A. N. Chandrasekaran

A. N. Chandrasekaran (born Arungundram Nagarajan Chandrasekaran in 1938, in Rammayapet, Andhra Pradesh) is an Indian doctor and philanthropist from Chennai, India.

Early years and military career Chandrasekaran was born on 15 October 1938 as Arungundram Nagarajan Chandrasekaran in Rammayapet, Andhra Pradesh. He joined the Madras Medical College and completed his MBBS in 1962. In 1963, he joined the Army Medical Corps and served in the aftermath of the Indo-Chinese War of 1962 and subsequently developed into an advanced training institute that has produced more than fifty Doctor of Medicine graduates and six PhD scholars who subsequently created rheumatology departments and studies across India. and, in 1994, launched the Journal of Indian Rheumatism Association (JIRA), the first scientific journal dedicated to rheumatology in India. In 1997 he was elected Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Medical Sciences (FNAMS).

In 1993, Chandrasekaran conducted some of the earliest medical studies done under the direction of the World Health Organization showing the efficacy of traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Philanthropy Apart from his contributions to medicine, Chandrasekaran was involved in the philanthropic development of rural India. In 2011 he established a maternity hospital in Arungundram a public library, and community center. He was also credited with discovering and restoring a 1200-year-old ancient temple from CE or earlier for which he was awarded the R.E.A.C.H. Foundation Award by Academy of Archaeology and Sciences of Ancient India (AASAI). Lifetime Achievement Award from the Madras Medical College (2010) Lifetime Achievement Award from the King George's Medical University, Lucknow (2013) Honorary Doctorate from MGR Medical University (2013) Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Master Award (2020)