the lesser known
When Sir Ernst Boris Chain (June 19, 1906 - August 12, 1979) (a German - born British biochemist, and a 1945 co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work on penicillin.) was hospitalised for the last time in Castlebar, County Mayo, he reportedly was very impressed with the dedication of the recently qualified doctor who was attending him and said "Future of medicine is safe in your hands". His words seemed prophetic - the doctor in question was Ashoka Jahnavi Prasad.
Excerpt from the book " Top 1000 Scientists from the beginning of Time to 2000 A.D. ", by Philip Barker, is as below: Johnubiprasad , Ashoka (1955- ) " Indian polymath , who used a shortened form of his surname for publications ,born in Patna ,India,son of a meritorious judge in a highly distinguished family ;his great grandfather was one of the the Fathers of the Indian Constitution and later First president of the Indian Republic and his great uncle led the revolt resulting in the downfall of Mrs. Indira Gandhi 's dictatorship in the mid 1970s.He was educated at the ultra elite Kolvin School in Lucknow where he had a distinguished academic record despite dyslexia and later at the Cawnpore University , Edinburgh , Leeds and London. Abdus Salam , after his only meeting with him , remarked that he would be best remembered for 'establishing it was still possible to be a polymath in the twentieth century'.Sir Derek Barton , described him as a 'perfect example of twentieth century genius'.By the time he was 35 , he had earned top accolades in medicine , paediatrics , geography , pathology , clinical genetics , psychiatry , surgery , public health , history , anthropology , biology , mathematics and qualifications in aviation medicine.He rose to hold full professorships in several centers and an adjunct full professor of medical anthropology at Columbia University, New york .His major contribution was establishing a link between GABA , Valproate and mania which led to a safer alternative to toxic lithium.He also has a syndrome named after him which links Hashimoto 's with mania.His lectures on 'Philosophical Bankruptcy in Modern day Science' in New York and Philedelphia won wide acclaim .He steadfastly refused any honour and maintained a low profile.Several disputes with colleagues led to retirement to his home town where he is leading the life of a recluse. "
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