Dr Neena Srivastava was an eminent doctor, a beloved professor and an authority in medical research in genetics, obesity and metabolism. An authority in her field, she became a professor of great repute and an equally dedicated daughter, wife and mother. Her legacy, her body of work, her ethics and her dedication will keep on inspiring generations of young men and women who wish to pursue a career in the field of medicine.
Neena was born into an influential family of Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, India on 15 July 1962. Her father was a District Judge but had succumbed to liver disease when Dr Neena was just eight years old. Her mother, Mrs SP Srivastava, having no support found it difficult to make ends meet. But with her sacrifices, grit and hard work she raised her children well and also instilled in them the importance of education.
Dr Srivastava’s professional journey began when she was admitted to King George’s medical college, Lucknow, one of the most prestigious Indian medical schools of India in 1983. She excelled in her class at medical school and additionally took great interest in extracurricular activity, becoming an important member of a number of societies. It was here that she was first exposed to medical research and it fascinated her immensely. During her medical internship she married Captain Pradeep Srivastava, a doctor in the Indian Army. Following her marriage she did her Masters in Physiology from 1990 to 1993 at her alma mater. While pursuing her MD she had two children, a boy and a girl. In 1994, while staying with her husband at his posted location she started her career as an assistant professor at Dr NKP Salve medical college, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
After her husband’s posting to the Indo-Pakistan border for his field tenure, Neena moved permanently to Lucknow to live with her in-laws and focus on her career. The turning point in her career came when she was selected as assistant professor in King Georges’ Medical College, Lucknow. She enjoyed teaching and loved to interact with the young, intelligent and inquisitive budding doctors of the future. Over the next few years, she realised her true calling: the field of exploration and research.
Starting part-time, she later was completely absorbed into research. She wanted to bring about a change in how medicine was practiced and at the same time do good for the community. With an ever-burning desire to learn and be better at her job, she went on to do her PhD in genetics. Post her PhD, she was unstoppable and became a force to reckoned with. She published more than 120 papers in peer reviewed international journals, countless papers in national journals, and numerous books as the main author or as a contributing author for standard books and books of reference, in her allied subjects. For her research work, she was conferred with more than 50 national and international awards - the most noteworthy being the President of India Award for ‘Best Academic Researcher’, awarded to her by the President himself at his official residence in a lavish ceremony.
Neena could handle the pressures of professional and personal life with a balance that only a few of us are capable of. She had a very pleasing personality and was loved by students and colleagues equally. She was a beacon of knowledge and a pillar of strength for her family. She ably supported her husband who rose to a high rank of brigadier in the Indian army and inspired her children to pursue their passions. Both of them are established doctors today.
Neena was undertaking valuable research in her field of interest: genetics, obesity and the effects of yoga on obesity and cancers. But as all good things are short lived, so was the case here and the COVID pandemic brought curtains over this illustrious personality. During the second peak of the Covid pandemic in the country, she contracted the virus and after a month-long struggle with the disease she succumbed to post-COVID complications on 7 May 2021, leaving the medical fraternity and research in the field of genetics poorer.
Brig (Dr) Pradeep Srivastava