Mangaluru’s Dr Santosh Soans third Indian to bag ‘Outstanding Asian Pediatrician Award’

coastaldigest.com news network

July 25, 2018

Mangaluru, Jul 25: Eminent city based pediatrician Dr Santosh Soans has been selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious ‘Outstanding Asian Pediatrician Award 2018’. The award is given by the Asia Pacific Pediatric Association in recognition of the recipients’ outstanding contribution to the field of pediatrics.

Along with India, Asia Pacific Pediatric Association includes 26 countries such as Australia, Japan, China, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Dr Santosh Soans is only the third Indian so far to receive the award. He will receive the honour during the award distribution ceremony on August 28, 2018 at Peninsula lsland in Nusa Dua-Bali, Indonesia.

The award distribution coincides with 16th Asia Pacific Congress of Pediatrics 2018, 9th Annual Scientific Meeting of Indonesian Pediatric Society and the 6th Asia Pacific Congress of Pediatric Nursing, to be held from August 23-29, 2018 at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Nusa Dua-Bali, Indonesia.

A pioneer in Pediatric Intensive Care in this region, Dr Santosh Soans is an experienced academic and practicing pediatrician. He is a much sought after speaker for national and international medical conferences. He has authored two books, contributed chapters to several medical text books and published articles in various medical journals.

Dr Santosh Soans is presently the National President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP). He has been active in IAP for over three decades and has served as the National Vice President (2010), National Chairman, Intensive Care Chapter (2013) and Karnataka State President (2015).

A native of Kundapur, Dr. Santosh Soans is an alumnus of Kasturba Medical College, Mangaluru and Manipal. He is presently serving at AJ Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangaluru as Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatrics as well as the Chief of NICU / PICU. He has earlier served as faculty at Father Muller Medical College too.

Responding to the award, Dr Santosh Soans said: “I feel deeply humbled to be selected for this rare honour from Asia Pacific Pediatric Association. I am grateful to my family, colleagues and friends who have supported me in my life journey. I dedicate this award to the resilience of the Indian pediatrician community, which continues to inspire me every day.”

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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