V. R.
KhanolkarBuilding the foundations of Indian pathology

Dr. Vasant Ramji Khanolkar occupies a foundational place in the history of Indian pathology. His career helped establish pathology as more than a subject taught from preserved specimens — he positioned it as a discipline capable of shaping cancer research, medical education, public health, and scientific inquiry across the country.

Trained at the University of London, completing his MD in Pathology in 1923 and gaining early research experience as a Graham Research Scholar, he returned to India in 1924 to join Grant Medical College in Bombay as Professor of Pathology. Early Career At a time when pathology infrastructure was still developing, Dr. Khanolkar brought a broad and research-oriented vision to the field, helping develop teaching at Seth G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital. His department became known for systematic training, an educational pathology museum, and the cultivation of young physicians who later strengthened pathology education in medical colleges across India.

Cancer Research His research interests were strikingly wide — cancer, leprosy, blood-group genetics, reproductive physiology, and medical education. He recognised that disease could not be understood through a single discipline alone. The Indian National Science Academy described him as a major figure in the early development of multidisciplinary medical research in India.

Legacy As Director of Laboratories and Research at Tata Memorial Hospital in Bombay, his studies contributed to the understanding of cancer epidemiology in India — including the relationship between environmental exposures and cancer patterns. A peer-reviewed historical review identifies him as a pioneering researcher in cancer, blood groups, epidemiology, and leprosy research.

Dr. Geeta K. Vemuganti is one of India's leading figures in ophthalmic pathology. Her career brings together diagnostic pathology, ocular tumour research, stem-cell biology, academic leadership, and mentorship — reflecting the expanding role of pathology in specialised medicine, where a microscopic diagnosis can influence not only treatment but also the future direction of regenerative research.

Clinical Work After graduating from J. L. N. Medical College in Ajmer and completing an MD in Pathology at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, she built a career focused on the pathology of eye disease. Between 1998 and 2010, Dr. Vemuganti led Ophthalmic Pathology and the Sudhakar and Sreekanth Ravi Stem Cell Laboratory at L. V. Prasad Eye Institute.

Research Her work included ocular tumours, cancer stem cells in retinoblastoma, mesenchymal stem cells, and human lacrimal gland cultures. Academic Leadership She served as Professor of Eminence and founding Dean of the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Hyderabad, bringing medical science into closer conversation with fundamental research. She has contributed to WHO classification work on eye tumours, supervised doctoral students and fellows, and held leadership roles in ARVO and the Indian Society of Ophthalmic Pathology. In 2025, ARVO awarded her the Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology.

Dr. Nikhil Patkar represents the next generation of Indian pathology leadership, where molecular biology, flow cytometry, computational analysis, and clinical interpretation converge. A clinician scientist and Lead Investigator at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, his work focuses on the molecular understanding of blood cancers and the translation of complex biological data into more precise diagnosis and disease monitoring.

The Transition For decades, hematopathology relied primarily on morphology. Today, many leukemias and lymphomas are defined not only by what is seen under the microscope but also by genetic alterations, fusion genes, molecular signatures, and measurable residual disease.

Research Dr. Patkar's work sits directly within this transition. His research includes acute myeloid leukemia and the dynamics of relapse — a clinically important problem, because patients who appear similar at diagnosis may have markedly different disease courses. Molecular testing helps reveal genetic and biological features that can influence prognosis, treatment response, and the risk of recurrence.

Publications His recent work includes contributions to molecular techniques in hematopathology, WHO classification of myeloid neoplasms, and sensitive flow-cytometry approaches for measurable residual disease assessment in B-lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma. Integrated Diagnostics His career reflects the broader transformation towards integrated diagnostics, where morphology, immunophenotype, cytogenetics, and molecular findings are synthesised into a single biological narrative of disease.