Professor Nagaraja Rao Padaki, Chief of Hepatology Asian Institute of GastroenterologyHyderabad, Telangana President, Indian National Association for the Study of the Liveri
Prof. Padaki Nagaraja Rao [P. N. Rao] holds the coveted position of the Director and Chief of Hepatology, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG), Hyderabad, and is the National President of our prestigious society, Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL). Dr. P. N. Rao had a stellar undergraduate career (MBBS) at Kurnool medical college, Sri Venkateswara University, Andhra Pradesh. During this period, he was the recipient of several academic awards including gold medals in pharmacology, social and preventive medicine, and surgery. He was the best outgoing student of the batch for the entirety of the MBBS course as well as the university topper at the final MBBS examination, earning him the coveted Phillips Blue Ribbon medal and the Pfizer Award. He pursued his academic career at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, wherein he completed his M.D. in General Medicine. During his posting in the department of hepatology under the aegis of Prof. D. V. Dutta, Dr. Rao gained good experience in hepatology including complex procedures such as hepatic vein catheterizations for HVPG, hepatic blood flow studies, functional hepatography, and radiological procedures for IVC obstruction/Budd-Chiari syndrome. As a registrar of the department of hepatology, he did extensive interventional studies on patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome, noncirrhotic portal hypertension, and cirrhosis. These studies went a long way in understanding the pathogenesis of portal hypertension so well described from this tertiary institute. He continued his academic pursuit at PGIMER and received D.M degree in Gastroenterology. Dr. Rao joined as a faculty member at the Department of Gastroenterology, PGIMER, for three years. During this period, he contributed to teaching residents pursing D.M in Gastroenterology apart from clinical research. Following his stint at PGIMER, Chandigarh, he contributed significantly to promoting the science of gastroenterology and hepatology in his home state, Andhra Pradesh. He worked as an assistant professor in the department of gastroenterology at Osmania Medical College and Hospital, Hyderabad. He started the Department of Gastroenterology at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences and later went on to become its first professor and head of the department. During this period, the department gained recognition for Diplomate National Boards (DNB) in Gastroenterology. Subsequently he set up the department of gastroenterology at Medwin Hospital, MediCiti Hospitals, and CARE Hospitals. During his tenure, the department of gastroenterology at CARE Hospitals gained recognition for DNB Gastroenterology. He joined as the Chief of Hepatology and Nutrition at AIG, Hyderabad, in 2006.
He has acquired vast clinical experience in managing various liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver disease, liver cancer, amounting to more than 50,000 patients. He has been involved in teaching and training residents preparing for DNB in Gastroenterology. He is a nodal coordinator for DNB courses at AIG for the National Board of Examinations (NBE), New Delhi. He has been a recognized teaching faculty for MSc in clinical nutrition and examiner at the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. He has conducted clinical workshops for DNB and D.M students from all teaching institutions in India in gastroenterology, LIVERAGE (Liver Advanced Graduate Education) in 2011 and 2013.
Prof. Rao has been a principal investigator (PI) for several phase 4 national, international clinical drug trials for hepatitis C, hepatitis B, alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic liver disease, and liver cancer. He has been involved along with basic research scientists at Asian Institute of Basic Sciences, an affiliate of AIG in the fields of genetics of nonalcoholic liver disease, regenerative medicine dealing with stem cell research for advanced liver diseases, and basic research in pathogenesis of hepatitis B and hepatitis C liver disease. He is a member of AIG Institutional Ethics Committee and Chair person of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC).
Prof. Rao has the distinction of contributing chapters on hepatobiliary disorders in API textbook in successive three editions and a chapter in the INASL handbook as well. He has more than 100 research publications in high-impact peer-reviewed national and international journal.
The INASL is a nonprofit organization meeting the educational and scientific needs of nearly 700 Indian hepatologists and promotes the discipline of hepatology in India. Prof. P. N. Rao took over the national president of the INASL. With his leadership qualities, he has made several seminal changes in the society. At the INASL, Prof. Rao has been a governing council member of the association in the past. He has been a member of the INASL task force for various liver diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and nonalcoholic liver disease. He is the member of Indian clinical practice guidelines committees for hepatitis B and liver cancer (HCC). He organized mid-term conference of the INASL and annual conference of the INASL at Hyderabad. He has been the founder and honorary secretary of the INASL, AP chapter.
Prof. Rao has had several qualities that make him a human being par excellence. He has been a physician of high caliber and has taken excellent care of his patients with dignity and empathy. He has shown deep interest in imparting knowledge to residents and junior colleagues. He has maintained excellent human relations with everybody around him and is appreciated for several such qualities. On a personal note, he has been a friend for decades since the days we worked together in PGIMER, Chandigarh. We all feel proud to have a national president of our society, the INASL, as capable and distinguished as Prof. P. N. Rao.