Manisha Basu was born in Military Hospital, Delhi Cantonment on January 10, 1953 to parents Lt. Col. MK Basu (nicknameMoni-da) and Mrs. Anima Basu, and elder brother Biswajit Basu. She was affectionately nicknamed “Moon” by her family. Her father was an Army doctor, (specialising in ophthalmology) and she lived in many places in her childhood including London, Bangalore, Jabalpur, before finally settling in Delhi. Her childhood experiences exposed her to multiple social circles early in life, and her ability to connect and stay connected with multiple circles of friends and acquaintances stayed with her for a lifetime. Extremely bright and intelligent, she had an amazing memory. Even many decades later, she could recount the smallest details about people, places and events. Her recall of people in particular was remarkable. Pick any name and she could recount their entire childhood and education history, social connections and special events.

She did her early schooling in multiple cities. An interesting story she would tell was that at school, her name was pronounced as Monisha, and the change in spelling became permanent. She finished her schooling in Delhi, her school friends from Frank Anthony Public School forging bonds that stayed strong for over five decades.

She then started her medical science journey. After a year of pre-med in Deshbandhu College (1970-71), she briefly joined Zoology (H) in Miranda House (Aug-Oct 1971) before joining the first batch of University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), 1971. In her own words - “I was also the first student of UCMS to become a teacher in UCMS!” 

She completed her post graduation from LHMC. Her thesis was on Prostrate Cytology and her guide was Dr. Savita Mittal. Her brother remembers helping her type out her thesis on a small portable Remington typewriter, and consequently learning a lot about the prostrate! She forged lifelong bonds with her fellow postgraduates Dr. Medha and Dr. Urmil. They completed their MD together in 1981. 

On March 6, 1978, she married Dr. Panna Choudhury, and became Dr. Monisha Choudhury. She used to recount that initially she was interested in Pediatrics, but switched to Pathology. Her husband went on to become a world renowned Pediatrician, whereas she joined the “Who’s Who” of Pathology.

They had two daughters, Pallavi (b. 1978) and Surabhi (b. 1983). In 2010, they became grandparents to their first grandchild, Saisha. In 2014, they welcomed two more grandchildren, Ashwin in June and Aria in August. 

After a few months in Sarvodya Enclave, they moved to Sector 3, RK Puram for a few years. From there they moved to M-Block, Netaji Nagar, where they lived for almost 30 years. They forged deep friendships with their neighbors and were an integral part of the residential association. They moved to Noida with her elder daughter and family in Apr-May 2014. 

Just after Christmas 2014, Dr. Monisha was diagnosed with swine flu. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she was on ventilator for 3 weeks at Gangaram Hospital, Delhi. But she fought her way back to health, and was discharged by second week of Jan 2015. She called it her second life. Despite being advised to take rest, she found a renewed zest for life and immediate started planning and organised her grandchild Ashwin’s mukhe-bhaat (first food) ceremony and party by end of Jan! 

Sadly, Dr. Panna Choudhury passed away on Sep 1, 2015 after a brief but intense battle with cancer. He was 68 and they had been married for 37 years. His loss left a huge void in her life. She took over his mantle as Vice Chairperson in Child Health Foundation, an organisation he had co-founded with his pediatrician colleagues. She remained associated with the foundation for the rest of her life. 

She continued to live and work in Noida, even after retirement. She travelled with family, with friends and colleagues, and took interest in local community matters with a special interest in gardening. Despite battling diabetes for years, she never let it diminish her love for life. 

Always together, Dr. Panna Choudhury’s memorial site is here: 
http://www.forevermissed.com/panna-choudhury/

She started her career as a Demonstrator in UCMS from 1978-83 and Lecturer from 1983-86. In 1986, she joined Lady Hardinge Medical College as Assistant Professor and after 32 years with the institution, she retired as Director Professor in 2018. Post retirement, she joined SMSR, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, as Professor and Head of Department. She later joined NIIMS, Greater Noida, a new medical college, to set up their pathology department and remained a teacher till her last breath.

AWARDS AND PRIZES RECEIVED

1. Awarded Commonwealth Medical Fellowship in Cytopathology, Imperial College London, U.K. 1992-93. 
2. Visiting Professor to Karolinska Institute, Sweden, 1993
3. Awarded Diploma from Royal College of Pathologists in Cytopathology, London, 1994
4. Awarded Distinguished Alumnus and Citation on Silver Jubilee Year and Convocation of University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi University, 1995
5. Awarded Fellow of the International Academy of Cytopathologists, Chicago, USA, 1998
6. Gauri Bazaz Malik Research Award for Immunocytopathology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, 2001 and 2003
7. Awarded Senior ICMR Medical Fellowship to Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, 2007
8. Awarded Ernst Fernandes Silver Medal of Indian Academy of Cytologists, Chandigarh, Nov 2009
9. Co-Author and Thesis guide for Nalini Bai Thakkar Best Oral Presentation at the Indian Academy of Cytologists, Bhubaneshwar, 2012
10. President Elect of the Indian Academy of Cytologists, 2013-14
11. President of the Indian Academy of Cytologists, 2014-15
12. Awarded P.N. Wahi Oration entitled "Four Decades in Cytology - Past, Present and Future" at the 44th National Conference of the Indian Academy of Cytologists, Kota, Rajasthan, Nov 2014

1. Teacher (Medical) Undergraduate and Postgraduates for 42 and 40 years respectively
2. Examiner Undergraduate and Postgraduate for Rajasthan, J&K, Rohtak, Agra, Lucknow, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Punjab, Indraprastha Universities
3. MCI Inspector for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Institutions in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka
4. NEET Exam Supervisor for PG entrance 2016
5. MD Thesis Supervisor for over 30 thesis in Pathology and several as Co-Supervisor in Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, EYE, ENT, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Radiodiagnosis, Medicine
6. MCh Co supervisor in Pediatric Surgery
7. PhD Examiner for King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
8. Expert: For Selection of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors for Pathology, Hematology, Hemato Oncology in AIIMS, Delhi and ESI
9. Underwent TEACHERS TRAINING course at MAMC, New Delhi
10. Underwent NABL course from Bangalore

1. AgNOR staining and Ki67 Immunostaining in PAP smears of Cervix. Assessment of proliferation in preinvasive and invasive squamous epithelial lesions
2. Detection of HPV by In Situ Hybridization in precancerous and cancerous lesions of Cervix
3. Evaluation of Manual and Liquid Based Cytology in detecting cervical carcinoma and its precursors
4. Dual expression of p16 and Ki67 on LBC in Precancerous Lesions of Cervix

Worked on Endometrial Cancer and Ovarian Cancer

1. Expression of Cyclin D1 in Endometrial Hyperplasia and Endometrial Cancer.
2. Cytohistological correlations of Ki67 expression in ovarian Tumours.
3. P53 overexpression in Ovarian Neoplasms

Worked on better diagnostic methods in Bronchopulmonary Lesions.

1. Established Bronchial Brush and Bronchoalveolar lavage Cytology
2. Efficacy of Bronchial brush Cytology and Bronchial washings in diagnosis of Non neoplastic and Neoplastic bronchopulmonary lesions

Worked on Endoscopic cytology and biopsy for diagnosis of H.pylori and Celiac disease

1. Studied Vit A deficiency in acute diarrhea
2. Invasive and noninvasive diagnostic procedures for H pylori in children
3. Celiac disease in first degree relatives

Worked on Breast Cancer

1. Conducted research at Imperial College London on breast cytology and Image Analysis
2. Immunocytochemistry in breast aspirates at Karolinska Institute, Sweden
3. Evaluated Sentinal node biopsy in Breast Cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, LHMC Delhi
4. Studied effects of neoadjuvantlevamisole on local immune response in Breast Cancer, LHMC Delhi
5. Detection of lymph node micrometastasis in node negative breast cancer using Cytokeratin and EMA, LHMC Delhi

Worked on thyroid neoplasms with use of Imaging and morphometry to differentiate benign from malignant tumors

1. Diagnostic utility radionucleidescintigraphy on solitary thyroid nodule .    
2. Morphometry in cytological differentiation of benign and malignant lesions.

Worked on use of flow cytometry in the diagnosis of malignancy in effusions and aspirates of lymph nodes

1. Flow cytometry was used for the first time in LHMC to diagnose malignancy in effusions.
2. Flow used for diagnosis of nodal and extranodalHematolymphoid neoplasms.

Internal

1. HOD Pathology, Clinical Pathology and Blood Bank at LHMC, Delhi; SMSR, Sharda University; NIIMS, Greater Noida
2. Chairperson of various hospital administrative committees
3. Member of various committees of Lady Hardinge Medical College including Research project evaluation, Purchase, Condemnation and others

External

1. Expert Selection Committee for UGC for sanction of Travel grant
2. Expert Selection Committee for recruitment of Professors in Pathology, Hemato- Oncology, and Assistant Professor in Pathology and Clinical Pathology at AIIMS, New Delhi
3. Expert Selection Committee for Assistant Professors in Pathology and Hematology at ESI, New Delhi for their hospitals in NCR
4. Expert Selection Committee for posts of Senior Resident and Contract Assistant Professors in Delhi Govt. and MCD
5. Expert Research Committee for evaluation of PhD thesis Delhi University, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
6. Expert for selection of Assistant Professors Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission
7. Member Hospital Equipment specification Committee for RML Hospital, Delhi

CHAPTER IN BOOKS

1. Contribution in book. Choudhury M. Chapter on BLOOD. In PEDIATRIC ATLAS  Ed. Satya Gupta. New Age International (P) Ltd. Publishers Delhi. 2001.pp 67-85.


NATIONAL CONFERENCES

1. Organising secretary of the National Conference of HematoOncology in 1992
2. LHMC Member organizing committee of National CME of Surgical Pathology in 2000
3. LHMC Member organizing committee of several annual IAPM and DSH conferences of Delhi Chapter

National Annual Conferences of Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists

Attended and presented papers and chaired sessions (from 2002 onwards) in Belgaum 1980, Mumbai 1989, Bangalore 1996, 51st IAPM Kolkata 2002, 53rd IAPM Pune 2004, Hyderabad 2010,Kochi APCON 2015.


National Annual Conference Indian Academy of Cytologists

Presented papers in :- Manipal 1991, Goa 1998, Mangalore 1999, Nagpur 2000,Hyderabad 2001,Pune 2003,Jamnagar 2005, 35th IAC, Ranchi 2006, Allahabad 2007, Ahmedabad 2008, Chandigarh 2009, Delhi 2010, Bhubaneshwar 2012, Puducherry 2013, Kota 2014, Dehradun 2015, Nagpur 2016


Panelist and Participant in National CME, Workshop and Symposia

1. Conducted workshop in LHMC on FNAC of Superficial Masses in1991.
2. CME speaker Abdominal masses, Nagpur 2000.
3. CME speaker Bone and soft tissues, Hyderabad,2001.
4. CME speaker on Breast Pathology, Ranchi 2006
5. CME speaker on Kidney and Adrenals, Allahabad 2007 and several others.

Delhi NCR conferences/ CME/ Workshops

1. Attended, presented papers and was member of organizing committee of several annual and quarterly Delhi Chapter IAPM conferences from 1978 till 2017
2. Founder life Member of Delhi Chapter of Hematology and Blood transfusion
3. Life Member of Delhi Chapter Indian Academy of Cytologists since inception in 2012
4. 8th International CME in Surgical Pathologyin AIIMS , Delhi 2002
5. International CME in Bone Pathology AIIMS,2007
6. International CME in Pathology Goa 2011 and many more

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AND PRESENTATIONS

1. Attended scientific meetings of British Society of Clinical Cytologists in 1992 -93 in London
2. Attended scientific meetings of Royal College of Pathologists in London 1992-93
3. 21st European Congress of Cytology, Vienna, Austria, 1993.
4. 12th International Congress of Cytology, Madrid ,Spain, May 1995.Member of  Panel on Inflammatory Lesions of the Cervix
5. 5th International Conference of the Computerized Histology and Cytology Laboratory. Chicago,USA. 1998
6. Attended the Scientific meetings of the American Association of Pathologists in Boston, USA, 2007
7. 16th International Congress of Cytology Vancouver, Canada May 2007
8. 19th International Congress of Cytology Yokohama, Japan, May 2016

In their condolence message, the Indian Academy of Cytologists called her a “teacher of teachers.” Her commitment to teaching was absolute. Despite suffering from Covid, she took Post Graduate vivas and was checking answer sheets till the day she got hospitalised! She took immense pride in the achievement of her students and took an active role in guiding their careers.

She was an Undergraduate and Post Graduate teacher and guide for 42 years. Her special interests were: Gynae & FNA Cytology, Liquid Based Cytology, Endoscopic and Guided Cytology, Histopathology & Immunohistochemistry. She had published over 80 papers in national and international Journals. She was a Technical Advisor to UGC and other Government of India organizations. She had been an MCI Inspector for over 25 years and NEET exam assessor for PG entrants since 2016

She was awarded a Commonwealth Medical Fellowship in Cytopathology at Imperial College, London, and obtained a Diploma in Cytopatholgy from Royal College of Pathologists, London in 1994. She was also awarded Senior ICMR Fellowship at Brigham’s and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston in 2007, and had been a Visiting Professor to Rhudammet in Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

She was an illustrious member of the Indian Academy of Cytologists. She was awarded the Ernest Fernandes Slide Seminar award in 2009 and delivered the prestigious Dr. P. N. Wahi oration in 2014. She was elected the President of the Indian Academy of Cytologists in 2015. She was a Fellow of the International Academy of Cytologists and elected National Editor of Acta Cytologica 2016-2019.

Her commitment to her field transcended personal tragedy. In September 2015, she lost her husband to a rare and difficult to diagnose cancer. In a remarkable example of grit and fortitude, she stood tall and presented his case study at the 19th International Congress of Cytology, 2016 at Yokohama, Japan. It was her personal crusade to document and add this rare presentation, to the ever growing body of knowledge on Cytology. She also donated and instituted the Dr. Panna Choudhury Memorial Award for best paper published in the Journal of Cytology.

Apart from her own accomplishments, she also actively assisted in furthering her students careers and set them on the road to international fame.

She was known for her medical expertise and willingness to help others. She took over her husband’s role in Child Health Foundation, on his untimely demise. She actively supported the South Delhi Women’s Association in their charitable works. Living in Netaji Nagar for almost 30 years, she was an active member of the M-Block Netaji Nagar association and stayed in touch even after moving away.

She was an incredibly caring person and connected in multiple social circles. She remembered life events and personal details about everyone, and made sure to reach out to them on special occasions. She had wide ranging interests in music, art, reading, food, culture, travel and entertainment. She loved parties, meeting up with friends and travelling. During the Covid lockdown, she discovered a passion for healthy foods and diets, and made considerable changes in her lifestyle. Previously, a late adopter of new technology, she embraced social media and grew adept at using smart phones as well as smart home technology during the lockdown.

She had a special love for gardening, from managing the horticulture department at LHMC to being a part of the Noida Gardening Association. She loved tending to her plants, designing and setting up her Buddha garden and growing flowers and vegetables. She had an eye for quality, in all spheres of life. Her personality was a force of nature. She was a fighter, through and through, and a huge motivator to those around her.

She was devoted to her family. Early in her life, she had to give up pursuing higher education abroad to take care of her ailing parents. She made her own opportunities later. She was the matriarch of her family, and shaped the personalities of her two daughters. An indulgent mother-in-law and doting grandmother, she took pride in every accomplishment, attended all events and made sure to broadcast all achievements.

She played so many important roles in so many lives, the impact of her loss is immeasurable. She left us too soon, but may the memories of the life she lived continue to be our guiding light.