Dr. Vidyasagar received the Most Distinguished
Teacher/Researcher Award. A graduate of Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad,
A,P. India, he has been directing the neonatology program at the prestigious
University of Illinois at Chicago for the last three decades.
Dr. Vidyasagar has achieved national and
international recognition for his scientific contributions and academic
achievements. His major scientific contributions include extensive studies in
the field of Hyaline Membrane Disease, Meconium Aspiration Syndrome and a
variety of newborn problems. His work in the area of surfactant therapy in
Hyaline Membrane Disease is widely recognized and cited in literature.
He was responsible for developing strong clinical and
teaching programs at Cook County Hospital, Chicago and then at the University
of Illinois at Chicago; both have become highly recognized patient care and
physician training centers. During the last thirty years he has trained over 70
neonatologists, of whom some have developed into nationally/internationally
known academicians. He has authored more than 200 publications and has made
notable contributions in the field of pulmonary functions, monitoring systems,
lung surfactant and recently molecular biology of lung injury.
In addition, Dr. Vidyasagar has taken a keen interest
in helping developing countries to build strong neonatology programs. His main
concern has been to reduce existing high infant mortality in developing
countries through improving care of the newborn and high-risk mothers. His
international work has made a major impact on many countries including China,
Poland. Lithuania, Uzbekistan and, of course, India. In India alone, the
National Neonatology Forum and Dr. Vidyasagar's team has trained over 35,000
health care workers.
