Hind Rattan Award 2012 to Hari Shanker Sharma on January 25, 2012

Photograph of Hind Rattan Award Ceremony for Dr. Hari Shanker Sharma of Uppsala, Sweden in New Delhi on January 25, 2012 on te´he eve of Republic Day of India, 26th January. The award was given to Hari Sharma by Defence Minister of India and Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India. Dr. Hari Sharma was awarded this Government of India - Hind Rattan exceptional work in neuroscience that has great impact on human lives. Hari Shanker Sharma, (Swedish Citizen), Docent in Neuroanatomy (UU); Professor of Neurobiology (MRC), is currently working in Uppsala University Hospital, Department of Surgical Sciences, Division of Anesthesiology & Intensive Care Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden. Hari Sharma did his Higher Secondary Schooling in 1969 from Dalmianagar and did his Bachelor of Science with Honors from the prestigious L S College Muzaffarpur, Bihar University, India in 1973 and secured 1st position.

He obtained Master Degree in Neurobiology with special expertise in Cell Biology in 1976 and awarded Gold Medal of Bihar University for securing 1st potion in the 1st Class. Later Hari Sharma joined the group of Professor Prasanta Kumar Dey, a neurophysiologist in the Department of Physiology, Institute of Medical; Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in 1977 and earned the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree (D. Phil) in Neurosciences in May 1982 on “Blood-Brain Barrier in Stress”.

He conducted independent experiments on morphine dependence and withdrawal in relation to body temperature regulation, behavioral changes and neurochemistry in rat and mice models and studied electrophysiological activity in relation to stress, hyperthermia and drugs of abuse and showed for the first time that long or short term stress could disrupt the BBB and desynchronizes the EEG activity. His Ph D thesis was evaluated by Stanley I Rapoport of NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA; Barbro Johansson, Department of Neurology of Lund University, Lund, Sweden; and Erik Westergaard, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Hari Sharma after carrying out a series of Govt. of India funded Research Projects on the BBB and brain dysfunction (1982-1987), joined the lab of Neuropathology at Uppsala University with Professor Yngve Olsson in 1988 to expand his knowledge on the passage of tracer transport across the BBB in stress caused by traumatic insults to the Brain and Spinal cord at light and electron microscopy. Dr Sharma awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship of German Govt. (1989-1991) to work on hyperthermia induced BBB dysfunction at the ultrastructural level in the laboratory of Professor Jorge Cervós-Navarro, designated as a living “Legends in Neuropathology in Europe” by World Federation of Neuropathology in 1990 and recipient of the German Govt. highest Civil Award, Bundestag, 1996. After that Dr Sharma came back to Uppsala University as Director of Research on CNS Injury & Repair and established a network of collaboration on with several prestigious Universities and Govt. organization across Europe, USA, Australia as well as his parent Institutions in Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. The works carried out by Dr Sharma on the pathophysiology of blood-brain barrier in hyperthermia using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy in the Neuroanatomy Department of Uppsala University (1995-1999). On his work on hyperthermia Dr Sharma was decorated with prestigious Neuroanatomy award “Rönnows Research prize” of Uppsala University for “best neuroanatomical research of the year 1996” followed by the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences of Uppsala University in Neuroanatomy in 1999 evaluated by Professor David Begley, Kings College London, UK. The Uppsala University Thesis of Dr Sharma was also selected for the Best Thesis Award of the Medical faculty, “The Hwassers Prize” of 1999. Subsequent research of Dr Sharma in Uppsala University on the neurobiology of hyperthermia in relation to the Blood Brain barrier and Brain edema (2000-2003) has earned the prestigious title of Docent in Neuroanatomy of Medical Faculty, Uppsala University, approved by Professor Ole Petter Ottersen, University of Oslo, Norway in April 2004.

Dr Sharma on his research on brain pathology and neuroprotection in different model received the prestigious award from The Laerdal Foundation of Acute Medicine, Stavanger, Norway, in 2005, European Aerospace Research & Development (EOARD), London, UK and US Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Oh, USA.

Hari Sharma has published over 240 peer reviewed research papers, 60 reviews, 18 monographs, 65 international book chapters and edited 8 International book volumes (ISI H-index 30; Total citation above 4500). He served as Guest Editor of Curr Pharm Desig (2005, 2007); J Neural Transmiss (2006) and is founding Editor-in-Chief of International J Neuroprotec & Neuroregen (2004-), UK. now renamed as American Journal of Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration, American Scientific Publications, (2009-) USA and Journal of Nanoneuroscience (2009-). Dr Sharma is on board of various International Journals including Journal of Neurodegeneration and Regeneration, USA; CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, Bentham and is associate editor of Journal of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (Nanoneuroscience 2006-), USA; Frontiers Series on Aging Neuroscience (2009-); Review editor in Frontiers Series on Neuroengineering (2008-) and Neurorestoratology (2010-).

Dr Sharma has served as an expert evaluator and advisor to various Boards, Councils and Institutions for their Research Grants in Europe, USA and in Australasia. Some of the notable organizations include: Australia and New Zeeland Health Council (2000-); University Commission of Grants, Hong Kong (2002-), Singapore Medical Council, Singapore (2003-); UK Charity Organization “Research on Ageing: Help the Aged” (2003-); Selection committee for faculty members of various Universities as external Expert reviewer: Israel, USA, India, UK.

His current research projects include (i) Molecular mechanisms of blood-brain barrier permeability and cell injury in CNS trauma and neuroprotection, (ii) Effect of Nanoparticles on the Blood-Brain Barrier. An Experimental Study in Rats and Mice, (iii) Drugs of Abuse Induced Neurotoxicity. An Experimental Study in Rats using Physiological and Morphological Approaches, (iv) Pathophysiology of CNS damage in heat stress. Exploration of suitable therapeutic measures, (v) Brain pathology induced by cardiac arrest. Possible mechanisms of brain damage and repair, (vi) Novel peptides and neurotrophic factors in neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration against CNS insults, (vii) Therapeutic role of antibodies in CNS injuries, (viii) Influence of Co-morbidity factors in Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration

His few Notable Awards & Distinctions include (i) Elected Dy. Governor (Board of Governors) of Am Bio Res Inst, North Carolina, USA, 1988 for Europe, (ii) Elected Dy. Director General, Int Bio Soc, Cambridge, UK 1997 for Europe, (iii) Certificate of Excellence, National Centre for Toxicological Research (NCTR), US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Jefferson, Ar, USA on Works on Psychostimulants and the Blood-Brain Barrier. (iv) Distinguished International Scientist Collaboration Award (DISCA) by NIH to work in NIDA, Baltimore, USA on Psychostimulants induced neurotoxicity, 2006, 2007.2008. (v) Ambassador of the City of Uppsala 2007- Uppsala County Award, (vi) Entered into the “Hall of Fame” 2009, Record for Distinguished services in “Neuroscience” influencing Human Health Factors in November 2009, ABRI, NC, USA, (vii) Awarded Honorary Doctorate, Doctor of science (D.Sc) by Medical University of Cluj-Napoca, October 2009.

Dr Sharma has Political Affiliation with Socialdemokraterna (Member: Swedish Social Democrat Party), Stockholm, Sweden

Hari Sharma is married to Aruna Sharma (nee Bajpai) since 23rd April 1979 and has two sons. Contact information: Hari S Sharma, voice & fax: +46-18-243899, cell phone: +46 70 641 9843; e.mail: Sharma@surgsci.uu.se