The Sipra and Gopal Saha Scholarship

Applications will open in October 2024

The Sipra and Gopal Saha Scholarship for SNMMI-TS Students is for nuclear medicine technologist students in the FINAL year of their nuclear medicine technology program. This award comes with a $2,500 award honorarium.

The applicant must be an active member of the SNMMI-TS.

The application must include:

• Transcript(s) of formal education (most current 12 credits only).
• An applicant statement, not to exceed 1000 words. The evaluation committee will be looking for:
• Well written English
• Applicant's vision for a career in nuclear medicine
• A letter from the student’s program director identifying strengths and commitment to the field and how they stand out.
• A letter from a clinical mentor identifying student’s strengths and how they stand out in the clinic.

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About Gopal Saha, PhD

Background

Gopal Sahal Bandhu was born on April 30, 1938 in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Came to the United States, 1976.

Education

Bachelor of Science with honors, Dacca (Bangladesh) U., 1959; Master of Science, Dacca (Bangladesh) U., 1960; Doctor of Philosophy, McGill University, 1965.

Career

Associate scientist, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1970-1976; associate professor, professor, U. Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, 1976-1982; professor, U. New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1982-1984; member of staff, director nuclear chemistry and pharmacy, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, since 1984.

Achievements

Diplomate American Board of Radiology, American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine.

Administration

President, American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine twice (2000 and 2002)

Awards

2002, Life-time Achievement Award (Basic Science) by Indo-American Society of Nuclear Medicine, USA; 2008, prestigious Vikram Sarabhai Oration Memorial Award by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, India

Profile

Gopal Bandhu Saha, Bengali, American Nuclear Chemist. Diplomate American Board of Radiology, American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine. Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Radiological Society of North America, Society of Nuclear Medicine, American Chemical Society, American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Dr. Saha immigrated to Canada from Bangladesh in 1961. “When I went to Montreal to get my PhD, I had only $50,” he says. Raised in a village in Chittagong in Bangladesh, “I know what being poor means. My mother and I used to secretly take rice and lentils from the storage of our joint family to give to the poor people next door. I grew up with a passion for helping the poor and have supported many charitable organizations for many years.”

In 1976, he joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock as an associate professor and in 1980 he became a professor. In 1982, he joined the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque as director and professor of radiopharmacy. That’s where he was working when, in 1984, he met the Chairman of Nuclear Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, who was seeking a chemist to run the nuclear pharmacy lab. After interviewing in Cleveland, he was offered and accepted the position.

As Director of Nuclear Chemistry and Pharmacy, he helped design and establish nuclear pharmacy labs in Cleveland Clinic’s nuclear medicine departments throughout the region, including the one at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Pavilion in the main campus. “These labs were designed and operated to comply with strict rules and regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JACHO), which inspected every two to three years and rated my lab No. 1 in the country,” Dr. Saha says.

He taught nuclear medicine and radiology residents who were preparing for their board exams. “I introduced new techniques to prepare radioactive drugs for the diagnosis
and treatment of different diseases,” he says.

About Sipra Saha MSc, MS; Mathematics

Dr. Saha is married to Mrs. Sipra Saha from Kolkata, India for over 57 years, who has a MSc in applied mathematics from Calcutta University and a MS in biometry from the University of Arkansas. She was assistant professor at Philander Smith College, Little Rock and Lake Erie College, Ohio, teaching mathematics and statistics for over 20 years.

Mrs Saha comes from a family of similar background to Dr. Saha’s, and influenced by her mother’s attribute of generosity to the poor, she also enjoys helping needy people. Both of them are strong proponent of education and are intent to promote it to help others have opportunities for a better living.