Indian cell biologist, Dr. Kamal Ranadive's 104th Birthday

 


Kamal Samarath, better known as Kamal Ranadive, was born on 8 November, 1917, in Pune, India. 

Her father’s encouragement to pursue a medical education, inspired Ranadive, to excel academically, but she found her calling in biology instead. In 1949, she received a doctorate in cytology, the study of cells, while working as a researcher, in the Indian Cancer Research Center (ICRC). 

After a fellowship, at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, she returned to Mumbai (then Bombay) and the ICRC, where she established the country’s first tissue culture laboratory. 

Ranadive studied Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium that causes leprosy, and aided in developing a vaccine. In 1973, Dr. Ranadive, and 11 colleagues, founded the, Indian Women Scientists’ Association (IWSA), to support women in scientific fields. 

Ranadive encouraged students and Indian scholars abroad, to return to India, and put their knowledge to work for their communities. 

After retiring in 1989, Dr. Ranadive worked in rural communities in Maharashtra, training women as healthcare workers, and providing health and nutrition education. 

The IWSA, now has 11 chapters in India, and provides scholarships and childcare options for women in science. 

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