History of SASAT
History of SASAT
History of South Asian Society on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (SASAT)
Quarter of a Century of Service to the South Asians.
South Asian Society on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (SASAT)
History of South Asian Society on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis Study Group.
(1993-Current).
Authored by
Gundu H.R. Rao Ph D
Emeritus Professor
Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Director, Thrombosis Research, Lillehei Heart Institute
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Founder CEO, South Asian Society on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis
12500 Park Potomac Ave, Unit 306N
Potomac, MD 20854.
Prof. V. Mohan MD, FRCP
Chairman and Chief of Diabetology, Past President, SASAT
Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Center & Madras Diabetes Research Foundation
WHO Collaborating Centre for NCDs and IDF Centre for Education
4, Conran Smith Road, Gopalapuram
Chennai, 600 086
Current Address of SASAT, India
c/o Dr. Ravi R Kasliwal, MD, HOD Cardiology
Division of Clinical and Preventive Cardiology
Medanta Hospital, The-MediCity
Gurugram, Haryana, India 122001
0124 414 1414.
Current President of the SASAT, India
Prof. Ravi R Kasliwal MD
HOD, Division of Clinical and Preventive Cardiology
Medanta hospital, The-MediCity
Sector 38, Gurugram, Haryana
India 122001.
Professional Journal of SASAT
Journal of Clinical and Preventive Cardiology
History of SASAT
South Asians have the highest incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD), compared to any other ethnic group in the world. In addition, they also have a very high incidence of metabolic disorders such as hypertension, central abdominal obesity, Type-2 diabetes (T2D), vascular disorders that promote acute arterial occlusion leading to heart attack and stroke. To establish collaborative platforms in India, Professor John W Eaton, and I obtained a travel grant from the National Science Foundation (http://www.nsf.gov), USA, and visited India in 1980. We visited several medical colleges and research institutions, from Kashmir in the North to Trivandrum in the South. In the years following this visit to India, it became evident, that platelet and endothelial cell physiology and function, modulate acute vascular events associated with these chronic metabolic diseases. To facilitate the development of research and clinical studies on these cells, I was invited to India, by the Government of India in 1990, under a unique United Nations Development Program (UNDP) called, “TOKTEN”, which stands for Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals. My application to UNDP/CSIR program was sponsored by Dr. Khalilullah, the then Director, G.B. Pant Hospital, New Delhi and coordinated by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Under this program, I visited India three years in a row (1990,1991,1992), and spent considerable amounts of time at major medical institutions (All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, Bengaluru, Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medica Science and Technology, Trivandrum, Institute of Immunohematology, Mumbai). During these visits, I learnt that the South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans), have very high incidence of cardiometabolic diseases including hypertension, visceral obesity, metabolic syndrome, Type-2 diabetes, arterial vascular disease and stroke. To create awareness, develop educational and preventive programs, with a small seed grant (USD10,000) from the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (www.isth.org) USA, I started a professional society, -South Asian Society on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (SASAT), at the University of Minnesota campus in Minnesota in 1993.
Membership:
At the time I started this society, I decided not to charge any membership fees. However, I did not want to dictate terms, to the Presidents of regional chapters of SASAT in India. Therefore, I suggested them, to make their own decisions, regarding membership fee (For additional Information, visit SASAT website; www.sasat.org). From 1993 to 2000, several regional chapters of SASAT were started in different States of India. The first chapter was at the Institute of Immunohematology at Parel, Mumbai in the KEM campus. Dr. Deepika Mohanty was the leader of these initial efforts. By invitation, the first President of SASAT International was Prof. Sir (Late) Vijay Kakkar, the Director of Thrombosis Research Institute, London. Vice President of SASAT (USA) was Prof. Sandeep Mukherjee, Division of Cardiology, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut, USA. Secretary General was Professor Sampath Parthasarathy from Emory University, Atlanta, USA and Chief Financial Officer was Prashanth T. Rao. The first President of SASAT India was Prof M. L. Bhatia, Cardiologist, Escorts Heart Hospital, New Delhi, India. Administrative Council Members of SASAT included; Prof. S. Thanikachalam, HOD Cardiology, Sri Ramchandra Medical College, Chennai; Dr. V. Mohan, Director, Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre, Chennai; Dr. Bela Shah, Senior Director, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi; Dr. Shanthi Mendis, Chief, NCD Division, WHO, Geneva; Prof. Gopal Acharya, HOD Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Nepal; Dr. Enas A. Enas, Director, CADI Research Foundation, Chicago, USA; Dr. Yashoda T. Rao, Radiation Oncologist, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Prof. Dong Zhao, Director, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung, and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing, China; Dr. Azad Khan, Director, Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Prof. Samad Shera, Director, Diabetes Association of Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan.
SASAT- Past Presidents:
Sir Vijay Kakkar MD, FRCS, Director, Thrombosis Research Institute, London, served as the first President of the SASAT-USA, Professor Jawed Fareed, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Pathology, Loyola University School of Medicine, Chicago, USA served as the second SASAT President.
Following Individuals served as Presidents of the Various Indian chapters of SASAT. Professor M.L. Bhatia, Cardiologist, Escort Heart Hospital, New Delhi; Dr. Deepika Mohanty, Director, Institute of Immunohematology, Mumbai; Dr. Naresh Trehan, Director, Escorts Heart Hospital, New Delhi; Dr S. Thanikachalam, Director, Cardiology Division, Ramachandra Medical College, Tamil Nadu; Dr. V. Mohan, Director, Diabetes Medical Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Dr Sandhyamani, Professor, Sri Chitra Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum; Dr. Haridas Upadhyaya, Director, Cardiology Division, Mission Hospital, Mysore; Dr. U. N. Das, Professor of Medicine L.V. Prasad Eye Institute; Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Director, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bengaluru; Dr. Soma Raju, HOD Cardiology, Care Hospital, Hyderabad; Dr. C. N. Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology and Research, Bengaluru; Dr Samir Kanti Shah, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
SASAT, USA was a registered, non-profit organization in the State of Minnesota (1993). Finances of SASAT was audited by Chawla and Chawla Associates, PC, 438 N. Frederick Ave Suite 400, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. SASAT USA was dissolved after Professor Gundu Rao retired from the University of Minnesota in 2012.
SASAT India Trust is registered as a non-profit organization in Bengaluru, State of Karnataka. Office bearers include, Gundu H.R. Rao Founder, CEO, Mr. G. Muralidharan COO, Mr. Narayan Sharma, Treasurer, Dr Rajani Kant Vangala, Trustee.
SASAT administrative office is located at the Medanta Hospital, New Delhi. SASAT Pan Number: AAJTS5274R.
Objectives:
1. To create awareness, develop educational and preventive strategies for the metabolic diseases, obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease and stroke.
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2. To promote publication of research articles and comprehensive monographs.
3. To develop working relationships with various stake holders.
4. To find a permanent home for SASAT in India.
The advisory board of the SASAT requests that the health, media, social service professionals, scientific researchers and various other agencies join forces in eliminating this chronic complex disease by adopting appropriate policies and regulatory changes. Furthermore, we suggest that concerted effort should be made for facilitating greater awareness of risk factors for CVDs, and for encouraging the development of educational, diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic guidelines and implementing needed prevention programs.
SASAT Conferences:
SASAT organized the First International Symposium on Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, Hemostasis and Transfusion Medicine, at the Tata Memorial Cancer Center, Mumbai, India in 1994. This conference was co-sponsored by the Institute of Immunohematology and Indian Society for Atherosclerosis Research (ISAR). Recipients of the Distinguished Career Awards were Sir Vijay Kakkar MD, FRCS, Director, Thrombosis Research Institute, Chelsea, London; Dr S. Padmawati, Director, National Heart Institute, New Delhi; S. Ramalinga Swamy, MD, Past Director, Indian Council of Medical Research New Delhi; S. P. Tripathi MD, Past Director, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India. Special invited guests included: Prof. Vijay Kakkar, Director, Thrombosis Research Institute, London, Dr, Koneti Rao, Temple University, PA, USA. Dr Aggarwal, Brown University, USA, Dr Gerhard Johnson, V.A Medical Center, Minnesota, Dr Narendra Tandon, Am. Red Cross, USA, Dr. Rajalaxmi, Rush University, Chicago, Dr Bobby Khan, Emory University, Dr Sampath Parthasarathy, Emory University. Dr V. Mahadevappa, Guelph University, Canada. Dr A. Electricwala, UK.
Following the success of the first international Conference, SASAT organized the second International Conference on Thrombosis Hemostasis and Transfusion Medicine in Ashoka Hotel, Bangalore in 1996 under the leadership of Dr. S. S. Iyengar HOD, Cardiology, St. John’s College and Hospital. Impressed with the success of the first ever-funded conference of ISTH abroad, we were funded again (USD15, 000) by the ISTH for this conference. Late Dr. Vijaya Srinivas was the treasurer and coordinator for this event. We were able to award fifty junior investigator awards to young scientists. Over fifty non-resident faculty from ten different countries participated in this event. Some of the prominent Scientists/Clinicians included, Prof. Salvador Moncada the Research Director from Welcome Research Laboratory (1986-1995) UK, Prof. Barry Coller of ReoPro fame from Rockefeller Institute, New York, USA; Prof. Robert Coleman from Philadelphia, Prof. Gerhard Johnson from VA Hospitals, Minneapolis, Prof. Salim Yusuf from McMasters’, Canada; Dr Enas Enas from Chicago, USA, Prof Vijay Kakkar, Director Thrombosis Research Institute, London and Prof. Sampath Parthasarathy and his team from Emory University Medical School, USA. When writing a historical note like this one from memory, it is hard to remember and mention the names of all the important faculty that participated. However, if anyone is left out, it is not intentional. Recipients of SASAT awards were Prof. M.L. Bhatia of Escorts Heart Institute, Prof. Rajendra Tandon, Ex-HOD Cardiology, AIIMS, Dr. G.V. Satyavati, Director ICMR, Prof. M.S. Valiyathan, Vice Chancellor Manipal Academy.
The third International Conference on Thrombosis, Hemostasis and Transfusion Medicine was organized under the leadership of Prof. Naresh Trehan (SASAT President, New Delhi Chapter) of Escorts Heart Institute at India Habitat Center, New Delhi in 1998. Prof. Ravi Kasliwal (SASAT Secretary) and Dr. Anjali Arora (SASAT Treasurer) played an important role in coordinating this event. Probably we had the largest number of foreign faculty (45) in this conference. Special invited guests included: Dr. Sampath Parthasarathy, Emory University, USA, Dr Jawed Fareed, Loyola University, USA, Dr Mike Steffes, University of Minnesota. Fifty junior investigator awards were given to young scientists. This conference also was partially (USD15, 000) funded by the ISTH, USA. The SASAT 1998 symposium was approved for CME Credits, by the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, USA. Recipients of SASAT awards were: Prof K. Srinath Reddy, Cardiologist, AIIMS, Prof. R.N. Chakravarthy, HOD Atherosclerosis Research PGI Chandigarh, Prof. Naresh Trehan, Director, Escorts Heart Institute, Dr. Enas A. Enas, Director, CADI Research, Chicago; Prof Sampath Parthasarathy, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA. Special Recognition Award: Yashoda T. Rao, MD Radiation Oncologist, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
By this time, we had SASAT Chapters in many States of India. None other than Prof. M. S. Swaminathan inaugurated SASAT Chennai and Pondicherry chapters on The 14th of March 1999. It was followed by a one-day symposium on Diabetes and Atherosclerosis.
SASAT organized Fourth International Symposium on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis at Bhaba Atomic Energy Research Center under the leadership of Dr. Deepika Mohanty, Director, Institute of Immunohematology (ICMR), Mumbai in 2000. It is ironic that ISTH stopped funding us due to some internal politics. One of the foreign faculties that attended SASAT 4th conference in Mumbai (2000) at the Bhabha Atomic Energy Center was Prof. Jerome Markowtiz from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. He was so much impressed with the talent of research scientists and availability of clinical opportunities in India; he decided to write a collaborative research project to the NIH, with Indian scientists and clinicians. Prof. Sam Parthasarathy and I were involved in the first draft writing of this proposal. The prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) USA, funded this collaborative bilateral proposal between the US Academic Health Centers and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, under the leadership of V. Mohan, Director of this institute. Under this collaborative project the staff from US universities (University of Minnesota and University of Alabama) visited Chennai every spring and offered an intensive training in epidemiology at MDRF. SASAT award recipients were: Prof H. S Wasir, Retired Professor of Cardiology AIIMS; Prof N.K. Ganguly, Director, ICMR, Dr. B.K. Shadaksharappa, President, Indian College of Cardiology, Prof. M. Ramasharma, HOD Biochemistry IISC, Bangalore; Dr. Sandhyamani, Professor of Pathology, SCTIMST, Trivandrum
SASAT organized Fifth International Symposium on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis at Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai, under the leadership of S, Thanikachalam HOD Cardiology, in 2002. Recipients of SASAT awards were: Dr. V. Mohan Director, MDRF, Chennai; Dr. Dipika Mohanty Director, Institute of Immuno-hematology, Mumbai; Dr. Bela Shah, Senior Director, ICMR, New Delhi; Prof. Sampath Parthasarathy, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
SASAT Kerala chapter organized a one-day preconference meeting at Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology Trivandrum on October 24th, 2002. SASAT released its first Monograph on Coronary Artery Disease, edited by Gundu H. R. Rao and Sir (late) Vijay Kakkar (JP Medical Publishers New Delhi).
SASAT organized the Sixth International symposium under the leadership of Dr. Soma Raju, HOD Cardiology, Care Hospital Hyderabad in 2004. Highlight of the symposium was an hour -long live TV-interview with the President of India Dr. Abdul APJ Kalam with participating delegates. Recipients of the SASAT Awards were: Dr. Soma Raju, HOD Cardiology, Care Hospital, Hyderabad; Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Director of Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore; Dr. Shanthi Mendis, Chief, NCD, WHO. Geneva; Dr. Salim Yusuf, Prof. Epidemiology, Macmaster University, Canada; Prof Myron Gross, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, USA (Jerome Markowitz Oration Award Sponsored by Dr. V. Mohan).
In view of the fact, that SASAT had completed a decade of educational work on Coronary Artery Disease, we the members of the Executive Council thought that we should change our directions and expand our activities to cover other areas of Vascular Biology and Pathology. We invited Prof Jawed Fareed, Professor of Pharmacology and Pathology, Loyola University School of Medicine, Chicago, USA, to take over as the President of SASAT, USA and lead us to conduct our activities at National as well as International levels.
SASAT organized the 7th international conference in Bengaluru, under the leadership of C. N. Manjunath (2006), Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology and Research (SJICR), at Hotel Le Meridien, Bengaluru. Special invited guests included: Prof. Vijay Kakkar, Director, Thrombosis Research Institute, London, Dr Sampath Parthasarathy and his associates from Emory University, Dr Natarajan, USA, Dr Vivian Fonseca, USA, Dr Myron Gross, University of Minnesota, USA. SASAT awardees included; Dr C.N Manjunath, Director (SJICR), Dr Prakash Deedwania, Professor of Cardiology, University of California. San Francisco; Dr Sandeep Mukherjee, Professor of Cardiology, Yale University, Connecticut; Dr C.S Yajnik Director Diabetes Research (Pune Maternal Nutrition Study Group), KEM Pune; Dr S. Koneti Rao, Professor of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia; Dr Vijayalakshmi, Professor of Cardiology (Vijaya Srinivas Memorial Award, SJICR; Dr Vivian Fonseca (Jerome Markowitz Oration Award Sponsored by Dr. V. Mohan).
SASAT organized a Special symposium on Antithrombotic Drugs and Generic Biologics at Taj Mansingh, New Delhi. October 12, 2007. This symposium was sponsored by Sanofi Int., France.
Distinguished invited guests included: Prof. Jawed Fareed (Loyola University); Dr Wendy Leong, Canada; Dr R. Altman, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Dr. Arthur Sasahara, Boston; Dr A. Lale, Kansas City; Dr. J. Walenga, (Loyola University); Dr P. Williams, France; Dr B. Kaiser, Germany, Dr. F. Ofusu, Canada; Dr W. Haque, Canada; Dr R Wahi, USA; Dr U. Cornelli, Italy; Dr J. Mardiguian, France; Dr. S. Tetali, USA; Dr. I. Khan, Switzerland; Dr. M. Ruttlant, Spain; Dr. M Walter Jeske, USA, Dr. Takada, Japan; Dr. J Harenberg, Germany; Dr Hoppensteadt, USA; Dr Andrew Nicolaides, Greece; Dr. J. Frankios Harvard U., USA, Dr. S. Goldhaber Harvard U. USA. Distinguished Career Awards: Dr. Shashank Joshi, Mumbai, India; Dr. Sandhya Kamath, Mumbai, India; Dr. Prakash Deedwania, University of San Francisco, USA; Dr. Undurti Das, Seattle, USA; Dr. Khalilullah, Cardiologist, Heart Hospital, New Delhi; Dr. Renu Saxena, AIIMS, New Delhi; (Vijaya Sreenivas Memorial Award); Dr. Nikhil Tandon, India (Jerome Markowitz Oration Award).
SASAT Organized in 2008, a Scientific Summit: “On Low Molecular Weight Heparins” in New Delhi. Invited guest speakers included: Dr Andrew Nicolaides, Greece; Dr R. Kennedy, Loyola University; Dr R. Hull, Canada; Dr Wendy Leong, Canada; Dr W. Haque, Canada; Dr Fareed, USA; Dr. R Wahi, USA; Dr W Rake, Germany; Dr F Ofusu, Canada; Dr E Ramacciotti ( Brazil); Dr E, Kalodiki, UK; Dr Iqbal, USA; Dr Ahluvalia, USA; Dr Van Thiel USA; Dr P Aggarwal, USA. Special Recognition Awards-SASAT: Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Life -time Achievement Award, Dr. Mohsin Wali, USA. Jerome Markowitz Oration Award: Dr. Sekar Karthiseran MD, Harvard Medical School, USA; Vijaya Sreenivas Award: Usha Sriram MD, Endocrinologist, Chennai; Kris Vijay MD, President, American College of Cardiology, Arizona Chapter, USA, Ravi Kasliwal MD, Cardiologist, The-MediCity, New Delhi, Dr. Dipti Itchhaporia MD, Governor of ACC Southern California Chapter, Sridhar Dwivedi MD, Professor, Delhi University, New Delhi, K.R. Suresh MD, Ex-President, Vascular Society of India. Life -Time Achievement Award: Professor Sir Vijay V. Kakkar MD, FRCS, Director, Thrombosis Research Institute, London, UK/Bangalore, India.
SASAT USA organized its last conference in India in 2013, at PGS Medical College, Coimbatore.
The conference was organized by Prof. Bhuvaneswaran and associates of the Division of Cardiology. SASAT award recipients included: Dr. J. S. Bhuvaneswaran, Professor of Cardiology – Life -Time Achievement Award; Dr. JSN Murthy - Life Time Achievement Award; Dr. Vijay Viswanathan – Life -time Achievement Award, Dr. Manish Bansal – Young Scientist Award, Dr Kris Vijay MD, USA- Dr Jerome Markowitz Oration Award, Dr R Meera – .Dr Vijaya Sreenivas Memorial Award Certificate of Appreciation: Dr. Brahma Sharma, USA, Dr. Sunil Gopinath, USA. Dr. Vibhuti Singh, USA.
SASAT Initiatives:
In the early 1990s, as Founder and CEO of SASAT, I facilitated the visit of the President, Children’s Heart Link (CHL), an NGO from Bloomington Minnesota, USA, to leading Heart Specialty Centers; Manipal Heart Foundation and Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, Bangalore. Volunteer staff consisting of clinicians and nursing staff from different US institutions, worked with these hospitals and trained the staff in Bangalore hospitals, in the art and science of Pediatric cardiac surgery. In view of this contribution, Dr. Devi Shetty, who left Manipal Heart Foundation and established his own heart specialty hospital; Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH), has named one unit at his NH campus as CHL-wing. SASAT also led a delegation of experts during early 1990s to the NCD Division of World Health Organization, Geneva, to present an out of the box concept of preventing NCDs. Dr. Devi P. Shetty also was a member of this delegation to Geneva (Other members of this delegation included, Dr Raghavendra Rao a neonatologist from the University of Minnesota, Dr Mahadev Murthy a nutritional Biochemist from the University of Winnipeg, and Dr Pandurangi a WHO consultant from UK). SASAT also initiated population-based studies in 21 States of India on the effect of Lifestyle on the development of CAD risks under the leadership of Prof. Rajeev Gupta of Jaipur. Prof. Prakash Deedwania of University of California, at San Francisco, USA, funded these SASAT-sponsored population studies. SASAT Organized a CME in Amsterdam for Physicians of Indian Origin in November of 2010. The title of the CME was Diabetes, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease. Glenmark Pharma, India funded this CME program. Mr. G. Muralidharan, COO SASAT, coordinated this conference. Faculty for this CME program was from SASAT and Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard University. SASAT organized a free diabetes screening clinic in Ladakh, India, in collaboration with Cardio-Renal Society and Twin Epidemic Group of USA, in the summer of 2013. These events were also coordinated by G. Muralidharan, COO. Mr. Muralidharan coordinated a clinical study funded by Glenmark Pharma.
SASAT facilitated the development of a bilateral research project between the Children’s hospital Washington DC and KEM hospital Pune on molecular mechanisms involved in fetal programing for the developmental origins of adult diseases and health (DOADaH). These studies were funded by the National Institutes of Health, USA. We facilitated mRNA studies for this research by initiating collaboration between this group and Genotypic Technology Pvt, Bengaluru.
SASAT Educational Activities in India and Abroad:
SASAT organized the Seventh International Conference on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis in hotel Le Meriden, Bangalore, in 2006 under the leadership of C.N. Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. During this conference Dr. V. Mohan and I met Dr. V.S Acharya, Cabinet Minister for Medical Education (Karnataka) and convinced him the need for a cutting-edge-center for Diabetes Management in the State of Karnataka. During the inaugural address, he announced the allotment of Six Crore Rupees, towards the development of an exclusive hospital: Karnataka Institute for Diabetes (www.kidbangalore.in). Prof C. N. Manjunath graciously agreed to accommodate this institution to be located temporarily in the campus of SJICR, Bangalore. KID website states, “KID is a unique, first of its kind and the only institute in the whole of the country, which is dedicated to provide holistic and state-of-the-art care to the diabetic population”. At the time of this writing, it has moved to a new campus with a new name; Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology and Research (KIER).
Under the leadership of Professor Fareed, SASAT got the affiliation with international professional platforms such as North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF), which is located at Harvard campus and the International Union of Angiology (Paris, France). Dr. Gundu Rao represented SASAT as well as acted as Adviser, to the President’s of NATF (www.natfonline.org) and IUA (www.angiology.org) till his retirement from the University of Minnesota in 2012. Partial funding for the next three theme-based conferences came as unrestrained educational grants from SANOFI, a Global healthcare leader from Paris, France. These events were coordinated by G. Muralidharan, COO, SASAT, India. SASAT organized the first International Summit on Generic Drugs, Biologics and Biosimilars at the Taj Mansingh Hotel, New Delhi, India in 2007. Second International summit on the same theme was organized at the India Habitat Center, New Delhi in 2008. This summit was co-sponsored by the Hematology Society of India. Third International Summit on this theme was organized at Bangalore, in 2010. SASAT affiliation with NATF and IUA brought us in contact with world leaders in the area of Venous Thrombosis. We organized many workshops together, published guidelines, white papers, research articles and monographs. SASAT Organized half-day symposiums with the World Congress of the International Union of Angiology at Lisbon, Portugal (2006); Athens, Greece (2008), Buenos Aires, Argentina (2010), Prague, Czech Republic (2012), Sydney, Australia (2014). As members of the Editorial Committee of IUA, we were able to recruit World’s experts in Venous Thrombosis, to contribute articles to a monograph on, “Clinical Handbook of Management of Antithrombotic & Thrombolytic Therapy”. IUA President, Dr. John Fletcher Professor of Surgery, University of Sydney, Australia, released this book during the XXVI World Congress of IUA in Sydney, Australia.
Apart from working with NATF and IUA for over a decade, SASAT also has worked with other International Professional Societies including, International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), USA, Thrombosis Research Institute (TRI), London/India, Lillehei Heart institute (LHI), USA, American College of Cardiology (ACC), Cardio Renal Society of America, American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Heart Association AHA), NCD Alliance, Partnership on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNC), Diabetes in Asia Study Group (DASG), International Federation of Diabetes (IFD), Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Indian Society for Atherosclerosis Research (ISAR), Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology and Research (KIER), and the WHO.
SASAT Publications:
1). Rao, GHR, V. J. Kakkar: Coronary Artery Disease in South Asians: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Prevention. Jaypee Medical Publishers, New Delhi, India, 2001.
2). Rao, GHR, S. Thanikachalam: Coronary Artery Disease: Risk Factors, Pathophysiology and Prevention. Jaypee Medical Publishers, New Delhi, India. 2005.
3). Rao, GHR, L Jagannathan, T Eastlund: Handbook of Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine, Jaypee Medical Publishers, New Delhi, India, 2006.
4). V. Mohan, Rao GHR: Diabetes Mellitus (Type-2): Epidemiology, Risk Management and Prevention. Jaypee Medical Publishers, New Delhi, India. 2007
5). Rao, GHR, E Kalidoki, W. Leong. J Fareed: Management of Antithrombolytic and Thrombolytic Therapy. KontentWorks, India. 2014.
6). Rao, GHR: Handbook of Coronary Artery Disease. MacMillan Medical Communications, New Delhi, 2016.
7). Rao GHR: Morphology, Physiology, and Pharmacology of Blood Platelets. JP Medical Publishers, New Delhi, India 2017.
8). Rao GHR: Handbook of Coronary Artery Disease. Jaypee Medical Publishers, New Delhi, India.
2022.
9). Mohan V, Shekar MA, Rao GHR (Senior Editors) Subramanyam B and Bantwal G (Associate Editors): Diabetes in South Asians: An Update. Jaypee Medial Publishers, New Delhi, India, 2022.
References:
Rao GHR: Contributions of South Asian Society on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis and Indian Society for Atherosclerosis Research, to our understanding of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis. J. Clin & Preventive Cardiology 5 (2): 67-72, 2016.
Emeritus Professor. University of Minnesota
1yThree decades have passed since we started this professional society in Minnesota