Autar Singh Paintal

Autar Singh Paintal FRS (24 September 1925 – 21 December 2004)^[2] was an Indian medical scientist who made pioneering discoveries in the area of neurosciences and respiratory sciences. He is the first Indian Physiologist to become the Fellow of the Royal Society, London.

A. S. Paintal FRS
Born	(1925-09-24)24 September 1925 Mogok, Burma
Died	21 December 2004(2004-12-21) (aged 79) Delhi, India
Alma mater	King George Medical College University of Edinburgh
Awards	Padma Vibhushan (1986) Honorary member of American Physiological Society[1] Fellow of the Royal Society Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Scientific career
Fields	Physiology
Institutions	All India Institute of Medical Sciences, University College of Medical Sciences Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute Indian Council of Medical Research
Notes
Awards[1]

He was a merit student and did his post graduation in physiology from King George Medical College, Lucknow.

Paintal completed his PhD under the supervision of David Whitteridge at the University of Edinburgh.^{[citation needed]}

His major contribution to the world of science is the development of a single-fiber technique for recording afferent impulses from individual sensory receptors. Paintal discovered several sensory receptors including atrial B receptors, pulmonary J-receptors, ventricular pressure receptors, stomach stretch receptors, and muscle pain receptors. They have set the beginning of new era in physiological understanding.

Paintal returned to India in 1953 and joined All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He later became Director of the Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute. He was also the first Principal of University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi.^[3] Paintal subsequently was elevated to Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research and he was also the founder president of Society of Scientific Values.^[4]

Paintal had 3 children by his first wife Iris Paintal. His second daughter Priti Paintal is a music composer in the UK. His second wife Dr Ashima Anand-Paintal is also a scientist.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. "Honorary Memberships Granted to Glynn, Hokfelt, Paintal, and Skou" (PDF). The Physiologist. 33 (5). American Physiological Society: 154. October 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
2. Iggo, A. (2006). "Autar Singh Paintal. 24 September 1925 -- 21 December 2004: Elected FRS 1981". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 52: 251–262. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2006.0018. PMID 18543474.
3. Edited by DP Burma, Maharani Chakravorty (2011). From Physiology and Chemistry to Biochemistry. Pearson Education India. p. 163. ISBN 9788131732205. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
4. "Autar Singh Paintal (1925-2004)". Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 49 (2): 247–250. 2005. PMID 16247944.

External links

• A.S. Paintal — a celebrated physiologist
• "Autar Singh Paintal, MBBS, MD, PhD (1925-2004)". Obituaries. American Physiological Society. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2006.
• Obituary from Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences