INDIA is one of the fastest growing health care markets in the world. The current estimate of health care device market is about $1billion with a projected growth rate of 18%. Realizing this huge potential, Indian industry as well as academecia has started showing keen interest in biomaterials and medical devices research. As a result, establishments like National Laboratories, Indian Institutes of Technology and other leading Universities have started research as well as teaching programs. Many of the establishments work in close association with the industry also. As an outcome of this, apart from the ongoing research activities, indigenously developed implants and devices like artificial heart valve, hydrocephalus shunt, blood oxygenator etc. are also available in the Indian market.

In order to develop coherence among the scientists and engineers working in this field, way back in 1986 Dr. Chandra P. Sharma along with his colleagues founded the society, Society for Biomaterials and Artificial Organs – India.

The Society

The Society was formed in 1986 and registered under the Travancore-Cochin Act XII of 1955, (act for registration of literary, scientific and charitable societies) with the name Society for Biomaterials and Artificial Organs – India with the following objectives. This Society will be, not only cultivate an atmosphere nationwide for the growth of basic and technological oriented research in Biomaterials and Artificial Organs but also bring the professionals from various faculties together to improve the quality of their approach in future research. This will be done by communication among all members, by developing a Society’s newsletter and also by arranging workshops with laboratory demonstrations, where learning and exchange of relevant concepts can be stimulated every year.

The Society is administered by its office bearers consisting of the President, two Vice presidents, the General Secretary and Treasurer elected from the executive committee constituted from the eligible members of the Society.

Activities of the Society

National conferences are organized by the Society from time to time, with the financial assistance mainly from the various departments of the Government of India such as Department of Science & Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other private agencies. In addition to the delegates from all over India, these conferences have been attended by delegates from countries like USA, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey etc.

Society’s Publications

Society publishes a biannual journal Trends in Biomaterials & Artificial Organs edited by Dr. Chanrda P. Sharma, and proceedings of the national conferences. The journal is indexed by National Informatics Centre, New Delhi.

Communication with the World Community

Indian Scientists are often publishing their work in reputed international journals such as Journal of Biomedical Material Research; Biomaterials; Artificial Organs; Nature; Journal of Biomaterials Applications; Biomaterial-Living System Interactions; Biomaterials, Artificial Cells & Immobilization Biotechnology; Journal of Microencapsulation; Journal of Applied Polymer Science; Journal of Material Science – Materials in Medicine; Journal of Material Science – Letters; Journal of Biomaterial Science – Polymer Edition; Clinical Materials (presently incorporated with Biomaterials); Journal of Colloid & Interface Science; STP Pharma Sciences; etc.

Awards

Dr. Chandra P. Sharma was recognized by the Society with a distinguished Scientist award (1991) and the award subsequently is known as Chandra P. Sharma Award. Society recognizes the distinguished scientists working in the area of Biomaterials and Artificial Organs time to time with Chandra P. Sharma Award. The award winners have been Prof. P.K. Bajpai (1992) University of Dayton (USA), Mr. H. Vijayakumar (1994) Chief Executive, SIDD, Chennai (INDIA), Prof. E. Piskin (1997), Hacettepe University (TURKEY), Dr. Hideharu Shintani (1999), National Institute of Health Sciences (Japan), Prof. Victor I. Sevastianov, (2000) Russian Research Centre for Biomaterials for Artificial Organs (Russia), Prof. Subrata Saha, (2001), USA, Prof. A. S. Hoffman (2002), USA, Dr. Leo Vroman (2003), USA and Prof. Xingdong Zhang (2004), Sichuan University, China, Prof. Robert Baier (2005), USA and Dr. Avi Domb (2006), Isreal.

Nominations are invited throughout the year for Chandra P. Sharma Award. Send your nominations to the President, Secretary or Joint Secretary of the Society.

MAHE Award has been constituted for the best paper presented by a scientist/academic faculty during the conference and the Bajpai-Saha Award is for the best student paper presentation.

Memberships

Total members of the Society are 380+ including Awardees, Honorary, life, organizational and foreign members.

Honorary Membership

Honorary Membership is recognised only on rare and exceptional cases of distinctions. Society has only two Honorary members, Prof. Willem J. Kolff of University of Utah (USA) and Prof. Robert Langer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA at present.

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