Ponduri Venkata Ramana Rao, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetPonduri Venkata Ramana Rao
Indian microbiologist
Date of Birth: 
About Ponduri Venkata Ramana Rao
- Ponduri Venkata Ramana Rao (Telugu: ??????? ????? ??? ????; 3 April 1917 – 13 April 2005) was an Indian microbiologist.
- He was born at Rajupalem in Ongole district (now Prakasam district). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Government Arts College, Rajamundry in 1937 and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree from Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam in 1944.
- He was in Army Medical Service between 1944 and 1947 and worked as Regimental Medical Officer and Field Ambulance Officer (Army) in the Second World War. He obtained a Diploma in Public Health from the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata in 1948 and an M.D.
- degree in Bacteriology from Andhra Medical College.
- He joined the Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad as a Lecturer in Bacteriology in 1953 and was promoted to Professor in 1957.
- During his 14 years of service in medical college he organized the department of Microbiology and developed into a full-fledged postgraduate center with comprehensive research facilities.
- He travelled on an A.T.C.M.
- Fellowship in 1958-1959 to Syracuse, New York and Virus Labs in Albany, New York, U.S.A where he worked on Yaws, Endemic typhus and Cholera. He served as a member of 12 National and International Scientific Associations and was elected as Fellow of American Public Health Association for his work in the field of public health.
- He was on several ICMR Committees and scientific advisory boards. He took over as Director of Institute of Preventive Medicine, Hyderabad in 1967 where he worked until 1973.
- He was instrumental in developing 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land at Nacharam into premier vaccine unit.
- This ambitious project was inaugurated by President of India V.V.
- Giri. He visited various institutes in Yugoslavia, United Kingdom and the U.S.S.R.
- as W.H.O.
- fellow to observe the production of lyophilised smallpox vaccine. After retirement, he taught in various medical colleges in Belgium, Davangere, Deccan and Bidar Dental College.
- He consulted for the Government of India and the W.H.O.
- on the National Smallpox Eradication Programme (N.S.E.P) in South Bihar.
- Smallpox was ultimately eradicated from India in 1975.
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