Sachindra Nath Pradhan
The journey of Sachindra Nath Pradhan, MD, PhD began at a remote village in India where he grew up under meager conditions. In his village, there was no electricity or running water. As a child he lost his mother very early, but driven by his quest for education and science, he overcame obstacles to see himself through his academic career. One of the early Indian immigrants in the United States, he persevered on his own to build his scientific career but never forgot his roots, funding scholarships, providing shelter, and offering support to many Indian graduate students during his tenure. Influenced by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, he lived a very simple life, established a charitable Trust, 'Pradhan Foundation' for poor and needy students for education and scientific advancements.
Dr. Sachindra Nath Pradhan, a former 'Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology' at Howard University School of Medicine, died at his home in Bethesda, MD on March 21. He died at age 89 from complications of a stroke. He is survived by his beloved wife, Dr. Sikta Pradhan.
A native of west Bengal, India, Dr. Pradhan received his MD degree in 1945 from Calcutta Medical College, Calcutta University and did his graduate studies at the School of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta. In 1953, Dr. Pradhan relocated to the United States as a Visiting Scientist to the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. He also pursued graduate studies in pharmacology and received his PhD degree in 1959 from George Washington University, Washington D.C.
Dr. Pradhan joined Howard University in 1955. He had a long and accomplished research career in the Department of Pharmacology at Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM). In addition to teaching, Dr. Pradhan conducted research in neuropsychopharmacology. He was the recipient of millions of dollars of research funds from both governmental and non-governmental organizations. Scores of graduate students were trained in his laboratory.
Dr. Pradhan published over 130 scientific papers and contributed 50 reviews, monographs, and chapters in several scientific books. He published four books including, Drug Abuse: Basic and Clinical Aspects (Mosby) and the textbook Pharmacology in Medicine: Principles and Practice (SP Press International).
He was a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, as well as a member of the Society for Neuroscience, American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, American Association of Cancer Research, and the New York Academy of Science. He also served as a scientific consultant to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He served on the editorial board of journals, Archives International Pharmacodyn, Advances in Alcohol and Substance Abuse, and Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology, Psychopharmacology, etc.
On leave from Howard University College of Medicine, he served as the Head, Div. of Pharmacology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India from 1962 to 1964.
Dr. Pradhan's legacy included significant endowments to advance education in India (his hometown Distric of Mdnapore, West Bengal). As a result of his other noteworthy philanthropic efforts, the research facilities, "S.N. Pradhan Center of Neurosciences" was established at Calcutta University.
Dr. Pradhan was an accomplished scientist, a patriotic Indian, and a visionary. Dr. Pradhan will be remembered by his friends for his humility, benevolence, love for nature, and his appreciation of the arts.
(courtesy of Sikta Pradhan, PhD, wife of Sachindra N. Pradhan, MD, PhD)
