About the Department
Objective
To give the best education possible for Post Graduate students
The History
The Department of Medical Biochemistry is the first department to be established in the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences. The then Vice chancellor of the University, Dr. A. L. Mudaliar, an eminent medical man opted to give recognition for the Basic Medical Sciences and decided to start a separate campus annexed to a hospital in the outskirts of the city. The dream of the Vice chancellor became a reality and the foundation stone of Basic Medical Sciences was laid in 1968. The department started to function in Chepauk campus with one reader and a lecturer. One classroom and two labs were the space allotted to the department. The first appointment to the Department of Medical Biochemistry was Prof. K. Radha Shanmugasundaram, who headed the department. Dr. R. Uma Bai was appointed as a lecturer and Ms. L. Premalatha was appointed as a research assistant. Dr. P. Varalakshmi, the present Head of the department, and Dr. C. B. Srikant were the two research scholars, who first joined the department. The research scholars had to run to various hospitals to collect their samples and they processed them in Chepauk campus. They continued their analysis at Guindy campus in the University Biochemical laboratory and also took classes for the M.Sc. students. Without their strenuous initialization, research would not have been established in the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (IBMS).
The department teaching faculties were engaged in taking classes for M.Sc. Medical Biochemistry offered by the University of Madras. It was a three-year course, in which the students had to undergo a part of their course curriculum in Madras Medical College and the rest in the department of Medical Biochemistry in IBMS.
In between the struggle of establishing themselves, the staff and research scholars of the department conducted “Bio-day”, where the students displayed their quest for knowledge via their exhibits. They also conducted such exhibits in various colleges, especially in rural areas, in order to make the people aware of Biochemistry and opt for the course.
Research in the department was initiated in the field of urolithiasis and prostrate cancer, with the encouragement and support of the eminent Urologist, Dr. A. Venugopal, who was also the first Director of the Institute. As homage to his dutiful act that rendered hands to build research in various departments of this campus, an auditorium has been built in the campus under his name. Long lasting research contributions to Urolithiasis have been made to the research world from this department for which the fore-most research scholars sowed the seeds. The department was functioning in a similar manner for nearly two years.
Two lecturers were inducted after Dr. Uma Bai left the department. Dr. P.Varalakshmi and Ms. Jothi Bai were appointed in 1970 and they had to share the responsibilities for the upliftment of this department. Meanwhile, the department decided to run a two-year M.Sc. course, solely under their control. Professor K. Radha Shanmugasundaram, the founder of the department, ably assisted by her lecturers, had to toil a lot to establish teaching and research and elevate the department to newer heights.
Dr. R. Selvam was appointed as lecturer in 1975 and Dr. C. Panneerselvam was appointed as research associate in the place of Ms. L. Premalatha, who left shortly. The uncertainty in establishing a paramedical campus in Taramani was put a full stop to by the then Vice Chancellor of the University of Madras, Dr. Malcolm Adiseshaiah, who raised the three storeyed building in Taramani Campus in 1976. The Department of Medical Biochemistry started to function in the second floor of the building that stood erect in the 100ft road, Taramani. One lecture hall, one M.Sc. lab and three research labs with a cold room, were the allotted space. An instrument room in the ground floor and a gas plant room in the second floor were the other areas. Having moved on to the regular campus, the staff and the students of the department started to work more enthusiastically and energetically to establish themselves. With minimum equipments and maximum efforts of all the staff and students, the research activities were customized in the new campus.
Prof. K. Radha Shanmugasundaram, a pioneer in the field of clinical Biochemistry diversified her research area and she had won laurels in the field of Diabetes Mellitus. Interestingly, she had initiated her research activities in the field of naturopathy thirty years ago. Many herbal medicines like Gymnema sylvestre and Siddha formulations like Annapavala sindooram were tried for their efficacy in treating different pathological conditions and ample research publications have been made from these studies. Newer drug preparations were formulated and tested by her, and her outstanding research lifted the glory of the department to international acclaim. Amritha Bindu, one of her self formulation, was a successful drug which is still being marketed nationally and internationally. On the academic side, her lectures used to be interesting, data loaded and her astonishing pictorial memory deserves appreciation.
The Department of Medical Biochemistry is the first department to be established in the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences. The then Vice chancellor of the University, Dr. A. L. Mudaliar, an eminent medical man opted to give recognition for the Basic Medical Sciences and decided to start a separate campus annexed to a hospital in the outskirts of the city. The dream of the Vice chancellor became a reality and the foundation stone of Basic Medical Sciences was laid in 1968. The department started to function in Chepauk campus with one reader and a lecturer. One classroom and two labs were the space allotted to the department. The first appointment to the Department of Medical Biochemistry was Prof. K. Radha Shanmugasundaram, who headed the department. Dr. R. Uma Bai was appointed as a lecturer and Ms. L. Premalatha was appointed as a research assistant. Dr. P. Varalakshmi, the present Head of the department, and Dr. C. B. Srikant were the two research scholars, who first joined the department. The research scholars had to run to various hospitals to collect their samples and they processed them in Chepauk campus. They continued their analysis at Guindy campus in the University Biochemical laboratory and also took classes for the M.Sc. students. Without their strenuous initialization, research would not have been established in the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (IBMS).
The department teaching faculties were engaged in taking classes for M.Sc. Medical Biochemistry offered by the University of Madras. It was a three-year course, in which the students had to undergo a part of their course curriculum in Madras Medical College and the rest in the department of Medical Biochemistry in IBMS.
In between the struggle of establishing themselves, the staff and research scholars of the department conducted “Bio-day”, where the students displayed their quest for knowledge via their exhibits. They also conducted such exhibits in various colleges, especially in rural areas, in order to make the people aware of Biochemistry and opt for the course.
Research in the department was initiated in the field of urolithiasis and prostrate cancer, with the encouragement and support of the eminent Urologist, Dr. A. Venugopal, who was also the first Director of the Institute. As homage to his dutiful act that rendered hands to build research in various departments of this campus, an auditorium has been built in the campus under his name. Long lasting research contributions to Urolithiasis have been made to the research world from this department for which the fore-most research scholars sowed the seeds. The department was functioning in a similar manner for nearly two years.
Two lecturers were inducted after Dr. Uma Bai left the department. Dr. P.Varalakshmi and Ms. Jothi Bai were appointed in 1970 and they had to share the responsibilities for the upliftment of this department. Meanwhile, the department decided to run a two-year M.Sc. course, solely under their control. Professor K. Radha Shanmugasundaram, the founder of the department, ably assisted by her lecturers, had to toil a lot to establish teaching and research and elevate the department to newer heights.
Dr. R. Selvam was appointed as lecturer in 1975 and Dr. C. Panneerselvam was appointed as research associate in the place of Ms. L. Premalatha, who left shortly. The uncertainty in establishing a paramedical campus in Taramani was put a full stop to by the then Vice Chancellor of the University of Madras, Dr. Malcolm Adiseshaiah, who raised the three storeyed building in Taramani Campus in 1976. The Department of Medical Biochemistry started to function in the second floor of the building that stood erect in the 100ft road, Taramani. One lecture hall, one M.Sc. lab and three research labs with a cold room, were the allotted space. An instrument room in the ground floor and a gas plant room in the second floor were the other areas. Having moved on to the regular campus, the staff and the students of the department started to work more enthusiastically and energetically to establish themselves. With minimum equipments and maximum efforts of all the staff and students, the research activities were customized in the new campus.
Prof. K. Radha Shanmugasundaram, a pioneer in the field of clinical Biochemistry diversified her research area and she had won laurels in the field of Diabetes Mellitus. Interestingly, she had initiated her research activities in the field of naturopathy thirty years ago. Many herbal medicines like Gymnema sylvestre and Siddha formulations like Annapavala sindooram were tried for their efficacy in treating different pathological conditions and ample research publications have been made from these studies. Newer drug preparations were formulated and tested by her, and her outstanding research lifted the glory of the department to international acclaim. Amritha Bindu, one of her self formulation, was a successful drug which is still being marketed nationally and internationally. On the academic side, her lectures used to be interesting, data loaded and her astonishing pictorial memory deserves appreciation.
