentor next generation of clinical and translational researchers.
