Gursaran Prasad Talwar received Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Master of Science (Technical) degrees from the University of Punjab, Doctor of Science from Sorbonne working at the Institut Pasteur, Paris and Doctor of Science (hc) from Bundhelkhand University (2004).
In a 1994 paper, his group demonstrated that women could be vaccinated to prevent pregnancy. He was Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow at Tübingen, Stuttgart and Munchen. He joined as Associate Professor of Biochemistry (1956) in the newly created All India Institute of Medical Sciences (All India Institute Of Medical Sciences), New Delhi and also worked there as Professor and Head till 1983.
He was Head, Indian Council of Medical Research-World Health Organization Research and Training Centre in Immunology for India and South East Asia (1972-1991).
He was the first Director of the National Institute of Immunology (NII) (1983-1991) and also Professor of Eminence till 1994. He was Professor of Eminence and Senior Consultant, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi (1994-1999) and Director Research,, New Delhi (since 2000).
He was Visiting Professor, College de France (1991), Wellcome Professor at Johns Hopkins (1994-1995), and Distinguished Professor at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, University of Pune (2005-2010). Talwar"s notable contributions include the development of an immunotherapeutic vaccine for leprosy.
The vaccine is also showing efficacy as an immunotherapeutic adjunct to chemotherapy in tuberculosis and cancers.
The vaccine is marketed as Immuvac by M/s Cadilla Pharma. A microbicide Praneem polyherbal tablet (PPHT) has passed through Phase III clinical trials successfully curing 92-97% of women with abnormal vaginal discharge syndrome. PPHT is licensed to M/s Panacea Biotec.
He also pioneered research on immunological approaches to contraception and invented the first birth control vaccine in the world whose safety and efficacy has been tested.
He has over 500 publications to his cr in reputed journals and authored/edited ten books and monographs. The "" is an initiative started by the Professor
General Рractitioner Talwar.
Talwar was Project Leader and Member Executive, International Committee on Contraception Research and Population Council, New York (1975-1994), and Member, World Health Organization Task Force on Birth Control Vaccines (1984-1990), Executive Committee Member of International Network for Molecular and Cell Biology, UNCESCO, and Lifetime Managing Trustee of the Immunology Foundation.
