Anekal Ramaswamiengar Gopal Ayengar did his PhD (1942) from the University of Toronto, Canada and earned DSc from the Universities of Mysore and Hannover. His specialization was in radiobiology and cytogenetics. He was a Visiting Professor, Institute for Biophysik, University of Hannover; Chief Research Cytologist, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai (1947-51); Assistant Director and Director, Biology Division, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai (1952-67); Director, Bio-Medical Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai and Professor of Cell Biology, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai.

Academic and Research Achievements: Gopal Ayengar contributed significantly to gene duplication and chromosome synthesis in biological systems, chromosome breakage by radiation and radiomimetic substances, properties of malignant systems, mutation studies in plants of economic importance, human chromosome studies, genetical and biological investigations in high background radiation areas.

Other Contributions: Ayengar authored monograph on Nuclear Medicine and Biology and was a member of Editorial Boards of the journals Radiation Boanyt, Mutation Research and Quarterly Review of Biophysics. He was Member of International Society for Cell Biology, New York Academy of Sciences, American Association for Cancer Research, American Society for Cell Biology, and Genetical Society of Great Britain, He was also President, IUPAB Commission on Radiation Biophysics (1965-69) and Chairman, UN Scientific Committee on Effects of Atomic Radiation (1956-67). He was also Member of INSA Council (1973-75).

Awards and Honours: Ayengar was a recipient of HJ Bhabha Prize (1948) and Outstanding Scientist (BARC). He was honoured with Padma Shri (1967). He was a Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, Psychological Society (India), Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding.