DR. VISHWA MOHAN KATOCH
NASI-ICMR Chair on Public Health Research at
Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, Jaipur
vishwamohankatoch18@gmail.com
+91-9910053701
- Joined Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for Talent Search Schemes (TSS) Fellows; posted at JALMA Agra in 1978, Director of this Institute in December 2001- Nov 2008.
- Served as Founder Secretary of Department of Health Research (DHR) & Director-General, ICMR ; Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, from 18th Nov 2008 to 28th February, 2015.
- More than 40 years of academic career, of which 30 years in leprosy, TB and mycobacterial research.
- Developer of modern methods of rapid diagnosis of TB, leprosy using immunological and molecular tools , DNA chips; DNA fingerprinting methods, bioluminescence and other viability methods etc.; contributed to expansion of mandate of JALMA from leprosy to all mycobacterial diseases.
- As the founder Secretary of new department, played important role in developing and implementing five new schemes to accomplish nine new business – (i) establishment of multi-disciplinary research units (MRUs) in government medical colleges ( with focus on NCDs, RCH, gender issues etc; (ii) Model Rural Health Research units (MRHRUs three partners - medical college, state services and ICMR/ other apex institutes for taking the technology to people- (iii) Virology Research Laboratories in states and medical colleges (iv) Scheme for Human Resources for Health Research focus on medical colleges ; (v) Grant in Aid scheme for projects focused on intersectoral collaboration and coordination.
- As ICMR Director-General, led the development of new network programmes on Tribal Health, translation aimed at indigenous technologies, vector borne diseases, environmental health etc.
- Contributed over 325 research papers in Indian and foreign journals.
- Recipient of various national & international awards and Fellow of all national science academies of country : National Academy of Sciences (FNASc); Fellow of National Academy of Medical Sciences (FAMS); Fellow of Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (FASc); Fellow of Indian Academy of Science (FNA).