Tirunelveli Subbaiyer Tirumurti obtained his MB & CM, and DTM & H degrees and got specialized in pathology. He worked as Professor of Pathology, Madras Medical College; Principal, Medical College, Vishakhapatnam; Chief Medical Officer, Harbour, Vishakhapatnam; Principal, Stanley Medical College, Chennai; and Officiating Vice-Chancellor, Andhra University.

Academic and Research Achievements: Tirumurti’s contributions pertained to portal hypertension and cirrhosis of the liver and other related disorders in adults. He established that malaria per se had no relationship to cirrhosis; above all when indeed chronic malaria rampant stands the pioneering studies on the pathology of infantile biliary cirrhosis now known as Indian Childhood Cirrhosis. He made an in-depth study of public health practices and policies; accorded priorities to public health, as opposed to curative medicine. His vision of medical research in India was based on his in-depth studies of historical contributions of Indian medical thought through the ages.

Other Contributions: Tirumurti served as Member, Provincial Drug Control Advisory Committee, Travancore Legislature, Standing Committee on Population Hygiene and Indian Institute of Population Research; and Honorary Chairman, Medical and Public Health Reorganization Committee, Travancore State. He also served on the Editorial boards of Journal of Paediatrics, Journal of Venereology and Journal of the Indian Medical Association.

Awards and Honours: Dr Tirumurti was conferred the titles Rao Sahib; Rai Bahadur.. He was elected President, Medical and Veterinary Section of the Indian Science Congress (1939), All India Medical Association (1952); Vice President, Madras Medical Council; and Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.

The Indian National Science Academy has instituted `Dr TS Tirumurti Memorial Lecture Award’ in his honour.