Excellence in Hypertension Research

Prestigious AHA Award to Mysore-educated Biochemist

·  An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 years worldwide have hypertension (elevated blood pressure), most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries

  ·  An estimated 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition

-       World Health Organization

The first step in keeping your blood pressure down is knowing what makes it go up.

The American Heart Association’s prestigious annual award for Excellence in Hypertension Research has been awarded this year to Dr Bina Joe, Distinguished University Professor and Chair in the University of Toledo Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and Founding Director of the Center for Hypertension and Precision Medicine. She is the first woman of color, Indian origin, Asian-American to win this, and had her formative education in Mysore, India. The award is looked upon as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize if one existed for work in the field of Hypertension and could be a precursor of higher things to come. Known to me intimately from her cradle days onwards, this is the extraordinary story of her rise from a modest background in Mysore to a preeminent position in the USA, the land of dreams and opportunities for the talented.

Prelude

She may be ‘Distinguished University Professor Joe’ in her exalted professional circles, with an iconic status in the academic world, for me she is just plain and simple Bina, the name I have always used for her right from her birth and early childhood just next door to me in Mysore, India. This is the name I will continue to use in the rest of this article and on any other occasion, and even after any number of honors and awards she may receive in the coming years.  For her, I have never been anything other than an affectionate Anna.  

The Beginnings

Bina was born on 28 May 1968, just a month after my own first daughter Sheila was born, to P C Joseph and Annamma Joseph, both having recently moved from Bhopal in central India, where they were initially employed, to Mysore, closer to their homes in Kerala. Both came from modest backgrounds, having had to struggle very hard for their education and entry into the job market far away from their homes.  Bina’s mother was employed as a nurse in the Mysore University Health Center, and the father as a cashier in the nearby Regional College of Education (RCE), later to become the Regional Institute of Education (RIE), where I had joined as a lecturer in physics about the same time.  They were also isolated from avenues for further professional growth though Joseph very much wanted to become a regular teacher and had even obtained the necessary qualification. Below are a set of three pictures of the family I could retrieve from my collection of those days, at least two apparently taken by me:

With parents and brother, Biju Joe – early days in Mysore

The picture below, taken at their 50^th wedding anniversary celebration in December 2018 on the banks of River Kaveri in KRS, Mysore, shows Bina’s parents in a holiday mood and marks more than just a passage of time: 

Our homes were two adjacent ground floor flats (see picture below) in a group of new buildings belonging to the University of Mysore.  Bina and Sheila grew up together and almost inseparably, right up to their secondary school days.  The two families were so intimate that the two children appeared to belong to both families at the same time, like electrons shared between adjacent atoms in a molecule.

Joseph’s home (ground floor, right); my home (ground floor, left)

This was to continue after the birth of Bina’s brother Biju and Sheila’s sister Asha.  All four children used to address Joseph and Annamma fondly as Pappa and Mummy, and me and my wife equally fondly as Anna and Amma, respectively. These terms signify great affection in south Indian families. The practice took deep roots and has continued to this day, even after the sad demise of their Mummy just last month.

Rather fortuitously, I am able to supplement the picture of her parents (Pappa and Mummy) above with one of her virtual parents Anna and Amma (see below, both 80 and on a memorable holiday), also taken about the same time… and at the same place, with the Kaveri in spate!

After reading a draft version of this article, Bina has virtually insisted that I insert the following two paragraphs here:

“Anna, you were the only one academician that I knew very well at that time. From my vantage point, you were this special individual who had been to USA and had acquired unique traits. As highlights, you had a subscription to the SPAN magazine, which had glossy pages with stunning images of nature that I had never seen anywhere else. Sheila and I used to be hand-fed by our moms as our eyes were glued to the pages of SPAN magazine. This was perhaps my first introduction to a scientific magazine. Secondly, I remember you spending hours in front of your rather large radio listening to English commentaries that I am now told was the BBC radio. I wondered why you were so engrossed in a radio channel that no one else did.  I had developed a high esteem for you. You would also pique our interest in problem-solving exercises by bringing us unique toys. A good example was when you introduced us to the Rubik cube and asked us to solve it. Incidentally, only Asha could do that. So, you see, you were very different from all other uncles around.”

“You and Amma also had a hand in promoting my love for dance. On many occasions of my performances in school, Amma let me borrow a stunning necklace that you had bought for her from USA.  Your family had a huge cultural influence of introducing me to the various hindu festivals… Lastly, when my senior dance exam coincided with a very important family event of my uncle’s ordination as a priest in Kerala, my parents were okay with me staying behind because I was going to stay at your house, with Sheila helping me to get dressed, etc. Countless such sweet memories come to mind as examples of our decades of friendship between you, your family and my formative years, but for now, to not deviate too much from your purpose here, let me stop”. 

Our group expanded following the addition of school teacher Susheela and her husband Nagaraj in the adjacent building, with their son Madhu (born in 1970), who went on to become as highly distinguished as Bina, though in a different area of human endeavor. Madhu’s outstanding exploits in endurance swimming and athletics have been chronicled in an earlier blog article of mine (see here). It gives me goosebumps just to think of my extraordinary privilege to witness and describe their monumental achievements, both having come up in their childhood as members of a virtually joint family I belonged to. Below is the earliest photograph (I took) of the two seen in the same picture:

Bina (first from left) & Madhu (second from right) in Mysore circa 1975

Below is the only picture I could get hold of showing just the two of them together.  Bina tells me that it was taken on the shore of Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio circa 2019 (prior to COVID) when Madhu was her visitor.   Incidentally, the two have continued to be great friends, with Madhu living in Oakville near Toronto, Canada, not too far from Bina’s place in Sylvania, Ohio, USA. 

Bina with Madhu on the shore of Lake Erie, Toledo, Ohio, USA, circa 2017

The five children together with a few others in the same age group from neighboring families used to be a noisy and mischievous gang spearheaded by Madhu, often as much to our unsuppressed delight as to our apparent annoyance.  Among other things, they had a particular liking for food gobbled up straight from Amma’s hands. The rather mild-mannered Bina with flashing bright eyes was the frequent target of Amma’s jokingly friendly reprimands followed by the epithet Sundari, meaning beauty.  She had similar epithets for other children.  Sheila often used to be called Rambhe, a heavenly maiden.   

For me, the trait of thumb sucking often indulged in by little children was a special delight, and Bina would do this more than most. I can’t forget the sight of her often sitting like a doll with bright eyes, idly and quietly in my home on a chair, with a thumb firmly stuck in her mouth incessantly. I used to watch this with rapt attention equally incessantly.  Decades later, when Bina visited our home with her daughter Megan, who appeared to me even then like a mirror image of the Bina I knew*, it was utterly astonishing for me to see the child sit quietly on a sofa, sucking her thumb exactly the same way Bina used to do while the latter was excitedly talking to others in another room.  I observed this nonstop for about ten minutes, refusing to believe my eyes before giving up. I even wondered if I was hallucinating. I felt as if I had travelled back in time to one of those days when I had seen Bina doing it. This is an experience firmly etched in my memory, and this is the Bina I best remember. Regrettably, I didn’t have the presence of mind to take a picture and show it to Bina and others, or even to tell them about it.

[*Actually, I couldn't differentiate easily between the mother and the daughter from their latest pictures]

Though I had taken to photography as a hobby, not many pictures I had taken during those days have survived in a presentable condition.  This is because I had confined myself to affordable, plain B&W pictures, taken with an ordinary box-type camera.  Processing of the film rolls and printing of the pictures were also my handiwork, carried out in an amateurish style. Despite this, I had gained some dubious reputation as a family photographer. Color photography was prohibitively expensive and virtually unknown at the amateur level in those days. I am displaying below whatever pictures I could salvage from those early days. Bina of course is the focus of attention in all these, even where she is not actually seen.  

Bina can be identified easily in six of the seven pictures above

The lady playing with the child (Sheila) is Bina’s mother

School Days

Most of the children in our neighborhood went to the nearby Demonstration Multipurpose School (DMS) attached to RCE (see picture below).  Not surprisingly, Bina and Sheila were classmates, participating in most of the school activities together, also growing up together intimately. Both Bina and Sheila were among the best in class academically.  However, Bina also began learning the distinctive classical south Indian Dance form of Bharatanatya under a renowned tutor and herself became a tutor later in life.  This is such a significant aspect of her life that I am reverting to it in greater detail in a separate section later in this article. At DMS, Bina was recognized by her teachers as an all-rounder, referring to her prowess in academics, arts and leadership, which was perhaps a foreshadow of her future life. 

After completing secondary school education at the DMS in 1983, both girls joined the prestigious Marimallappa’s College for their higher secondary (pre-university) education.  Their life streams also began to diverge significantly at this stage.  The seeds of Bina’s outstanding contributions to physiological research later in life could well have been sown in those days even as she continued her Bharatanatya as vigorously as the academic pursuits.

Bina during her Pre-university days

Below is another picture taken about this time, with Bina on the right, Madhu next to her and Madhu’s schoolteacher-mother at extreme left. 

At the end of higher secondary education, most students go through the daunting experience of a severe competition to get into a professional course of their choice, or be content with pursuing higher education in more traditional areas.  Bina strongly desired to get into the medical field where the competition was the stiffest, and failed to make it to her bitter disappointment.  Sheila was less ambitious and settled for a B Sc course with physics as one of the major subjects. With her interest in life sciences undiminished, Bina joined the Yuvaraja College under the University of Mysore for a three-year B Sc degree programme in 1985 with biochemistry, botany and zoology as elective subjects, and graduated in 1988.

College Days

With a career goal in biochemical research firmly in sight, Bina joined the Biochemistry department of the Mysore University Manasagangothri campus (see picture below) in 1988 and obtained her master’s degree in the subject in 1990. She lets me know that she did not pay any fees as her scholarship from being a national merit scholar, which covered her fees for obtaining a Master’s degree.  She continued her extracurricular activities with renewed vigor and by then had also become a teacher in Bharatanatyam during her spare time.

It gives me great pleasure to recall a particular incident around this time. It was sometime in 1989, while she was in the final year of the master’s program, she and a junior male student, who was to become her husband later, both met me and arranged a special talk by me in their department on a subject I could not readily recall, but Bina still does.  It was on the probability of extraterrestrial life from an astrophysical point of view, possibly to compliment one from a biochemical perspective. Considering the worldwide interest in the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project then underway, this was a favorite topic for me to talk about.

Doctoral Research

Obtaining a PhD degree required students to qualify their eligibility via a national level exam conducted jointly by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the University Grants Commission (UGC). In 1989, Bina was one of only two students from the University of Mysore who cleared this exam a year ahead of her obtaining the Master’s degree.  Armed with this fellowship, after obtaining her master’s degree, Bina started her doctoral research work at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore.  In 1997, she obtained her Ph D degree from the University of Mysore, working at CFTRI under the expert guidance of Dr B R Lokesh about whom she says, ‘he had just returned from the USA and his style of training with full independence was exceptional for me to grow’.  In 1996-1997, she worked briefly as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Reproductive Biology and Molecular Endocrinology in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore before working as a scientist at Astra-Zeneca, Bangalore.  On 24 October 1997, she left everyone that she knew as kith and kin, including her then 18-month old son, for a new life in the USA.

Here is a picture of Bina at work (standing) in the CFTRI:

Marriage, Motherhood and Migration

In 1993, Bina married her friend and colleague Dr Venkatesha Basrur at Mysore.  As her father fondly recalls, my family and I were also among the large number of guests who attended the wedding reception at Hotel Southern Star. Here is a picture of the happy couple with her brother Biju (extreme left), Madhu (the tallest one) and his parents taken on the occasion:

With the birth of son Abhijit, motherhood soon followed, competing with her academic activities as well as her dance teaching.  While busily balancing these demands, Bina got an offer of a fellowship from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA to work in their Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, and with encouragement all around, she decided to grab the opportunity.  She left both son and husband temporarily behind in India, but not for long. They were soon to join her in the USA which was to become her permanent homeland.

The New Beginnings

After her post-doctoral fellowship at NIH, the new millennium opened up new vistas for Bina in the field of physiological research, thick and fast.  In 2001, she joined the Department of Physiology and Molecular Medicine in the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo, Ohio as an Assistant Professor. Later in 2004 her Department was renamed as the Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Toledo Health Science Campus, Toledo, marking the beginning of a long association with the University of Toledo.  In 2007, she was promoted as Associate Professor in the same institution, and 2011 marked her elevation to a full professorship.  In 2012, she was placed as the Director of the Center for Hypertension and Precision Medicine in recognition of her pioneering contributions in the field and is still continuing in this position.  Concurrently, she was appointed as Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology.  Currently, she is holding the highly prestigious position of Frederick-Hiss Endowed Professor and Distinguished University Professor and Chair, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the University of Toledo Health Science Campus* (see an arial picture and map of its sprawling campus below). One has to wait and see what higher positions and accolades are awaiting her in the future.

[*The closest I came to visiting this campus was towards the end of April this year when Madhu had taken me to Niagara Falls on a cold and rainy Sunday morning and Bina had made a long video call to us.  She had graciously invited the two of us to visit her at her home in Toledo about 6 hours drive away. Regrettably, my schedule in Canada had made it impossible for us to comply. I presume this invitation is still open!]

A word of caution is in order at this stage.  Bina has sent me a staggering 39-page long Curriculum Vitae listing everything about her professional career, most of it in the USA.  I cannot even attempt to summarise it in this article.  In any case, the focus here is more on Bina the person than on Bina the professional.   But, the essence of her academic achievements needs some cursory treatment at least.  So as not to expose my own ignorance of the subject matter, which is largely Greek and Latin to me as explained to Bina, I shall quote from available sources rather than attempt to explain anything in my own words.   

The Cause Celebre

Earlier this month (Sep 24), an electrifying piece of news came to me through my daughters who are often in touch with Bina – she was the recipient of this year’s highly prestigious award for Excellence in Hypertension Research from the American Heart Association.   While congratulating her, I expressed my desire to commemorate the achievement through this blog article.  She gladly agreed and has been feeding me a great deal of information, of both personal and professional nature, enough in fact to be able to write a biographical treatise and not just an article.

The award was bestowed by Dr Curt Sigmund, Chair of the selection committee on the 7th of this month at a special ceremony in Chicago and a video recording of the interview with Bina by him on the previous day can be viewed here. Below is a picture of the award citation and the two sides of the medallion to go with. While bestowing the award, Dr Sigmund emphasized that the award is of such high significance that it is often considered as the Nobel Prize in hypertension research.

Bina’s fairly detailed acceptance lecture on the occasion, lasting about half an hour, can be viewed here.

ChatGPT on Bina and her Scientific Work

For the first time in my blog articles, and at the half-serious suggestion of Bina, I had recourse to ChatGPT for a crisp summary of the scientific work of Bina, and here is what it came up with in a flash:

Dr. Bina Joe is a renowned scientist and professor whose pioneering contributions to the field of physiological genetics have significantly advanced our understanding of genetic factors that regulate blood pressure, hypertension, and related cardiovascular diseases. Her research combines cutting-edge genetic tools and physiological techniques to explore how genes and the environment interact to influence complex traits such as blood pressure regulation.

Early Contributions and Focus on Hypertension Genetics

Dr. Joe's work began with an interest in hypertension, a complex and multifactorial condition that affects millions worldwide. Early in her career, she recognized that while environmental factors such as diet and lifestyle play a role in hypertension, genetic factors are equally crucial in determining an individual's risk for developing high blood pressure. This understanding drove her to focus on identifying genes associated with hypertension, particularly those that have not been previously recognized.

One of her early significant contributions was the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with blood pressure regulation in rat models. By studying genetic variations in rat strains that exhibit differences in blood pressure, Dr. Joe and her team were able to map out regions of the genome that contribute to hypertension. This groundbreaking work laid the foundation for the identification of specific genes involved in blood pressure regulation.

The Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rat Model

A key model in Dr. Joe's research is the Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rat, which has been extensively used to study salt-induced hypertension. Through this model, Dr. Joe was able to identify multiple genes that contribute to salt sensitivity and hypertension. Her research in this area provided insights into how specific genetic variations can make certain individuals more susceptible to salt-induced increases in blood pressure, an essential discovery given the public health implications of high salt intake in the diet.

Dr. Joe's work on the Dahl S rat not only advanced our understanding of hypertension in this specific model but also translated to broader insights into human hypertension. By identifying conserved genetic pathways between rats and humans, her work has the potential to inform personalized treatment strategies based on an individual’s genetic profile.

Gut Microbiome and Blood Pressure Regulation

One of Dr. Joe’s more recent and impactful areas of research involves the role of the gut microbiome in regulating blood pressure. This represents a significant shift in the understanding of how genetics and environmental factors such as diet interact. Her research has shown that variations in gut microbiota composition can influence blood pressure, leading to a new paradigm in the study of hypertension.

Dr. Joe's lab demonstrated that the gut microbiome can be a major determinant of blood pressure response to dietary salt. Her work suggests that by manipulating gut bacteria, it may be possible to develop new treatments for hypertension that target the microbiome rather than traditional pharmacological approaches. This discovery has opened up an exciting new frontier in both hypertension research and precision medicine, as interventions such as probiotics or dietary modifications could be used to influence blood pressure regulation in patients.

Development of Genetic Tools and Techniques

Throughout her career, Dr. Joe has been at the forefront of developing innovative genetic tools and techniques. Her lab has utilized genomic mapping, gene editing, and translational genetics to identify genes involved in physiological traits. One example of this is her use of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to explore the functional roles of specific genes in regulating blood pressure. This approach allows for precise manipulation of genes, helping to establish causal relationships between genetic variations and physiological outcomes.

Additionally, Dr. Joe has been involved in creating and refining rat models that are essential for studying complex diseases. Her work in this area has expanded the range of available genetic models for cardiovascular research, enabling scientists to study gene-environment interactions in a controlled manner.

Translational Impact and Precision Medicine

Dr. Joe’s contributions extend beyond basic science to translational research, where her findings are informing the development of new treatments for hypertension. By identifying key genes and pathways involved in blood pressure regulation, her work is paving the way for precision medicine approaches that tailor treatments to individuals based on their genetic makeup.

Her research has also highlighted the importance of considering genetic diversity when developing treatments for hypertension. For instance, certain populations may have different genetic susceptibilities to hypertension due to specific gene-environment interactions, such as those related to diet or lifestyle. Dr. Joe’s work emphasizes the need for personalized interventions that take these factors into account.

Leadership and Mentorship

In addition to her research contributions, Dr. Bina Joe has been a prominent leader in the scientific community. She has held numerous leadership roles, including serving as the Chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. In these roles, she has fostered a collaborative research environment and mentored a new generation of scientists in physiological genetics.

Her commitment to mentorship is reflected in the success of her trainees, many of whom have gone on to make significant contributions to the fields of genetics, physiology, and cardiovascular research. Dr. Joe’s leadership and advocacy for women in science have also been instrumental in promoting diversity and inclusion in biomedical research.

Conclusion

Dr. Bina Joe’s work in physiological genetics has had a profound impact on our understanding of hypertension and blood pressure regulation. By integrating genetic, physiological, and environmental factors, she has advanced the field in new and innovative ways. Her research on the gut microbiome, gene-environment interactions, and the development of genetic tools has opened up exciting possibilities for personalized treatments for hypertension and other complex diseases. As a leader and mentor, Dr. Joe continues to inspire the next generation of researchers in the quest to unravel the genetic basis of human health and disease.

Other Major Awards and honors

Dr. Bina Joe has received numerous other awards and honors throughout her career as a pioneering physiological geneticist, focusing on hypertension research. Some of her key recognitions include:

·     Harriet Dustan Award (2022) - She was the first Asian American woman to receive this prestigious award, which is given for outstanding contributions to hypertension research by the American Heart Association.

·     Lewis K. Dahl Memorial Lecture Award (2021) - Recognized for significant contributions to the understanding of hypertension.

·  American Physiological Society Fellow (FAPS) - A distinction granted for her contributions to physiological research.

·  International Society of Hypertension Fellow (ISHF) - For her achievements in hypertension research and leadership in the global scientific community.

These awards highlight Dr. Joe's global impact in advancing hypertension research through innovative genetic and microbiota studies. 

Note: Bina has verified this ChatGPT generated record as a generous summation. I will have to pronounce ChatGPT as passed with high distinction!

Complimenting the findings of ChatGTP, the website of the University of Toledo Department of Physiology and Pharmacology offers the following supportive information about Bina’s work and attainments:

Research Interests

The Physiological Genomics Laboratory (Joe Lab) of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology is focused on understanding the genetic components of pathophysiological conditions of the cardiovascular, renal and autoimmune systems.  The most prominent of all complex traits investigated in the Joe laboratory is blood pressure regulation. Rat models serve as valuable alternatives to human studies for the identification and characterization of genetic factors/genes. The main strategy is to identify the disease causative genetic factor/gene based on its location on the rat genome by linkage analysis and substitution mapping and/or gene expression and protein expression profiling using whole genome systems biology approaches. We have identified at least 16 different genomic regions that harbor quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for hypertension in rats and successfully mapped several of these regions to unparalleled resolutions of a few kilobases.  Positional cloning projects have progressed to the identification of multiple novel genes as prominent BP QTLs in rats. Methodical mechanistic studies spanning from molecular to whole-organism physiology/pathophysiology are underway to determine the functional significance of the novel BP QTLs identified.  Genetic-engineering technologies such as the application of Crispr/Cas9 targeted gene disruption for creation of 'knock-out' and 'knock-in' rat models are also strategies integrated into our research for validation of the positionally cloned causal genetic biomarkers of blood pressure regulation.  Finally, the translational significance of our work is exemplified by the validation of the positionally cloned rat genes as being associated or linked with human hypertension.  The lab has also started focusing on the gut microbiome/microbiota and its link to salt-sensitive hypertension.

Appointments

·       Frederick-Hiss Endowed Professor, Distinguished University Professor and Chair 2020-present

·       Distinguished University Professor and Chair 2017-present

·       Chair, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Health Science Campus, 2015-present

·       Professor, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Health Science Campus, 2011-2017

·       Associate Professor (Awarded Tenure 2008), Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Health Science Campus, July 2007-2010

·       Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Health Science Campus, April 2004-June 2007

·       Scientific Advisor, Rat Genome Database (http://rgd.mcw.edu/), 2003-present

·       Research Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, OH, Apr 2001- Mar 2004

·       Scientist, ASTRA, Bangalore, India, 1996-1997

Honors and Awards 

·       2022 Ernest Starling Distinguished Lectureship, Water and Electrolyte Section, American Physiological Society, USA

·       2022 Arthur C. Guyton Distinguished Lectureship Award, Association of Chairs of Departments of Physiology (ACDP)

·       2022 Outstanding Advisor Award, University of Toledo

·       2020 Mayerson-DiLuzio Lectureship, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA

·       2020 Fellow of the International Society of Hypertension (ISHF)

·       2019 Harriet Dustan Award, American Heart Association, Council on Hypertension, New Orleans, LA

·       2019 Distinguished Lecturership Award, Physiological Omics Group, American Physiological Society

·       2019 President’s Award for Excellence in Grantsmanship, University of Toledo

·       2018 APSselect Award for Distinction in Scholarship, American Physiological Society, Physiological Genomics Group

·       2018 President’s Award for Outstanding Scholar, University of Toledo

·       2017 Distinguished University Professor, University of Toledo

·       2017 President’s Award for Excellence in Grantsmanship, University of Toledo

·       2015 Outstanding Researcher Award, University of Toledo

·       2015 Research Shining Star Award-Provost Office, University of Toledo

·       2014 Lewis Dahl memorial Lecturer, Council for Hypertension, American Heart Association

·       2014 Distinguished Service Award, American Physiological Society, Physiological Genomics Group

·       2011 Appointed by the Chancellor at UT-Change Leader for Institutions developing excellence in academic leadership

·       2011 Annual Presidential Address: Highlighted as one of 9 Outstanding Young Faculty at the University of Toledo

·       2010 Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA)

·       2010 American Society of Hypertension Young Scholar Award

·       1997 Fogarty International visiting scientist fellowship award, NIH, Bethesda, USA

·       1993 Nationally competitive Senior Research Scholarship award, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, India

·       1990 Nationally competitive Junior Research Scholarship award, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, India

·       1988-90 National Merit Scholarship award, India

Now that the academic aspects of Bina’s work have been touched upon, let me shift my focus to Bina the intensely human, friendly, warm and charming personality that she is.

Bina the Busy Bee

Her eminent academic status imposes a huge burden of administrative and other non-academic duties as evident from even a cursory perusal of her voluminous CV. Most mortals would have buckled under its weight, not Bina. Not only that, she takes almost everything sweetly, with no pinch of salt creeping in anywhere, considering what salt can do to one’s blood pressure! I will present here some randomly selected, mostly pictorial, illustrative examples of how she spends her spare time outside the lab.

Below is a TV channel news screen grab of Bina at work in her lab that speaks for itself. She was the recipient of a large research grant* for the further examination of the link between gut bacteria and high blood pressure. When she expressed concern about my own (inherited) ‘hypertensitivity’ (wordplay intended), I have had to assure her that, with due allowance for the age factor, it is under decent control through traditional drugs! But, meeting the AHA advised upper limit of 120/80 is still a pipedream! The way out for me is to seek Bina’s intervention for a special dispensation exempting me and other super seniors like me facing the same problem! An alternative is for her and her team to come with a new medication for supertension, I mean hypertension, much faster than the leeway allowed by new research grants!

[* If this appears to be large, think of the one that has just been announced. Below is a picture of the University announcement dated 19 Sep 24, as a fallout of the AHA Excellence Award! Her smile says it all!]

The picture below left, where she appears as a poster girl for the cause of the American Physiological Society, is a dazzling one which she loves to share widely as representative of her commitment to a cause.

Here is a picture of her departmental staff and students at a retreat. Bina is first on the right, kneeling.  The ethnic diversity of people in the picture is amazing.

This is a picture of Bina with her lab members in her own office. All the pictures decorating the wall are her academic honors.

At the premises of her present lab, all spic and span!

One of her lesser-known awards! – exclusively for women

It is not true that Bina always prefers the company of youngsters. She is comfortable with old folks too, though no picture of her with me exists! (This will surely be remedied on her next visit to Mysore). Below is a priceless picture of her, flanked by two super senior functionaries, Vice-President for Research, Dr Frank Calzonetti (to the right), and Dr Gregory Postel (to the left) a past president of the university where she is a young celebrity with … yet another award!

In the picture below, Bina is seen with Prof  John Rapp who was her mentor, with a profound influence on her professional career, and responsible for her entry into the University of Toledo:

Bharatanatya and Bina

Apart from her scientific achievements, Bina has distinguished herself as an exponent of the ancient South Indian classical dance art form of Bharatanatya, which she learnt at a young age while studying at secondary school and remains deeply attached to this day, serving as an ambassador for Indian culture in her newfound homeland.  In her own words, here is what it has meant to her:          

“… have learned for 12 years, primarily from Guru Padmabhushan Late Dr. K. Venkatalakshamma (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Venkatalakshamma).

Interesting fact, she was a royal court dancer under Dr Krishnarajendra Wodeyar. She was instrumental in appointing me as a teacher in an arts school in Jayanagar, Mysore. I was of course qualified with I class both in Junior and Senior exams conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Board. 

… One of them is here in the US now running a dance school in New Jersey (Kalagangothri is the name of the school. Chetan Hebbar is his name).

I taught students Bharatanatya from my 2nd PUC days until I left India in 1999, which spanned 12 years. During this period, several of my students passed the dance junior and senior exams besides performing at various venues.

Briefly after the birth of my daughter Megan Basrur in 2005, I resumed teaching Bharatanatya here until COVID hit, when I stopped teaching.  Over 30 students have learned this art from me and 9 of them have completed rangapravesha*. Some have taken leadership roles to develop dance groups and compete at the collegiate level in USA.

One regret that my daughter overcame for me was that I never got to perform rangapravesha. After COVID, I did not restart teaching, but my daughter and one of her friends insisted and I gave in to train them for their rangapravesha. They performed their rangapravesha together in June 2022.

Sylvania is a town in the suburb of Toledo. Here, we have one hindu temple, which is where all the Indian cultural activities are also showcased. Most of the Indians in our town are from North India, who had preconceived notions that Bharatanatya is just a dance to classical beats. I changed that perception by explaining that it is indeed a language wherein the meanings of the lyrics are conveyed through hand gestures and expressions.  Explaining the meanings of the songs (which are often in South Indian languages or Sanskrit) ahead of the performance by my students helped them appreciate this art form better.  I went further out on a limb to teach young students this art form with music that they know, for example, Disney princess songs or the song ‘Olaf’ from the motion picture ‘Frozen’. Students loved these and never left my classes. Every Sunday I spent 3 hours teaching students in 3 batches. 

Finally, each year our students performed at various international festivals in Toledo as well as at the annual festival of India in our town. Here again, I experimented with various genres of music (Bollywood, Western, sheer instrumental Indian music, etc) and kept the performers excited to perform while every year the audience raised their expectation of my creations.

… Dance is my hobby which kept my sanity when things would not work out in the laboratory.”

[*Rangapravesha is the Kannada term for a dancer's first full-length solo performance, also known as an arangetram in other languages. It's a significant milestone in a dancer's training and education, marking the completion of a series of dances and the attainment of certain skills.]

I would like to narrate Bina’s prowess, performance and training of others in this intensely colorful audio-visual art form through just a few of the numerous photographs she has placed at my disposal and judgement, without regard to the fact that I am least qualified to exercise any such preference. The fact that my own 22-year old granddaughter is a vidushi (Scholar) in Bharatanatya and has also completed rangapravesha gives me no such privilege, not even remotely!

In her early days in Mysore

Bina (second from right) with her teacher, Padmabhushan Late Dr. K. Venkatalakshamma to her right, in Mysore 

A sequence of separate pictures, different poses of her daughter

 

At Rangapravesha of Bina’s daughter 

Mother as mentor 

Mother and teacher

Bina and Family

Balancing family commitments with professional responsibilities is a difficult art, but by all accounts, Bina excels in it too. By her own admission, her husband Venkatesh deserves most of the credit.  He has made personal sacrifices to ensure her unhindered professional success at every stage, even receding to the background to facilitate it. He is currently employed as a Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology of the University of Michigan and commutes between their home in Sylvania near Toledo and Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

Now 28, their son Abhijith was born in Mysore, India in 1996 before they left for the USA and the three became naturalized citizens.  Married recently to Kristina, he is now employed as a Validation Engineer in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Kristina is employed as an Associate Surgeon, also in Kalamazoo. Daughter Megan Sharada, born in 2005, is a second-year undergraduate student in Florida. Her considerable prowess as an exponent of Bharatanatya is the outcome of Bina’s extensive artistic activities in her new homeland. 

Faced again with an embarrassment of riches, I am presenting the following four photographs of Bina and her American family in different situations as the ones I liked particularly. Their who-is-who should be obvious although I am not entirely certain of distinguishing between Bina and Megan in some of the photographs which I am withholding here for that reason! 

 

Conclusion

In her response to my congratulatory message on the AHA award, Bina wrote, in part:

“…brings me tears of joy reading this from our dear Anna… The joy of research acknowledged by my peers is all good academically, but the joy of family and friends celebrating it with me is priceless… I am imagining you running to your computer or surfing on your phone studying biology (intently so) for the last few days. After hearing how you fed your curiosity for astronomy after retirement, it is possible that you may get interested in the inner cosmos of trillions of microscopic organisms right inside our bodies working for/with us on the continuum between our health and ill health. The battle is lost when we die because we become their food!! Happy reading!”

While I am yet to start studying biology with any more seriousness than I have studied astronomy, it is certainly a thought with which to conclude my tributes to … plain and simple Bina!