History

Year of Establishment : 1998

History of the department : The S. N. Pradhan Centre for Neurosciences was founded in 1998 in the University College of Medicine, University of Calcutta with the donation from Dr. Sachindra Nath Pradhan, a renowned medical Scientist of USA. The Centre has three chaired Professor posts - (1) S. N. Pradhan Professor of Neuroscience, (2) Sikta Pradhan Professor of Neuroscience and (3) Nagendranath Das Professor of Neurophysiology. The Nagendranath Das Professor post was created with the donation from Dr. Ashis K. Mandal and Mrs. Mina R. MandaI of California. In August 2000, the Centre was formally inaugurated by the Governor of West Bengal. In 2006, the 150th Anniversary Year of Calcutta University, Dr. S. N. Pradhan donated again 75,000 US dollar for the construction of a new floor for S. N. Pradhan Centre for Neurosciences covering 17,000 sq. ft at the Ballygunge Science College campus (5th Floor). Two Ramanujan fellows have joined at the Centre (2015 & 2016). One of the Ramanujan Fellow, Dr. Arnab Gupta, has received the Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship (Rs. 3.60 Crore; 2016-2021). This is a very prestigious fellowship. Dr. Gupta is the 1st in this University and 5th in West Bengal, who received this fellowship. The Centre offers M. Sc. Neuroscience a 2 year degree course from the year 2007. This is the only Institution in the entire eastern India who offers M. Sc. degree course in Neuroscience. The Centre has received fund from UGC Innovative Programme under emerging area for teaching and research in Neuroscience for five years (2007-2012) and two posts, reader and lecturer. The Centre has a total of 6 posts 3 chaired Professor posts, one Assistant Professor, two posts [one reader & one lecturer] awarded by UGC-Innovative Programme. The Centre also offers Ph. D. degree in Neuroscience since 2008. Subhajit Giri, one of the PhD research scholar, has received Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship provided by United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF) for the academic session 2015-2016. With this fellowship he has been working in the University of Tennessee Health Science Centre, USA for part fulfillment of PhD work. Besides research scholars of this Centre present their work in National and International meetings.

Since 2008 the Centre also conducts Kolkata Regional Brain Bee a Neuroscience quiz for XIth grade school students for awareness in Neuroscience at the school level. In 2016 the Centre conducted National Brain Bee, where students from 15 different States of India attended the programme. The National champion will participate in the International quiz contest The Centre train summer students of other University/Institute to give exposure in Neuroscience.

Special award/ recognition from UGC or related statutory body : The Centre has received fund from UGC- Innovative Programme under emerging area for teaching and research in Neuroscience for five years (2007-2012) and two posts, reader and lecturer.

Thrust areas in teaching and research of the academic centre :

• Teaching Thrust areas : Offer M. Sc. Neuroscience, a 2 year, 4 Semester degree course since 2007
• Research thrust areas: Genetics and molecular mechanism of Parkinsons disease, Wilson disease, Menkes disease, Dystonia, Dementia; Bheviour and Neuroprotection; redox biology, trafficking of membrane proteins in neurons
• Offer Ph D in Neuroscience since 2008

Teaching support :

• Power point presentation
• Hand on training in both dry (computer) and wet lab experiments

Major activities :

• Offer M. Sc. 2 year degree course
• Offer Ph D in Neuroscience
• Conduct Kolkata-Regional Brain Bee a Neuroscience Quiz to promote Neuroscience at the school level
• Conduct Seminars, conference
• Train M. Sc. students to provide research experience & oral presentation

Additional information :

• Host M. Sc students and MBBS students for research training
• Old Syllabus is already in the Website. New syllabus will be ready soon and will be posted when ready

Contact

Campus : Taraknath Palit Campus

Address for communication : S. N. Pradhan Centre for Neurosciences (5th Floor), University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700 019, West Bengal, India