OBITUARY
Prof. Anil Kumar
25 June 1941 – 9 November 2024
With profound sorrow, the ISMRM Indian Chapter mourns the passing of Prof. Anil Kumar, a pioneering figure in NMR and a visionary in 2D NMR methodologies, on November 9, 2024, at the age of 83 in Bangalore.
Prof. Kumar completed his PhD in 1969 at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, and pursued post-doctoral research at the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. He later moved to ETH Zurich, where he worked with Nobel laureates Dr. Richard R. Ernst and Dr. Kurt Wüthrich, performing the first 2D NMR experiment in liquids and the first 2D Fourier imaging experiment, as well as pioneering observations in cross-polarization dynamics in solids.
Returning to India, Prof. Kumar joined the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore in 1977, where he made significant advancements in 2D NMR spectroscopy. He was the first one to apply the two-dimensional Nuclear Overhauser Effect experiment, popularly known as NOESY in a protein, which opened the field for the determination of three-dimensional structures of biomolecules in solution by NMR. His lab in India tackled challenging areas, such as studying cross-correlations in relaxation, and contributed major advancements in NMR quantum information processing and quantum computing.
Prof. Kumar authored over 150 research papers and mentored many PhD students, popularizing modern NMR methodologies and significantly influencing the widespread use of NMR techniques in India. Prof. Anil Kumar bagged many awards in his life time and was a fellow of all the 3 science academies of India namely, Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc) and National Academy of Sciences (NASI) and a fellow of ISMAR. He also served as a Visiting Chair at École normale supérieure (Paris) and held visiting professorships at esteemed U.S. institutions. Post-retirement, he continued contributing as an Honorary Professor and NASI Honorary Scientist at IISc Bengaluru.
Prof. Kumar’s contributions to the global MR scientific community are unparalleled, making his loss irreplaceable. Our thoughts are with his family and all who had the privilege of knowing him.
May his soul rest in peace.
With heartfelt condolences,
The ISMRM Indian Chapter
Prof. N. R. Jagannathan (Founder President, ISMRM India Chapter, President, NMRS India)
Prof. S. Senthil Kumaran (President, ISMRM India Chapter)
Prof. Amit Mehindratta (Secretary, ISMRM India Chapter)
Prof. Durgesh K. Dwivedi (Joint Secretary, ISMRM India Chapter)