Prof. Subhash Chandra Parija

Dr Subhash Chandra Parija is the former Vice-Chancellor of Shri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Pondicherry. He is the former Director and also Dean (Research) of the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry; and Director, Clinical Laboratory Services, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. He obtained MBBS (1977) from Utkal University, Cuttack; MD (Microbiology) (1981) from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi; PhD (Microbiology) (1987); from University of Madras, Chennai. He is one of the very few Medical Microbiologists of India to be conferred DSc (Microbiology), highest degree in research, for his contribution in the field of Medical Parasitology by University of Madras, Chennai. Prof Parija was conferred with the Distinguished Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Alumni Award in the field of medical sciences during the celebration of 150 years anniversary of BHU in the year 2012. Dr Parija currently figures among 2 % Top Scientists in World in Tropical Medicine   in the year 2022, as per the study conducted by Stanford University, the USA. He has been currently honored with Scientist Emeritus, National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Prof. Parija has nearly four decades of teaching and research experience, contributing mainly in infectious diseases, especially parasitology, diagnostics, and public health. He is actively involved in conducting research programs on immunology, epidemiology and simple, cost-effective diagnostic tests for parasitic diseases in the community and low resource settings. Prof. Parija and his team have contributed in clinical and diagnostic parasitology. They were the first to demonstrate and detect excreted parasitic antigens in urine for diagnosis of hydatid disease and cysticercosis, to report detection of Entamoeba histolytica DNA in the urine and saliva for diagnosis of amoebic liver abscess, document Entamoeba moshkovskii from India, evaluate  multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar and Entamoeba moshkovskii in stool specimens for diagnosis of intestinal amoebiasis , and also document the subtype identification of Blastocystis in Pondicherry. Prof Parija did innovations in stool microscopy techniques by use of LPCB, KOH, wet mount preparation of stool, thick smear of stool, formalin-acetone method for concentration of stool etc. for better identification of parasitic diseases.

Prof. Parija, author of more than 400 research papers, has supervised more than 85 PhD, MD and other postgraduate theses as supervisor and co-supervisor. He has been granted 2 published patents, 37 copyrights, and one technology transfer. Prof Parija authored /edited 19 books including most popular “Review of Parasitic Zoonoses”, “ Textbook of Medical Parasitology “and the most recent “Textbook of Microbiology & Immunology (4^th Edition )”; published by Springer.

Prof. Parija is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, London; Royal Society  Biology , UK and International Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He is also a Fellow of many professional bodies of eminence such as the National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; the Indian College of Pathologists, New Delhi; the Indian Academy of Tropical Parasitology, Pondicherry and many others.

Prof Parija is the member of the Expert Committee of the Food and Agricultural Organization – World Health Organization (FAO-WHO) for formulating guidelines on food safety for parasites. He chaired the Committee for Pondicherry Declaration on the Identification and Detection of Entamoeba histolytica ; transferred the cost-effective diagnostic tests in parasitic diseases to the University of Parendenya, Sri Lanka under the aegis of Indo-Sri Lanka Joint program on the technology transfer. He has served in the academic, examinations and research advisory committees of many national and international institutes including the BP Koirala institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal; Colombo University, Sri Lanka, and College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia.

Professor Parija is currently, the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Editor of Topical series on HIV/AIDS and opportunistic diseases and co-infection, and Associate Editor of BMC Infectious Diseases, BMC Journal of Case Reports (JCR) ,BMC Research Notes etc. in addition to being the member of the Editorial board of many Journals. Prof. Parija has contributed immensely towards institution building, medical education, and mentored students both undergraduate, postgraduates, PhD scholars and young faculty to peruse their interest in research and carrier in parasitic diseases of public health importance.   

 Prof Parija has founded the Indian Academy of Tropical Parasitology, the only such organization in India, started Tropical Parasitology, a scientific journal in parasitic diseases, initiated IATP-quality assurance program for parasitic diseases in India, started the post-doctoral progrmme in Tropical Parasitology; currently being introduced in many premier medical Institutes across the country. He has also founded the Health & Intellectual Property Rights Academy (HIPRA), a unique body, to promote the knowledge, study and practice health care intellectual property rights of India.

Prof Parija has received more than 28 awards both international and national including the most recent Dr SN Bose Birth Centenary Award ( 2020-23) of the Indian Science Congress Association ) ,BPKIHS Internal Oration Award (1997) of the  BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal , Dr BC Roy National Award (2003) of the Medical Council of India, Dr R.V. Rajam Oration Award ( 2019) and  Dr. PN Chuttani Oration Award ( 2007) of the National Academy of Medical Sciences ,Prof. BK Aikat Oration  Award ( 1998)  and Major General Saheb Singh Sokhey Award (1992) of  the Indian Council of Medical Research ,Dr.  Subramaniam Memorial Oration Award (2015) of the Indian Association of Biomedical Scientists), Sri SM Ismail Oration Award (2005) of the Indian Association for Development of Veterinary Parasitology, Dr BP Pandey Memorial Oration Award (1998) of the Indian Society for Parasitology, Dr SC Agarwal Oration Award (2001) of the Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists, Dr BP Pandey Memorial Oration Award (1998) of the Indian Society for parasitology, etc.

E mail: [email protected]