Professor H.N. Mallick Department of Physiology (AIIMS)

Professor H. N. Mallick, AIIMS Department of Physiology, agreed to give his precious time to National Network of Education (NNE), to enlighten our readers about physiology as a subject and as a career. Professor Mallick is a very down to earth person who strongly believes that everything in life is not so easy. One should always be ready to take up challenges. He loves his family and love to spend his time with them inspite of his busy schedule. This is how the conversation went -

Sir, please tell us something about your educational background and your family?

I did my MBBS in 1979 from Orissa, and then I did my MD in 1985 and PhD in 1992 from AIIMS.

In my family, my wife is a housewife. My daughter has completed her BA in psychology and is now doing her PG diploma from school of rehabilitation sciences and my son is two and a half years old.

Sir, you have specialized in which stream of physiology? How did you develop an interest in the subject?

I have specialized in neurophysiology (study of functioning of the nervous system, sleep). During my MD course I started developing an interest in the subject. The department of physiology has tremendously contributed in the field of neurophysiology. At the time of my joining, neurophysiology as a subject was given too much of importance, so I got interested.

Then I was exposed to several international concepts on neuroscience by my professor at that time. (Professor Manchanda). I was exposed to international concepts to pursue a career in brain research and after attending so many advanced workshops and training in abroad in neurophysiology; I decided to pursue a career in neurophysiology.

Can you explain us what physiology is all about?

Physiology is a study of our body functions. Usually as a student of medicine one should know about how our body functions, what are the different parts in our system, how the body parts function and how they are organized, their mechanism at gross and molecular level. Student who is studying medicine has to know the mechanisms of the body before he becomes a doctor.

What are the various branches in physiology?

There are many branches in physiology like Neurophysiology (study of the functioning of nervous system), Endocrine (system of the human body that releases hormones into the blood stream or lymph system. These hormones control growth, metabolism, mood, and reproduction and influence almost every cell and organ in our body), Cardiovascular (relates to heart and blood vessels), Respiratory (the breathing system of the body), Nephrology (study of kidney), Gastrointestinal (the digestive track of the body which includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines), and Environmental (study of plants, animals).

It’s easy for us to know how heart functions but it’s not easy to understand the function of the brain.

What are the reasons that attract students towards this subject?

Not many students opt for this subject. It is a tough subject though challenging also. Basically those students who are devoted and wanted to know about the body functioning are only interested towards the subject. In most of the medical colleges in our Country, we are running short of teachers in physiology. So the jobs are easily available for students. Many students are interested in doing Ph.D. in this subject.AIIMS offers this subject at M.Sc, MD and Ph.D. level.

What all career options are available after pursuing this course at M.Sc level?

After M.Sc one can do Ph.D. and then can work as a teacher in medical college or one can take up research areas. Once you train here the scope is enormous. Straight away one can get a job abroad after doing Ph.D.

What do you think about doing practice in rural areas being made compulsory for students after their doing MBBS?

Medical science is growing everyday. We are not able to give the best studies to students including the holidays and all. The regulations to do practice in rural areas were already there. The problem is administrative; the government does not have adequate doctors in rural areas, so it is a bilateral problem. The doctors are not willing to go to the villages and on the other hand the government is not providing adequate facilities. Yes it is fair enough and there should be some kind of incentives given to the doctors to send them for one year to the rural areas.

What is the scope/prospect of the subject ahead in India and also internationally?

The scope is enormous in every field of physiology.

Once upon a time biotechnology and biochemistry was a part of physiology. But now they are separate branches and still the students of biotechnology are applying in the field of physiology.

Internationally physiologist can go to any life science stream. The Indian students are working in international companies and are conducting research there.

How would you rate India’s standards in the subject vis-à-vis global standards?

India these days is no inferior to international countries. In USA you can find one Indian and two Chinese in most of the laboratories. Our educational standards are very high.

Our country is doing very well as our students are not only working in India but also at the international level.

Sir, tell us about some of the important books/journals or studies done by you?

“Sleep-Wakefulness” is a book written by me.

There are many journals by me, to name some of the important ones, “repeated intracerebral microinjections : efficacy in studying brain functions.”, “ changes in sleep on chronic exposure to warm and cold ambient temperatures.” and “Noradrenergic afferents and receptors in the medical preoptic area: neuroanatomical and neurochemical links between the regulation of sleep and body temperature.”

I have done studies basically on neuro mechanisms of sleep particularly in the role of forebrain areas on sleep regulation, temperature regulation and the regulation of sexual behavior. We at AIIMS have well established lab for conducting research.

Sir, any other relevant information you like to provide us?

Yes, we would like to invite students in physiology. It’s a quite perspective branch and challenging also. One can do M. Sc and MD from AIIMS in this field after doing MBBS.

We are also running a five years program on the mechanism of sleep which is undertaken by the physiology department of AIIMS and other medical institutes in the country and abroad. Last year it was in New Delhi, this year in Bangalore and next year in we will cover Bhubaneshwar. So simultaneously we conduct the program and teach the students the mechanism of sleep. (DOU 28092007)

Read More Interviews...

(As told to Kanika Goel)