‘He inspired young minds to take up biology’: Scientific, teaching community mourns Prof Sohan Modak’s death

Dr K Vijay Raghavan, scientific advisor to the Government of India, said Prof Modak's quality of his nurturing of teaching and research in Pune and beyond are legendary.

Prof Sohan Modak. (File)

In August 2015, Prof Sohan Modak wrote a heartfelt post on social media about his mentors. “All of them were good, unassuming , never hungry for power or prizes, but bitten by the bug for the quest of the unknown,” read the post.

Today, the messages that are pouring in after his demise on March 23 highlight not just his contribution to the field of biotechnology and bioinformatics but also how he has been an inspiration for many.

Dr K Vijay Raghavan, scientific advisor to the Government of India, said Prof Modak’s quality of his nurturing of teaching and research in Pune and beyond are legendary.

“The death of Prof Sohan Modak (82) has left a huge void in the scientific community. An extraordinary teacher and the main force behind several educational and research initiatives in Pune, Prof Modak almost single handedly changed the flavour of teaching in development biology, molecular biology and biotechnology at Pune University in the early 1980s,” recalled Dr Surendra Ghaskadbi, emeritus scientist at Maharashtra Association for Cultivation of Science – Agharkar Research Institute (MACS-ARI).

Dr Ghaskadbi said it was a watershed moment for life sciences teaching and research in Pune when Prof Modak joined the Pune University’s Department of Zoology. “He completely transformed the syllabi for biology and biotechnology, inspired young minds to take up biology and introduced molecular biology in teaching and research,” Dr Ghaskadbi said.

After completing his graduation and post graduation from Pune, Prof Modak completed his doctorate from the University of Geneva. Later, he joined Pune University as a professor. Dr Modak was instrumental in starting one of the first five biotechnology teaching centres in the country. He, along with late Dr Ulhas Wagh, played a huge role in setting up the national tissue culture facility that is now DBT-National Centre for Cell Science.

“He organised scientific meetings and managed to get the best scientists from across the world. This used to be a treat for us in our formative years,” Dr Ghaskadbi said.

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“Extremely popular among students, Prof Modak had the rare quality of being fearless while expressing himself – which did not always impress the establishment,” Dr Ghaskadbi added.

Prof Jayanta Pal, Director, Dr D Y Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute, Dr D Y Patil Vidyapeeth said Prof Modak’s demise was a great loss for both teaching and scientific community all over the world.

“He joined the Department of Zoology in 1979 when I was completing my PhD. Within a short time he changed the face of the department. It was a different culture altogether – be it quality teaching, modernising curricula, efficient mentoring of students and faculty. He ignited a large number of young minds who are now well placed all over the world,” Prof Pal, who was earlier head of the department of biotechnology at Pune University, said, adding he has learned many things from Dr Modak including his passion for teaching and research.

Kannan Krishnamoorthy, founder KK Biotech, said Prof Modak was a visionary as a teacher, researcher and contributor to nation building. “You will continue to inspire by remaining in our hearts,” he wrote.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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