Who is Kamal Ranadive and why Google is paying tribute to her?
Google is known to come up with fascinating doodles for its home page as its way of paying tribute to important personalities who have contributed to the society in their own unique ways. Keeping up with this tradition, Google paid tribute to Indian cell biologist, Dr. Kamal Ranadive, today, on her 104th birth anniversary through a doodle. It features a woman looking through a microscope while illustrations of cells and test-tubes around her seem to form the word ‘Google.’ The doodle has been made by Ibrahim Rayintakath, an illustrator and art director based in India. Here is more about Kamal Ranadive’s inspiring legacy.
Kamal Ranadive has earned a name as a result of her seminal, ground-breaking contribution towards cancer-related research. She was a cell biologist, and also worked towards creating a more equitable society through science and education.
Early life
Ranadive was born in the city of Pune, India on November 08, 1917. As a young student, she excelled in academics, exceptionally. Although she leaned towards pursuing a medical education initially, she gravitated towards the field of biology and went on to make her mark there ever since.
Education
Ranadive worked as a researcher in the Indian Cancer Research Centre (ICRC). While working here, she received her doctorate in cytology, which is the study of cells, in the year 1949. She then went on to pursue a fellowship in the United States at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. After completing fellowship, she returned to Mumbai and established India’s very first tissue culture laboratory at ICRC.
Contribution to science
After the establishment of the laboratory, Ranadive naturally became the director. She was a pioneer in animal modelling of cancer development. One of her contributions, which was a trailblazer, was her proposal to link breast cancer and heredity. She is also credited for having the ability to identify links amongst various types of cancers and certain viruses. Ranadive has made significant contributions towards understanding another disease, namely leprosy, too. She studied mycobacterium leprae which is known to be the bacteria responsible for causing leprosy. She also helped in the development of a vaccine for the same.
Other contributions
As a woman in science, Kamal Ranadive emerged to be an inspiration for all. Along with 11 other colleagues, she founded the Indian Women Scientists’ Association (IWSA) to support women pursuing careers in fields related to science. She also encouraged Indian students studying abroad to return to their homeland and contribute their communities. After her retirement in the year 1989, she devoted her time in helping women in rural communities in her home state of Maharashtra by training them and providing them education related to health and nutrition. The IWSA carries forth her legacy even today by encouraging women to pursue science and providing numerous scholarships to them for the same.