Shanta S. Rao

This article is about the scientist born in 1923; for the dancer born in 1930, see Shanta Rao.
Shanta S. Rao
Born28 November 1923
Died3 December 1979
Occupation(s)Scientist, medical researcher

Shanta S. Rao (28 November 1923 – 3 December 1979) was an Indian medical researcher.

Early life

Rao graduated from Maharani College in Bangalore in 1943.[1] She earned a master's degree from the University of Toronto in 1949, and completed doctoral studies in 1953, at Bombay University.[2]

Career

Rao's research started in the field of toxicology, studying proteolytic enzymes in the venom from various snake species.[3] In 1956, she joined the Indian Cancer Research Center as a biochemist, and studied leprosy.[2] Her field in later life was reproductive immunology; she studied human chorionic gonadotropin,[4] and the presence of antigens in sperm as a cause for infertility.[5][6]

Rao was a member of the faculty in pathology and pharmacology at Bombay University.[1] In 1961, she was a founding executive board member of the Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction.[7] From 1977 until her death, she was director of the Institute for Research on Reproduction, under the Indian Council of Medical Research.[2] She worked with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and with the World Health Organization, serving on WHO's Committee on Immunological Aspects of Reproduction.[1]

Rao's research was published in international academic journals including Endocrinology,[8] Contraception,[9] Andrologia,[10] American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,[4] European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,[11] The Journal of Urology,[12] Nature[13] and Experientia.[14] In 1960, she won the Shakuntala Devi Amirchand Prize in 1960.[1] In 1963, she was one of the four Indian scientists to win the G. J. Watumull Memorial Prize, for her work in family planning.[15][16] In 1965, she won a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to visit reproductive physiology laboratories in Europe and Israel.[17] In 1971, she won Bulgaria's Metchnikoff Medal.[1]

Personal life and legacy

Rao died in 1979, aged 56 years, from leukemia.[2][3][18][19] There is a Shanta S. Rao Award given in her memory by the National Institute of Research in Reproductive Health.[6] There is also a Dr. Shanta S. Rao Memorial Girls Hostel near the Institute for Research in Reproduction in Mumbai and in the year 2020 a auditorium was inaugurated by ICMR-NIRRCH Mumbai, is named after her.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Chattopadhyay, Anjana (2018). Women Scientists in India: Lives, Struggles & Achievements (PDF). National Book Trust, India. ISBN 978-81-237-8144-0.
  2. ^ a b c d "In Memoriam: Dr. Shanta S. Rao January 23, 1923—December 3, 1979". Archives of Andrology. 7 (2): 95. 1 January 1981. doi:10.3109/01485018108999296. ISSN 0148-5016.
  3. ^ a b Edwards, R. G. (1980). "Obituary: Dr. Shanta Rao (1923-1979)". Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 2: 183–184. doi:10.1016/0165-0378(80)90036-4.
  4. ^ a b Dattatreyamurty, B.; Sheth, A. R.; Joshi, L. R.; Rao, Shanta S. (1 February 1975). "Changes in the ratio between serum and "specific" levels of human chorionic gonadotropin in different trimesters of pregnancy". American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 121 (3): 300–305. doi:10.1016/0002-9378(75)90002-2. ISSN 0002-9378. PMID 46715.
  5. ^ Rao, Shanta S.; Sadri, Katy K. (1 January 1960). "The Antigenic Composition of Buffalo Semen". Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics. 70: 1–IN1. doi:10.1016/S0368-1742(60)80001-X. ISSN 0368-1742. PMID 14436235.
  6. ^ a b Sheth, Parul R. (June 2009). "Shanta S. Rao Award" (PDF). Current Science. 96: 1438.
  7. ^ Rao, Shanta S. (1 December 1965). "Proceedings of the India Society for the Study of Reproduction". 10 (3): 473–478. doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0100473. ISSN 0022-4251. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ Dattatreyamurty, B.; Sheth, Anil R.; Purandare, Tarala V.; Rao, Shanta S. (1 December 1976). "Nature of Cross-Reaction Between hCG and Anti-oLH Serum and Development of a Radioimmunoassay to Measure hLH Specifically in the Presence of hCG". Endocrinology. 99 (6): 1554–1561. doi:10.1210/endo-99-6-1554. ISSN 0013-7227. PMID 63368.
  9. ^ Rangnekar, Kishori N.; Joshi, Usha M.; Rao, Shanta S. (January 1972). "Diminution in humoral antibodies to tetanus toxoid after ovulen therapy in mice". Contraception. 5 (1): 53–56. doi:10.1016/0010-7824(72)90080-7. ISSN 0010-7824. PMID 4650646.
  10. ^ Sheth, A. R.; Joshi, L. R.; Moodbidri, S. B.; Rao, Shanta S. (1973). "Serum prolactin levels in fertile and infertile men". Andrologia. 5 (4): 297–298. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0272.1973.tb00493.x. ISSN 1439-0272. PMID 4778916. S2CID 41930128.
  11. ^ Rajan, R.; Sheth, A.R.; Rao, Shanta S. (September 1983). "Sialic acid, sialyltransferase and neuraminidase levels in maternal plasma, urine and lymphocytes during pregnancy and post-partum period — a longitudinal study in women". European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 16 (1): 37–46. doi:10.1016/0028-2243(83)90218-6. PMID 6628818.
  12. ^ Gunaga K.P.; Sheth A.R.; Rao Shanta S.; Pardanani D.S. (1 December 1971). "Effect of Testosterone Therapy on Some of the Constituents of Human Seminal Plasma". Journal of Urology. 106 (6): 920–922. doi:10.1016/S0022-5347(17)61436-8. PMID 5116315.
  13. ^ Shastry, Padma R.; Hegde, Umashashi C.; Rao, Shanta S. (September 1977). "Use of Ficoll–sodium metrizoate density gradient to separate human X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa". Nature. 269 (5623): 58–60. Bibcode:1977Natur.269...58S. doi:10.1038/269058a0. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 268490. S2CID 4150974.
  14. ^ Sheth, A. R.; Rao, Shanta S. (1 August 1959). "Fructose and fructolysis in human semen determined chromatographically". Experientia. 15 (8): 314–316. doi:10.1007/BF02158544. ISSN 1420-9071. PMID 14445920. S2CID 22846116.
  15. ^ "Watumull Awards Go to 4 in India". The Honolulu Advertiser. 20 April 1964. p. 8. Retrieved 18 November 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "4 Persons Selected for Watumull Awards". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. 20 April 1964. p. 29. Retrieved 18 November 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ The Rockefeller Foundation. (1965) Annual Report. 129 ("Grants: Problems of Population").
  18. ^ "Scientist". The Canadian India Times. 10 January 1980. p. 9. Retrieved 17 November 2020 – via SFU Digitized Newspapers.
  19. ^ "Obituary" (PDF). Indian Academy of Cytologists Newsletter. 5: 13. 1980.
  20. ^ "Institute for Research in Reproduction (Indian Council of Medical Research) Mumbai". CareerURL. Retrieved 18 November 2020.