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No-1, Ist Cross Street, Off. II Main Road, Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai – 600 028.
Phone : + 91 44-24 311 411 / 412 / 413 / 414 / 415 + 91 44-24 311 416
Madras ENT Research Foundation Charitable Trust
Madras ENT Research Foundation, being a world-class tertiary referral centre has felt the need to make its services available to the economically deprived sections of the society.
Madras ENT Research Foundation Charitable Trust was formed with the idea of rendering yeoman service to the people below the poverty line. Many major surgeries and life-saving surgeries have been done under the patronage of this trust. This has been possible due to the contributions from our well-wishers, philanthropists and patients. Contributions to this Charitable Trust are exempt from income tax under section 80 G.
Prof. Mohan Kameswaran
President
Professor Mohan Kameswaran, President of the Charitable Trust is a leading ENT Surgeon in India.
He is the Managing Director & Senior Consultant of Madras ENT Research Foundation (P) Ltd, Honorary Distinguished Professor, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University & Honorary Professor, Department of ENT, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Kattankulathur and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK. He is a distinguished Professor of The Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University, Chennai.
He has been a recipient of the ‘PADMA SHRI’ National Award from the Former President, His Excellency Late Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Government of India in recognition of his distinguished and exceptional service in the field of Medicine in 2006.
He has also been a recipient of the prestigious award from Medical Council of India ‘DR. B.C.ROY AWARD FOR THE YEAR 2008’ for the development of specialties in different branches in medicine from the Former President of India, His Excellency Shri. Pranab Mukherjee in 2016.
He was also awarded the prestigious ‘Indo-Australian Award’ for Meritorious Service by the Indo-Australian Association in 2006.
He was the recipient of ‘For the sake of Honor Award’ by Rotary club of Madras Esplanade in 2006.
He was the recipient of ‘Award for Excellence of Service’ in appreciation of contribution to Pioneering Cochlear Implant Program in Srilanka, by the President of Srilanka, in 2006.
He was the recipient of ‘Award for Service’ from Vidya Jyothi Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Srilanka in 2006.
He was Conferred ‘Award of Excellence’ in appreciation of outstanding contribution towards the` Cochlear Implant Group of India by His Excellency, the Governor of Kerala, in 2006.
He was awarded the ‘Shri Shyam Lal Saxena Memorial Award 2005-2006’ by the National Academy of Medical Sciences for the best-published work in the field of bio-medical engineering by bio-medical scientists.
He was conferred the prestigious ‘Tamilnadu Scientist Award-2007’ by the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, Government of Tamil Nadu in 2008.
He was conferred ‘Doctor of Science (Honoris–Causa)’ award by The Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University in 2008.
He was conferred the ‘Best Doctor Award in 2011’ from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R.Medical University in 2012.
He was conferred the ‘Scroll of Honour’ from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R.Medical University in 2012.
He was nominated as ‘Goodwill Ambassador for India’ from the American Academy at 2013 Global Health Symposium at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Vancouver, Sept - Oct 2, 2013.
He was honored for ‘Dedicated Services” at the Upgraded Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Madras Medical College, Chennai, October 2013.
He was conferred ‘Doctor of Science (Honoris–Causa)’, Saveetha University in 2013.
He received the ‘Appreciation Award’ for Excellent Organization of AOICON 2011 at the 66th Annual Conference of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India AOICON 2014, Mysore, January 2014.
First Indian Otologist to be appointed as a Visiting Professor in Otology 2015 by Journal of Laryngology & Otology (JLO) and Royal Society of Medicine, United Kingdom.
He is also the recipient of ‘Best Doctor Award – 2015’ for his best performance from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu.
He was conferred Honorary Fellowship of The Indian Academy of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery in August 2016.
He received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the 10th SAARC ENT Conference conducted at Dhaka, Bangladesh in November 2016.
He received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R.Medical University in 2016.
He is also the recipient of ‘Outstanding Leadership Award’ in recognition of his ‘Pioneering spirit in the field of Cochlear Implants’ at the 1st World Congress on Cochlear Implants in Emerging countries’ Dubai, 2016.
In recognition of his noble service to the hearing impaired he was bestowed the ‘Best Doctor Award 2016-17’ by Government of Tamil Nadu in 2017.
He received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in recognition of his contribution in the field of Otorhinolaryngology, outstanding achievement & exemplary service to humanity from the Association of Otorhinolaryngologists of India, Coimbatore Chapter in June 2017.
He is a recipient of Nikhil J. Bhatt ‘International Humanitarian Award’ at the 122nd American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Atlanta, USA in October 2018 for his unique commitment to the specialty.
He was conferred ‘Doctor of Science (Honoris–Causa)’ SRM Institute of Science & Technology in 2018.
He received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from the 14th Edition of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, FICCI TANCARE in 2022.
He received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, from the Upgraded Institute of Otorhinolaryngology Golden Jubilee 1972 – 2022. Madras Medical College, 2022.
He was one of the 10 best ENT surgeons in the world to receive ‘Gold Medal of Honour’ at the highest ENT Body - International Federation of Otorhinological Societies (IFOS) at Dubai, 2023.
He was also bestowed the ‘Doyen of Ear Surgery’ at Government Stanley Medical College & Hospital in February 2024.
He is the Regional Secretary for South and Western Asia, International Federation of Otorhinolaryngological Societies (IFOS), & was former Board Member of the Politzer Society Inc. He was also the President of Asia Pacific Symposium on Cochlear Implants and its related science (APSCI).
He is one of the pioneers of Cochlear Implant Surgery in India and has Mentored and was responsible for starting Cochlear Implant surgery in 45 centers in India, and in 7 centers overseas including Sri Lanka, Armed Forces Hospital in Bangladesh, Nigeria & Nepal.
He is the FIRST Surgeon in South and South East Asia to have performed the Auditory Brainstem Implant and the FIRST Pediatric Brainstem Implant in Asia, January 2009.
He Mentored and was responsible to start Auditory Brainstem Implant surgery in Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore and in Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Army R & R Hospital, Delhi and Sawai Man Singh Medical College, Jaipur
He is also the FIRST surgeon in Asia Pacific region to have performed the Totally Implantable Hearing Device surgery.
Invited speaker to World Health Organization on World Hearing Day Seminar organized by WHO Hearing Loss and Deafness Program, Geneva in March 2018.
He graduated from Madras Medical College in 1977 with distinction and obtained his DLO and MS in 1981 from the same Institution. He received several Gold Medals including the Chipperfield Gold Medal for Surgery and Dr. P.V. Cherian Gold Medal for the best outgoing MS student in the University.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), Fellow of the International College of Surgeons and Fellow of Tamil Nadu Academy of Sciences. He is the youngest ENT Surgeon to become a Fellow of Academy of Medical Sciences. He is also the Founder President of Cochlear Implant Group of India - an exclusive grouping of Cochlear Implant Surgeons and professionals in the country. He is also the Founder President of Indian Academy of Oto Rhino Laryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. He is also Founder of Indian Association of Surgeons for Sleep Apnoea and Tamil Nadu Association of Otorhinolaryngologists of India.
He was formerly an Associate Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He has Edited a text book on ENT Diseases in a Tropical Environment & two operative manuals - one on Temporal Bone Surgery and the other on Skull Base Surgery. He is in the Editorial Board of several International & National Journals. He has written a FOREWORD in the American Journal of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Medicine and Surgery.
He has over 190 publications, in major National & International journals, written chapters in 19 text books, has attended & presented papers in over 600 National and International conferences including webinars, has been an invited lecturer in several of them. He has conducted & attended over 375 workshops on Temporal Bone Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Live Laser surgery and Audiology for Surgeons etc. He has conducted above 300 Free ENT camps and has visited over 50 countries for various academic and professional meetings. He has delivered over 90 Orations in major conferences.
He is the only Indian to have been invited to give Guest Oration at the 12th British Academy Conference in Otolaryngology, United Kingdom in 2006 and has also been invited to give Instructional courses in World Congress of Otolaryngology, Sao Paulo and the American Academy of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery 2009. He has been an Examiner in ENT for several Universities in the country and abroad.
He is a very simple and self-effacing human being with a deep empathy for the under privileged and a strong social commitment. In short, he is an embodiment of a dynamic surgeon, brilliant academician, great leader, good teacher and an emulation and inspiration for everyone to follow.
Mrs. Indira M. Kameswaran
Secretary
Mrs. Indira M. Kameswaran, M.A is the Executive Director and inspiration behind Madras ENT Research Foundation (P) Ltd - (MERF). The entire conception and execution of the institution was her brainchild. She is the face MERF presents to the corporate world. She heads the finance department of MERF and supervises the day-to-day functioning of the hospital and also supports the conduct of various social and academic activities. She also co-ordinates the Cochlear Implant program at MERF.
She was the Founder Correspondent of MERF Institute of Speech & Hearing. She started the Institute in 2006 because of her deep and abiding commitment to the cause of deafness as she has been for years struggling for this cause along with her husband Prof. Mohan Kameswaran. She has been a direct witness to the dearth of qualified personnel in the field of Audiology and Speech-language pathology in the country. Having travelled and lived overseas for many years, she was also aware of the international needs in the profession. She has interacted with several Audiological Institutions overseas, and was very keen to foster interactive educational programs with Institutes of repute across the world.
She started the first University approved Degree Course in 'Post Graduate Diploma in Auditory Habilitation' in collaboration with leading centers in the United States of America and Australia.
She was the mother figure for the Institute from its inception, and was directly and personally involved in every facet of the Institute’s development until she handed it over to MERF Institute of Speech & Hearing (P) Ltd in 2018.
She is the Secretary of Madras ENT Research Foundation Charitable Trust, which sponsors free treatment for needy and indigent patients. Through her activity at the Hospital and in collaboration with the Institute, she organizes free treatment and therapies for patients from Down's Syndrome Association of Tamil Nadu & Spastic Society of India, to name a few. She also looks into the conduct of free camps & community-related social service activities.
In short Mrs. Indira M. Kameswaran is an embodiment of an able administrator, an educationist, philanthropist and a social activist – all combined in one.
Trustees
Dr. Niranjan Kameswaran
Trustee
‘Niranjan Kameswaran is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Atlas Venture, a leading life sciences venture capital firm.
Niranjan was most recently the Chief Operating Officer of Resonance Medicine, a discovery-stage biotech company that utilized a proprietary protein evolution platform to generate novel proteases with high specificity and potency for user-defined protein targets.
Niranjan was previously Senior Vice President, Strategy at Kala Pharmaceuticals with responsibility over Corporate Strategy/BD and Investor Relations.
Prior to Kala, Niranjan was Director of Commercial and Business Development at Civitas Therapeutics, where he played a lead role in managing a dual-path IPO/M&A process that led to an acquisition by Acorda Therapeutics.
Before Civitas, Niranjan worked in life sciences strategy consulting.
Niranjan holds Ph.D. in Bioengineering and M.S.E Electrical Engineering degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA and a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Anna University in Chennai, India’.
Dr. Vasumathi Kameswaran
Trustee
Vasumathi Kameswaran is a Scientist who is interested in understanding the molecular basis of human disease.
Vasumathi completed her B.Tech in Industrial Biotechnology from St. Joseph's College of Engineering in Chennai, and then obtained her Master's at the Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. During this time, she worked on gene regulation in autoimmune conditions like Type 1 diabetes.
Vasumathi then obtained her Ph.D from the Univ. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where her thesis work focused on the genetic and epigenetic regulation of Type 2 diabetes. Following this, Vasumathi completed her Postdoctoral training at the Gladstone Institutes,
UCSF in San Francisco where she focused on the genetics of congenital heart disease. She is now a Scientist at Genentech, a biotechnology company located in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works on Epigenetics and Chromatin Biology within the Next Generation Sequencing department.
