Dorairajan Balasubramanian Family Tree

Personal Details

• 🎂 Date of Birth
• 28 August 1939
• 📍 Place of Birth
• Tamil Nadu, India
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Family
• Spouse: Shakti
• Children: Katyayani, Akhila

Early Career

• 🎓 Education
• He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Madras University in 1957. He then secured his M.Sc. in Chemistry with first rank from BITS, Pilani in 1959.
• 🌍 Higher Studies Abroad
• In 1960, he moved to the United States to pursue his doctoral research. He completed his Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry from Columbia University in 1965.
• 🔬 Postdoctoral Research
• After completing his Ph.D., he continued in the United States for his postdoctoral studies as a Jane Coffin Childs Fund Fellow at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he worked until 1966.

Career Journey

• Dorairajan Balasubramanian was a distinguished Indian biophysicist and educator renowned for his significant contributions to understanding the molecular mechanisms of eye diseases and promoting science education.
• 👨‍🏫 Academic & Research Career
• Balasubramanian returned to India in 1966 and joined the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur as a lecturer. Over the years, he rose through the ranks to become an Assistant Professor and later a Professor. In 1977, he was appointed as Professor and Dean of the School of Chemistry at the University of Hyderabad, where he served until 1982. That year, he took up the position of Deputy Director at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. He eventually became the Director of CCMB and retired from the institution in 1998. After his retirement, he moved to the L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, where he continues to serve as the Director of Research at the Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre. He also holds academic positions as a Visiting Professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and as an Adjunct Professor at BITS Pilani, India.
• 📌 Positions & Roles
• Balasubramanian has held several prestigious scientific and advisory positions:
• Visiting Scientist at the National Eye Institute, Bethesda
• Senior Fellow of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne
• Chairman of the Task Force on Stem Cell Research, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India
• Former President of the Indian Academy of Sciences (2007–2010)
• Chairman of the Biotechnology Advisory Council, Government of Andhra Pradesh
• Former Secretary General of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
• Project Coordinator for the Translational Centre in Eye Diseases of the Champalimaud Foundation (C-TRACER)
• Coordinator of the Affordable Healthcare Project of the Wellcome Trust on scaffolds for cultivating stem cells
• Former Member of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies
• Former Member of the International Basic Sciences Panel, UNESCO
• Former Member of the International Chapter Affiliate Committee of ARVO, USA
• Editorial Board Member of several international journals
• Honorary Advisory Committee Member for the International Conference on Genome Biology 2019 (ICGB’19), Madurai Kamaraj University
• 🔬 Scientific Legacy
• Balasubramanian began his research in 1965, focusing on the structure and functions of proteins and polypeptides, particularly analyzing their thermodynamic stability. In 1984–85, his focus shifted to ocular science, where he studied crystallins of the eye lens and their role in maintaining transparency. His research demonstrated how cataracts develop when crystallins are photochemically damaged, leading to reduced transparency. He showed that oxidative stress in the lens causes covalent chemical changes in its molecules, which in turn result in cataract formation.
• His studies revealed that antioxidants and cytoprotective substances could slow down the progression of cataracts. He identified several potential cataractostatic agents, including tea polyphenols, Ginkgo biloba, and Withania somnifera extracts, which showed antioxidant and protective properties in animal experiments.
• At the turn of the century, Balasubramanian and his colleagues turned their focus to inherited eye diseases and molecular genetics, particularly congenital glaucoma. Their research across over 400 families revealed 15 mutations in the CYP1B1 gene, with R368H being the most common. These findings contributed to genotype–phenotype correlations, clinical prediction, and early interventions to prevent blindness.
• Currently, his team works on stem cell biology to restore lost vision. They successfully isolated adult stem cells from the limbus near the cornea, cultured them on human amniotic membrane, and used them to produce corneal epithelia suitable for transplantation. Clinical trials on 200 patients with chemical or fire burn–induced blindness resulted in remarkable recovery, with many patients regaining vision up to 20/20 levels. These trials are regarded as the largest successful human trial of adult stem cell therapy in the world.
• 📚 Publications & Contributions
• Authored 6 books, including two that serve as textbooks in chemistry and biotechnology
• Published over 450 research articles in national and international journals
• Listed with 52 publications in Microsoft Academic Search
• Presented more than 170 scientific papers at conferences worldwide
• Regularly contributed popular science columns to newspapers such as The Hindu and The Times of India since 1980
• Guided 16 doctoral students in their Ph.D. research
• Played a role in establishing a vaccine unit at CCMB
• Helped design a quality improvement program for the Sericulture Laboratory of the state government.
• 🎤 Prestigious Lectures Delivered
• He has delivered numerous prestigious lectures, including the UGC National Lecture (1985), Prof. K. Venkataraman Endowment Lecture (1986), K. S. G. Doss Memorial Lecture (1991), SERC National Lecture (1991), Pasteur Centenary Lecture (1995), R. P. Mitra Memorial Lecture (1995), and the Platinum Jubilee Lecture of the Indian Science Congress (1995).

Achievements and Milestones

• Here's a list of awards received by Dorairajan Balasubramanian:
• 🏅 Awards
• Padma Shri – 2002
• Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (Government of France) – 2002
• Kalinga Prize (UNESCO) – 1997
• TWAS Prize (Third World Academy of Sciences) – 1995
• Khwarizmi Award (Iran) – 1996
• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Chemical Science – 1981
• Ranbaxy Award – 1990
• Goyal Prize (Goyal Research Foundation) – 1998
• J. C. Bose Medal (INSA) – 1998
• Fukui Award (National Foundation for Eye Research, USA) – 1991
• Om Prakash Bhasin Award – 1997
• Dr. Mahendra Lal Sircar Prize – 1994
• FICCI Award – 1983
• ICMR M. O. T. Iyengar Award – 1983
• SBCI Sarma Memorial Award – 1983
• Rev. Fr. L. M. Yeddanapalli Memorial Award and Medal – 1977
• National Prize for Science Popularization (DST) – 2002
• INSA Indira Gandhi Prize
• Jawaharlal Nehru Centenary Award for Achievement in Science (ISCA)
• 🌟 Achievements & Recognitions
• Honorary Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
• Elected Fellow of INSA, IAS, NASI, TWAS, AAAS, Leopoldina (Germany), Mauritian Academy of Sciences, and International Molecular Biology Network.
• Delivered numerous prestigious lectures in India and abroad, including UGC National Lecture (1985), Prof. K. Venkataraman Endowment Lecture (1986), and Platinum Jubilee Lecture of the Indian Science Congress (1995), among many others.
• Served as President of the Indian Academy of Sciences (2007–2010).
• Chairman of the Task Force on Stem Cell Research (DBT, Government of India).
• Chairman of the Biotechnology Advisory Council, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
• Former Secretary General of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
• Visiting Scientist at the National Eye Institute, Bethesda, and Senior Fellow of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne.
• Editorial board member of several international journals.
• Invited speaker at major convocations, memorial lectures, and international conferences.