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(1967–2018)

The Indian Society for Parasitology (ISP) deeply mourns the untimely demise of Professor Upma Bagai, who passed away on 8 September 2018. A life member of ISP, she was also a member of Executive Committee of ISP since 2014 and contributed a lot towards promotion of the Society.

Born on 31.07.1967 in Chandigarh, Prof. Bagai received her B.Sc. (1985) from MCM DAV College, Chandigarh, M.Sc. Zoology (1987) from Kurukshetra University and Ph.D. (1992) degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She joined the faculy of Zoology at Panjab University in 1998 and continued to serve the University in various capacities- academic and administrative. She was devoted to teaching and research in the field of protozoology and was an expert in malaria. Her research work focused on the immunology and chemotherapy of malarial parasite Plasmodium. Protective antigens of Plasmodium berghei were characterised in her laboratory, some of which induced long lasting immunity. One of her students also investigated the mechanism of T cell infiltration in cerebral malaria in P. berghei (ANKA strain)-infected mice. She was also involved in the testing of antimalarial efficacy of traditionally used medicinal plants namely, Ajuga bracteosa, Xanthium strumarium, Bergenia ciliata, Thlaspi arvense, Thalictrum foliolosum and Albizia lebbek in the in- vitro and in- vivo systems and purification of the active antimalarial components from these plants. She always said, “I have to give a good antimalarial to this world”. For achieving this goal the antimalarial efficacy of homeopathic drugs was being investigated in her laboratory, with the support from Central Council of Research in Homeopathy, India.

She supervised 11 Ph.D., 5 M.Phil. and 45 M.Sc. students and published 70 research papers in well reputed international and national journals. She was a Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator in many research projects funded by University Grants Commission and other funding agencies of Government of India (e.g., Department of Science & Technology- Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of AYUSH etc.). Very often Upma would express her great passion for the field of Zoology. Even in her later stages of illness, she continued to attend to the needs of her research students. She was known for her immense knowledge, wisdom and remarkable sense of humour.

Besides ISP, she was life member of Indian Society of Parasitology (ISP), Punjab Academy of Sciences, Indian Science Congress Association, Indian Academy of Vector- Bone Diseases and Electron Microscope Society of India.

Upma is survived by her Husband Dr. Deepak Bagai who is a Professor in PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh. Every member of ISP feels the loss of our distinguished colleague, an excellent human being with admirable teaching and research skills. May God Almighty give courage to her family, colleagues and friends to bear this irreplaceable loss.

We pray to God that her soul rest in eternal peace.

President, ISP