Jyoti Bhusan Chatterjea (16 February 1919 – 29 February 1972) was an Indian

hematologist Hematology ( spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the production ...

, medical academic and the director of

Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (CSTM) is a medical institute from Kolkata, India, dedicated in the field of tropical disease. It was established in 1914 by Leonard Rogers (1868–1962) of the Indian Medical Service, professor of pathology ...

, He was known for his hematological and clinical studies of Hemoglobin E/β-thalassaemia and was an elected fellow of the

National Academy of Medical Sciences National Academy of Medical Sciences (India), better known by its acronym, NAMS, is a non-constitutional, non-statutory advisory body to the Government in matters related to National Health Policy and Planning and as a promoting agency for contin ...

, and the

Indian National Science Academy The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is a national academy in New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three b ...

. The

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR; IAST: ''vaigyanik tathā audyogik anusandhāna pariṣada'') is a research and development (R&D) organisation in India to promote scientific, industrial and economic growth. Headquarter ...

, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology Shanti or Shanthi may refer to: In Sanskrit * Inner peace, a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress * Kshanti, one of the paramitas of B ...

, one of the highest Indian science awards for his contributions to Medical Sciences in 1966.

Biography

J. B. Chatterjea, born on 16 February 1919 in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

, the capital city of the Indian state of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

, graduated in medicine from

Calcutta Medical College Medical College, Kolkata, also known as Calcutta Medical College, is a Government medical college and hospital located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is one of the oldest existing hospitals in Asia. The institute was established on 28 Janua ...

of the

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta, informally known as Calcutta University (), is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Kolkata, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate c ...

in 1942 and secured the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the same institution in 1949. Starting his career as an assistant research officer at

and served as a professor of

hematology Hematology (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to bloo ...

from 1956 till he was appointed as the director of the institution in 1966. He was holding that position when he died on 29 February 1972, at the age of 53, survived by his wife and a daughter.

Legacy

Chatterjea's researches were focused on the hematological aspects of tropical diseases and his studies on the human red blood cells widened the understanding of th
etiopathogenetic
aspects of

hereditary disorder A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosome abnormality. Although polygenic disorders are ...

s. His work covered the roles played by iron,

folic acid Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...

, vitamin B12 and conjugate foliate compounds in human system and assisted him in the discovery of

Hemoglobin E Hemoglobin E (HbE) is an abnormal hemoglobin with a single point mutation in the β chain. At position 26 there is a change in the amino acid, from glutamic acid to lysine (E26K). Hemoglobin E is very common among people of Southeast Asian, Northea ...

Bengali people Bengalis ( ), also rendered as endonym Bangalee, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of South Asia. The current population is divided between the sovereign country Bangl ...

. His inquiries led to the clinical, hematological, biochemical, biophysical and the genetical studies of Hemoglobin E/β-thalassaemia prevalent in Bengal region. He documented his researches by way of several medical papers published in peer-reviewed journals and his work has been cited by a number of authors and researchers. Chatterjea chaired the Medical and Veterinary Section of the 51st

Indian Science Congress Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The association started in the year 1914 in Calcutta and it meets annually in the first week of January. It h ...

held at Kolkata in 1964 and was the Asian representative on the executive committee of the

International Society of Blood Transfusion The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) is a scientific society founded in 1935 which promotes the study of blood transfusion and provides information about the ways in which blood transfusion medicine and science can best serve p ...

the same year. He served as the president of various medical organizations; at Indian Society of Hematology for two terms in 1963 and 1964, at

Indian Anthropological Society Indian Anthropological Association (IAA) is the representative body of the professional anthropologists in India. Established in 1969, its headquarters are situated within the Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi and associated with W ...

during 1967–68, at Indian Public Health Association and at Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists in 1968. He also served as a counselor to international organizations such as International Society of Hematology,

and the Reticuloendothelial Society.

Awards and honors

Chatterjea received the Coates Medal of the University of Calcutta in 1958 and the Barclay Medal of the

Asiatic Society The Asiatic Society is an organisation founded during the Company rule in India to enhance and further the cause of " Oriental research" (in this case, research into India and the surrounding regions). It was founded by the philologist Will ...

in 1963. In between, the

elected him as a fellow in 1960. The

Indian Council of Medical Research The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world. The ICMR is funded by the Gove ...

honored him with the Basanti Devi Amir Chand Prize in 1964, the same year as he was elected as a fellow by the

and he received the Minto Medal the next year. The

awarded him

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Shanti or Shanthi may refer to: In Sanskrit * Inner peace, a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress * Kshanti, one of the paramitas of B ...

, one of the highest Indian science awards in 1966. He was also a fellow of a number of international medical societies which included the

American College of Physicians The American College of Physicians (ACP) is a Philadelphia-based national organization of internal medicine physicians, who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults. With 161,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty or ...

Royal College of Pathologists The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) is a professional membership organisation. Its main function is the overseeing of postgraduate training, and its Fellowship Examination (FRCPath) is recognised as the standard assessment of fitness to p ...

, Swiss Society of Hematology, German Society of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists,

and Indian Public Health Association. J. B. Chatterjea Memorial Committee published a

festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

on him in 1975, titled ''Trends in Haematology'' which featured several articles including those of Chatterjea.

Biography

Legacy

Awards and honors

Selected bibliography

Notes

References

External links

Further reading