Who was Dr. Kamal Ranadive? Google Doodle honors Indian biologist

On Monday, Google is paying tribute to the cell biologist who was among the first researchers in India to identify links between cancers and certain viruses.

The search giant honored Dr. Kamal Ranadive with a Google Doodle featuring the biologist using a microscope, with different parts of the Google logo represented by cells underneath microscope slides.

"My main source of inspiration was lab aesthetics from the late 20th century and the microscopic world of cells related to leprosy and cancer," Ibrahim Rayintakath, an Indian-based artist who created the doodle, said in a statement.

According to a biography on Google's website, Ranadive would have celebrated her 104th birthday Monday.  

Born in 1917, Ranadive earned a doctorate in cytology, the study of cells, while working at the Indian Cancer Research Center. During her tenure as director of the center, she was not only one of the first researchers to identify the links among cancers and certain viruses, but she also was among the first to propose a link between breast cancer and heredity.

Ranadive also studied the bacterium that causes leprosy and helped develop a vaccine. In 1973, she helped create the Indian Women Scientists’ Association to help women pursuing scientific fields.

Molina, B. U. T. (2021, November 8). Who was Dr. Kamal Ranadive? Google Doodle honors Indian biologist. USA TODAY. https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/11/08/dr-kamal-ranadive-google-doodle/6336356001/