Director SKIMS Prof M Ashraf Ganie conferred with prestigious RAE award for combatting PCOS-NCD epidemic

Srinagar, Apr 24: Director SKIMS and Ex-Officio Secretary to the Government (EOSG), Prof. M. Ashraf Ganie has been conferred with the prestigious “Recognition of Academic Excellence (RAE)” award by the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS). This distinguished honor is reserved for eminent medical and biomedical scientists who have distinguished themselves through high-quality research and significant contributions to academia.

Prof. Ganie was awarded the Achanta Lakshmipathi RAE for the year 2026 in the field of Maternal and Child Health, Women’s Health, and Community Nutrition. This recognizes his pioneering work in endocrinology and metabolic disorders, specifically focusing on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

As part of this recognition, Prof. Ganie delivered the National Recognition & Foundation Day Oration during the 66th Foundation Day of NAMS in New Delhi on 21st April 2026. His oration, titled “PCOS as a Central Driver of NCDs Epidemic in India,” directly aligns with the Prime Minister’s initiative, the Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan, emphasizing the empowerment of women through health.

The oration was delivered before an eminent panel of chairpersons, including Dr. K. K. Talwar, Dr. N. K. Ganguly, and Dr. Sanjeev Sinha, all distinguished leaders in India’s medical and scientific community. The award, which includes a Citation Plaque and a Gold Medal, was presented by Dr. P. K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India.

Beyond his clinical leadership at SKIMS, Prof. Ganie served as the National Chief Coordinator for the ICMR PCOS Task Force Study. Funded by the ICMR Division of Reproductive Biology, Maternal and Child Health (RBMCH), this landmark study spanned 18 centers across India and generated the nation’s first large-scale composite data on PCOS.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study highlights a staggering link between PCOS and increased risks for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases. Critically, the research emphasizes that PCOS in mothers has a direct impact on their babies, acting as a fuel for the early onset of NCDs such as Type 2 Diabetes (DM), coronary artery disease (CAD), Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), and Hypertension in the offspring. This data also provides a critical foundation for personalized AI-powered risk prediction and enhanced clinical diagnostics across India and Establishing essential biological reference intervals tailored to reproductive-aged Indian women, addressing a long-standing gap in domestic clinical diagnostics.

In his capacity as the President of the M.P.-PCOS Society, Prof. Ganie is integrating metabolic data from private organizations to ensure a comprehensive national database that bridges the gap between research and clinical practice. This national recognition comes at a time when SKIMS, under the leadership of Prof Ganie, successfully concluded the 6th Annual International Conference of the M.P-PCOS Society (MOOD-2026) in Srinagar. This global scientific platform addressed emerging challenges in metabolic and reproductive health. Prof. Ganie has dedicated several years to pioneering research in lifestyle and metabolic disorders. A prolific academician, he has previously been the recipient of over 25 national and international awards and has authored more than 255 publications in high-impact journals of international repute.

Under Prof. Ganie’s leadership, SKIMS continues to augment its position as a premier centre for advanced clinical care, translational research, and academic excellence. The honor recognizes individual excellence and reinforces the institution’s commitment to advancing healthcare and innovation at the national level.