Image source : https://www.breastcancerhub.org/board-of-directors-blog/2018/6/18/dasroy-lopamudra
The word “Mammals” originates from our ability to produce milk mammary glands. The word was first derived from the Latin word “Mamma” by Linnaeus Carl. Our first nourishment comes from the nectar of our mother’s breasts, yet there is a lot of stigma surrounding any topic related to “Breasts”.
Body shaming, low body image and the taboo surrounding it has prevented early detection of breast cancer. This is the reason why in September of 2017 Dr. Lopamudra Das Roy stepped down from her job and career and created Breast Cancer Hub.
On the 5th of September was Teacher’s day so let us celebrate this amazing professor who has set an example for her fellow students. She also is a mentor for budding researchers, is a research director herself, and the founder of BCH. She is an Indian who did her Ph.D. at Assam University and did her Post-doctorate in Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, in Cancer Immunology and therapeutics. On top of that, she has also done her MBA from Northwestern University-Kellogg School of Management, Chicago.
She has been awarded by the Department of Defense with grants as a principal investigator from the National Cancer Institute. She was also awarded a contract grant as a Principal Investigator by the National Cancer Institute.
Invention and its details
The urge to create awareness stemmed from when she was a teenager. She had gone to attend the sorrowful funeral of her close friend’s mother, seeing that everyone was hesitant, quite, and lied about the cause of death, wounded her. The helplessness, she felt that day was her main driving force towards breaking myths, providing testing, creating awareness about breast cancer, and working towards research centering cancer.
Dr. Lopamudra has worked towards declining death rates in India as well as in the US. As breast cancer doesn’t differentiate based on gender, and as many as 42,260 lives have been taken in 2019. Out of which 500 were males and 41, 760 were females, because 1 out of 8 females are more susceptible to acquiring cancer.
Uses
During her Doctorate studies, she researched the genotoxicity of pharmaceutical drug mutagen effects on in vivo mammalian test systems. Her huge breakthrough was when the signaling pathway between arthritis metastasis and breast cancer, which was recognized globally and by the American Association of Cancer Research and Department of Defense. Her steps are affecting a large number of patients who were suffering from cancer.
As a result, she has awarded the Universal Diplomatic Affairs of Human Rights for the contributions in India, Award of excellence for humanitarian services in Florida during the Male Breast Cancer Conference, and has achieved for her outstanding performance on welfare and relief campaigns during COVID-19 as well. Her dream even today is to work at the grass-root level towards breast cancer research, awareness, and early diagnostics.
Few thoughts for the mind
Why are our goals materialistic? Why don’t we aim to contribute to noble causes than ourselves?
Look at Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Lopamudra Das Roy, Azim Premji, Shiv Nadar, Rohini Nilekani, and many others who are contributing to society. If one has materialistic goals like having a huge mansion or lots of money, etc succeeds, it will perish with them. But goals that make a difference in another individual’s life, guarantee happiness, success, and keep you immortal even after you die.
My constant prayer for myself is to be used in service for the greater good.
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Oprah Winfrey
Article by,
Magaly Gracias
magalygracias21@gmail.com
Technical Associate (trainee)
Treillis Life Sciences Pvt, Ltd