Gursaran Talwar

Gursaran Prasad Talwar is a medical researcher working in the area of vaccines and immunocontraception.^[1] In a 1994 paper,^[2] his group demonstrated that women could be vaccinated to prevent pregnancy. Gursaran Prasad Talwar received BSc (Hons) and MSc (Tech) degrees from the University of Punjab, DSc from Sorbonne working at the Institut Pasteur, Paris and DSc (hc) from Bundhelkhand University (2004). He was Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow at Tübingen, Stuttgart and Munchen. He joined as Associate Professor of Biochemistry (1956) in the newly created All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and also worked there as Professor and Head till 1983. He was Head, ICMR-WHO Research and Training Centre in Immunology for India and South East Asia (1972–91). He was the first Director of the National Institute of Immunology (NII) (1983–91) and also Professor of Eminence till 1994. He was Professor of Eminence and Senior Consultant, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi (1994–99) and Director Research, Talwar Research Foundation, New Delhi (2000- ). He was Visiting Professor, College de France (1991), Wellcome Professor at Johns Hopkins (1994–95), and Distinguished Professor at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, University of Pune (2005–10).^[3]

Talwar's notable contributions include the development of an immunotherapeutic vaccine for leprosy. The vaccine is also showing efficacy as an immunotherapeutic adjunct to chemotherapy in tuberculosis and cancers. The vaccine is marketed as Immuvac by M/s Cadilla Pharma. A microbicide Praneem polyherbal tablet (PPHT) has passed through Phase III clinical trials successfully curing 92-97% of women with abnormal vaginal discharge syndrome. PPHT is licensed to M/s Panacea Biotec. He has over 500 publications to his credit in reputed journals and authored/edited ten books and monographs.

Awards

• Legion of Honour^[1]
• Padma Bhusan^[4]
• The Golden Jubilee Commemoration Medal (Bio. Sci.)^[5]

Other Contributions

Talwar was Project Leader and Member Executive, International Committee on Contraception Research and Population Council, New York (1975–94), and Member, WHO Task Force on Birth Control Vaccines (1984–90), Executive Committee Member of International Network for Molecular and Cell Biology, UNCESCO, and Lifetime Managing Trustee of the Immunology Foundation.

The "Talwar Research Foundation" is an initiative started by the Prof. G. P. Talwar

References