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Sibte Hasan Zaidi (April 1918 – April 5, 2008) was an Indian pathologist and toxicologist known for his contributions to experimental toxicology. He received advanced training in pathology at the Hammersmith Hospital in London, United Kingdom, where he also conducted research in toxicology.

After completing his training, Zaidi returned to India to further his work in experimental toxicology. Over the course of his career, he contributed to national and international initiatives addressing the effects of industrial toxins. He served on various committees, including those of the World Health Organization, where he provided expert guidance on the biological impacts of toxic substances.

Early life and education

Sibte Hasan Zaidi was born in Barabanki, India, and spent his early years in the village town of Jarwal under the care of his maternal uncle after the death of his mother, Zakia Begum. He later moved to live with his father, Syed Hasan Zaidi, a barrister, and attended Barabanki High School. After his father passed away in 1931, Zaidi lived with his uncle, Sardar Husain.

Zaidi pursued higher education at Christian College and Lucknow University before enrolling at King George’s Medical College (now King George's Medical University) in 1940. He completed his medical degree in 1945. In 1948, he married Qamar Ara Shanshah Husain, a clinical psychologist and the granddaughter of the Rajah of Bhatwamau.

After completing his clinical training and briefly serving as an academic in Pathology at King George’s Medical College, Zaidi moved to London. There, he worked with Professor Earl J. King at the Hammersmith Hospital (now associated with Imperial College London). He obtained a PhD in 1954 and a Diploma in Clinical Pathology in 1952, both from the University of London.

Research

Around 1950, Zaidi's mentor Earl J. King developed an interest in the health of coal miners in the Sheffield area. Zaidi assisted by providing description of the pathology and pathophysiology of coal miner’s lung. Zaidi and coworkers "produced the nearest approach to massive fibrosis by injecting into sensitized animals dust plus tubercle bacilli."

In 1955, Zaidi travelled back to India to be named Head the Division of Experimental Medicine and Deputy Director at the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow, India, where his research focused on mechanisms that underlie peptic ulcer, atherosclerosis, vasospasm, and eosinophilia. Through pharmacologic and animal studies, Zaidi and his colleagues demonstrated the requirement of a mucus barrier in the prevention of peptic ulcer disease. He received the Sir Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award in 1963. He also examined the mechanisms of hypercoagulability and thrombosis and developed rodent models of atherosclerotic heart disease and myocardial infarction.

Between 1964 and 1965, Zaidi served as the third Director of the newly founded Indian Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Medicine in Calcutta (renamed Indian Institute of Chemical Biology), where he established the institute's research infrastructure. Additionally, he initiated dissections and clarifications of the effect of exposure of industrial toxins on pulmonary fibrosis.

Industrial Toxicology Research Center (ITRC)

Zaidi is the Founding Director of Industrial Toxicology Research Center (ITRC) in Lucknow (now renamed Indian Institute of Toxicology Research). The then-President of India V. V. Giri, and later by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, supported it. During his tenure at ITRC, Zaidi grew the Center and continued to work. His research was funded continuously by the Public Health Service of the United States through their PL 480 scheme.

Publications

Zaidi's monograph "Experimental Pneumoconiosis" was published by Johns Hopkins Press in 1969. His editorial "Bhopal and After", published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine and later quoted in several articles, highlighted gaps in 1980s policy that could lead to spillage of chemicals.

Recognition

Zaidi was awarded the William P. Yant Award for lifetime achievements and contributions to industrial toxicology by the American Industrial Hygiene Association in 1977. He also served on their Editorial Board from 1977 to 1993. In 1978, the Venezuelan Society gave him the highest honour for his contributions to industrial medicine. He was awarded the Sir Ardeshirlal Dalal Gold Medal for his contributions to occupational health (1975), and the Padam Shree (1977) by the Government of India.

Zaidi was inducted as the Founding Member of the Royal College of Pathologists, and thereafter was conferred a Fellowship. He was inducted as a Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of India (1976), the National Academy of Sciences, India (1972), and the Indian National Science Academy (1974). These honors are listed in his official obituary, published by the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research. SH Zaidi Memorial Oration endowed annual lectureship was established in 1998. The 12th oration was given by his son, Mone Zaidi.

Policy and Positions

In 1975, Zaidi hosted "The International Symposium on Industrial Toxicology" in Lucknow. He was thereafter inducted as president of the Asian Society of Environmental Industrial Toxicology (1975). He was also Professor at the Azad University in Kanpur and Visiting Professor to the University of Düsseldorf on two occasions.

Zaidi served on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Labour Organization (ILO). His work on the World Health Organization's Expert Committees became the basis of two key technical reports. He was also Advisor to the Occupational Health Committee of the WHO, Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the UN International Registry on Potentially Toxic Chemicals in Geneva (1977–1979), Senior Consultant to the United Nations Environment Programme (1982), and WHO Consultant in Bangladesh and Burma. He founded two institutes for outreach research in Rangoon (1982–1984) and Sri Lanka (1979) under the backing of the United Nations.

In India, he served as Honorary Advisor to the Ministry of Railways, a position that he retained between 1978 and 1989. He chaired the Environmental Research Committee of the Ministry of Environment of the Government of India between 1990 and 1993.

Later life

During the late 1990s and thereafter, Zaidi lived intermittently in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States with his son, Mone Zaidi, who is attending physician at Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Professor of Clinical Medicine and Professor of Pharmacological Sciences, and Director of the Center of Translational Medicine and Pharmacology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Zaidi died at his home in Riverdale, New York, on 5 April 2008.

References

1. Faulds, JS (1957). "Haematite pneumoconiosis in Cumberland miners". Journal of Clinical Pathology. 10 (3): 192–193. doi:10.1136/jcp.10.3.187. PMC 1024048. PMID 13463104.
2. Zaidi, SH; et al. (1957). "Experimental peptic ulceration.I. The significance of mucous barrier". Indian Journal of Medical Research. 46 (1): 27–37. PMID 13501871.
3. "Prof. S.H. Zaidi Former Director, Passes Away" (PDF). Toxicology Research Bulletin. 28, 1: 2. May 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
4. Nityanand, S; Zaidi, SH (1963). "Experimental pulmonary embolism and arteriosclerosis. Effect of vasospasm 67: 529-538". American Heart Journal. 67 (4): 529–537. doi:10.1016/0002-8703(64)90101-2. PMID 14138816.
5. CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Annual Report 2013-2014. "Former Directors" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
6. Indian Institute of Toxicology Research
7. Rahman, Q; Vishwanathan, PN; Zaidi, SH (1977). "Some new perspectives on the biological effects of asbestos". Environmental Research. 14 (3): 487–498. Bibcode:1977ER.....14..487R. doi:10.1016/0013-9351(77)90056-1. PMID 145364.
8. Zaidi, Sibte (1969). Experimental Pneumoconiosis (First ed.). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press. p. 326.
9. Zaidi, SH (1986). "Bhopal and After". American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 9 (3): 215–216. doi:10.1002/ajim.4700090302. PMID 3963002.
10. Fielder, MP; et al. (2002). Methodological Issues in. Springer-Science+Business Media, B.V. p. 185. ISBN 978-1-4613-5163-4.
11. American Industrial Hygiene Association. "The Yant Award". Archived from the original on 18 August 2017.
12. Zaidi, SH (1977). "Yant Memorial Lecture...1977. Some aspects of experimental infective pneumoconiosis". Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 38 (6): 239–45. doi:10.1080/0002889778507611. PMID 406771.
13. Zaidi, SH (1977). "Yant Memorial Lecture...1977. Some aspects of experimental infective pneumoconiosis". Journal of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. 38 (6): 239–245. doi:10.1080/0002889778507611. PMID 406771.
14. India Government Archives. "Archives, India.Gov.In". Archived from the original on 1 June 2015.
15. Indian National Science Academy. "Deceased Fellows". Archived from the original on 13 August 2016.
16. Toxicology Research Bulletin, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research. "Dr. S.H. Zaidi, Former Director, Passes Away" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2015.
17. Sibte Zaidi Oration. "Indian institute of Toxicology Research". Archived from the original on 1 June 2015.
18. The Times of India. "The Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) is celebrating its 46th foundation day tomorrow". The Times of India.
19. Professor SH Zaidi Oration. "Previous Orators". Archived from the original on 2 June 2015.
20. OCLC WorldCat. Environmental pollution and human health : proceedings of the (first) International Symposium on Industrial Toxicology, Lucknow, November 4-7, 1975. OCLC 636880625.
21. World Health Organization, Regional Office for South East Asia. "Chemical Safety in South East Asia Region" (PDF). WHO. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2003.
22. International Labor Office, Geneva (1980). Occupational exposure to airborne substances harmful to health (PDF). p. 28. ISBN 978-92-2-102442-2.
23. WHO Technical Report., Report of a WHO Study Group (1975). Early detection of health impairment in occupational exposure to health hazards (571 ed.).
24. WHO Technical Report Series, Report of a WHO Scientific Group (1975). Chemical and biochemical methodology for assessment of hazards of pesticides for man (560 ed.). p. 26.
25. World health Organization, WHO Project BAN OCH 001. "Industrial Health in Bangladesh" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
26. WHO Assignment Report. "Occupational Toxicology, Burma". World health Organization. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011.
27. "Dr Zaidi passes away". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
28. Toxicology Research Bullettin, Industrial Toxicology Research Center. "Prof. S.H. Zaidi, Former Director Passes Away". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

• 1918 births
• 2008 deaths
• Indian pathologists
• Indian toxicologists
• People from Barabanki district
• Medical doctors from Uttar Pradesh
• Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering
• University of Lucknow alumni
• Alumni of Imperial College London
• Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy
• Fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, India
• Indian medical researchers
• Indian medical writers
• 20th-century Indian medical doctors
• Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Medical Science
• Twelvers
• Indian Shia Muslims