Sachindananda Banerjee completed his DSc (1945) from University of Calcutta. His areas of specialization were physiology and nutrition. He was the Chief Scientific Advisor & Head of the Research Division, Dey's Medical Stores (Manufacturing) Ltd, Kolkata, Professor of Physiology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur (1964-65) and in SP Medical College, Bikaner (1959-64). He headed the Department of Physiology in Presidency College, Kolkata (1948-59) and was Professor of Chemistry, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata (1947-48).

Academic and Research Achievements: Banerjee determined the structure of camel haemoglobin and established that it differs from any other haemoglobin. He demonstrated that Vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs and monkeys led to diminished insulin secretion and produced metabolic changes similar to those of diabetes in human beings. He determined the calorie requirements of Indians under different occupations and demonstrated the unsuitability of FAO standards for Indians.

Other Contributions: Banerjee was Editor of the Indian Journal of Physiology and Allied Sciences. He chaired the Nutrition Advisory Committee, Indian Council of Medical Research (1960-63).

Awards and Honours: S Banerjee was elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (1951), the first Indian to receive the honour. He won the Griffith Memorial Prize (1942, 1944) and Coat's Gold Medal (1950) (both of University of Calcutta). He delivered prestigious lectures among which were the Bires Guha Memorial Lecture (Indian Science Congress, Ranchi), the Platinum Jubilee Lecture (Indian Science Congress, Madurai) and the General SL Bhatia Memorial Lecture (Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India, Indore).