Ranajit K Banerjee graduated from Presidency College, Kolkata and obtained his Master Degree from Calcutta University. He did his PhD at the Indian Institute of Experimental Medicine (now known as Indian Institute of Chemical Biology), Kolkata and obtained his PhD from Calcutta University in 1972. He gained postdoctoral research experience at the Christi Hospital Holt-Radium Institute, Manchester, UK and then at Cornell University, USA. On returning to India in 1977, he joined Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata from which he retired, as Scientist G, in 2004.

Academic and Research Achievements: Banerjee isolated and characterized an ATPase from avian myeloblastosis virus, and phosphate transport carrier from mitochondria. He deserves the credit for a single step isolation of Ca +2-ATPase from sarcoplasmic reticulum. He made original contribution in isolating and characterizing some extrathyroidal peroxidases and their possible functions. Banerjee also contributed much on structure-function relationship of peroxidases. He made significant contribution to establish the role of reactive oxygen species in both H. pylori-mediated and non-mediated gastric ulcer. He showed that Neem (Azadirachta indica) bark extract and a glycoside isolated from it are potent blocker of gastric acidity and ulcer , which was granted patent in USA, Europe and Japan. He has also established the efficacy of Neem bark extract in curing hyperacidity and gastro duodenal ulcer in patients with no adverse effect.

Awards and Honours: Ranajit Banerjee was awarded the gold medal in the MSc examination of Calcutta University. He was elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore in 1993 and the National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad in 1997.