Google doodles on the 104th birthday of cell biologist Dr Kamal Ranadive

Ranadive contributed greatly to cancer research during his lifetime and devoted his life to creating a more equitable society through science and education.

The Google Doodle has been painted by guest artist Ibrahim Rayantkath from India.

Kamal Samarth, popularly known as Kamal Ranadive, was born on this day in 1917 in Pune, India. His father inspired Ranadive to excel academically to pursue medical education, but he called him to biology instead. In 1949, he earned his doctorate in cytology, the study of cells, while working as a researcher at the Indian Cancer Research Center (ICRC). Google said that after a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, she returned to Mumbai (then Bombay) and the ICRC, where she established the country’s first tissue culture laboratory.

As director of the ICRC and a pioneer in animal modeling of cancer development, Ranadive was one of the first researchers in India to propose a link between breast cancer and heredity and to identify links between cancer and certain viruses. Continuing this groundbreaking work, Ranadive studied Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium that causes leprosy, and helped develop a vaccine. In 1973, Dr. Ranadive and 11 colleagues founded the Indian Association of Women Scientists (IWSA) to support women in scientific fields.

Ranadive encouraged students and Indian scholars abroad to return to India and put their knowledge to work for their communities. After retiring in 1989, Dr. Ranadive worked in rural communities in Maharashtra, training women as health workers and providing health and nutrition education. The IWSA now has 11 chapters in India and offers scholarships and childcare options for women in science. Dr. Ranadive’s dedication towards health justice and education is impressive for his students who work as scientists today, it also said.