"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
8 Feb 2024
Who is Kamal Ranadive?
When Kamal Ranadive was born in 1917, Fergusson College did not typically accept female students studying the sciences in Pune, India. Fortunately for Ranadive, her father, a biology department instructor, supported her plan to attend college. She then went on to pursue a Ph.D. in cytology at Bombay University after graduating from Fergusson College in 1934 with an undergraduate degree. But even though her parents had advised her to pursue a career in medicine, she had never lost interest in biology. Kamal Ranadive is the first Indian woman scientist. She was among the first to discover the link between hormones and malignant cells as well as viral infections that cause cancer in humans. She entered scientific research as a result, and she rose to fame for finding several viruses that cause tumors. She produced one of the first discoveries about the significant hereditary component of breast cancer. She also helped to create the leprosy vaccine by studying Mycobacterium leprae, the microbe that causes the disease.She significantly advanced our knowledge of the pathogenesis of cancer in animal models.
Understanding the Importance of addressing & Channelizing more resources into Research Work: Cancer Treatment
Accelerating Womenfolk In Science & Research Work:
She became the ultimate force revolutionizing medicine sector by practice. In the 1970s, Kamal began a conversation with other scientists about their social responsibility to the underprivileged female population. These women faced obstacles in their pursuit of scientific careers due to patriarchal customs that forced them to stop working and become "housewives." They concluded that unless they organized a network of women scientists with identical objectives, change would not be feasible. Thus, under the direction of Dr. Ranadive, twelve founding members from a variety of scientific institutes and a wide range of scientific specialties united to create the Indian Women Scientists Association (IWSA) in 1972.
"It’s possible not just to survive, but to thrive and to live a healthy, wonderful life again." — Erika Evans, leukemia survivor