Vulimiri Ramalingaswami

Vulimiri Ramalingaswami (August 8, 1921 - May 28, 2001) was one of the most brilliant medical scientists India has produced in the last century. Was born to an orthodox Brahmin family of South India.His father was a lowly paid government servant. He received his medical education from Andhra Medical School and then went on a scholarship to Oxford. His pioneering research on nutrition got him elected to the National Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society of London. He was also the director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences and later on director general of Indian Council of Medical Research and President of the Indian National Science Academy. He was regarded a teacher of international repute in the areas of nutritional deficiency. Above all he was regarded a perfect gentleman in every sense of the word.It was a matter of delight for all his students and colleagues when the Indian government decided to name the Indian Council of Medical Research building after him (Ramalingaswami Bhavan).

In his later years, he headed Ranbaxy Foundation which advised the Indian government on scientific matters. He was also the president of Indian National Science Academy .

His wife Prabha also holds a doctorate, and his son Vulimiri Jagdish is a medical researcher of international repute.