The Story of Dr. Gurwattan Singh Miranpuri
When science and religion are in harmony
When science and religion are in harmony
city, the occupants are significantly different (in a truly admirable way) in their way of life and spiritual upbringing. Sikhism, the world’s fifth largest
religion with over 20 million followers globally, is their religion, and its message is devotion to God, truthful living, equality for all, and
denunciation of superstitions and blind rituals. Dr. Miranpuri is the president of the Sikh Society of Wisconsin-Madison.
This is his story…
“I was born on May 5, 1948 in Miranpur, my village, in India,” Dr. Miranpuri began. “My last name ‘Miranpuri’ means ‘a person who lives in
Miranpur.’ My name ‘Singh’ is the name for all Sikh men. ‘Singh’ means ‘lion,’ while ‘Kaur,’ the name given to women, means ‘princess.’ Then
‘Gurwattan,’ my first name, means ‘where the guru lives.’”
Dr. Miranpuri is one of 10 children born to a school teacher and a homemaker, Apar Kaur, in Miranpur, county of Hoshiarpur, Punjab State. “My
brother and I used to share a bike to go to school, which was eight kilometers away,” he recalled, adding that at the time, there was no available
public transportation in his village. “Of the 10 siblings — six sisters and four brothers — I was the only one who reached the university level.
Education was not that common among girls in the village in those times; when they reach 18 or 20, they get married. My two older sisters didn’t
have education.”
It was Dr. Miranpuri’s father, Amar Singh Miranpuri, who influenced him to become a scientist, frequently telling his son about how
photosynthesis works in plants. “‘Plants also live, like animals and human beings,’” his father told him. “‘You need to do more research, and to be a
doctor of that kind, would be admirable.’ That was his dream for me.”
His father’s dream started to become a reality when Dr. Miranpuri obtained his undergraduate degree in 1968 from the Punjab Agricultural
University (PAU) in Ludhiana. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture and animal husbandry. “It’s a top-ranking university among
agricultural universities in India,” he said proudly. “Punjab is (considered) mini-California because we grow everything which is grown in California,
and we feel pride in saying that we are the breadbasket for the country. Green Revolution came from Punjab. Punjab Agricultural University is the
creator of Green Revolution, the (movement for) self-sufficiency in food.”
Over the next seven years, he went on to complete his master’s and Ph.D degrees in entomology. Throughout his years at PAU, Dr. Miranpuri
received scholarships and merit fellowships that helped him complete his academic requirements leading up to his doctorate. He fulfilled his
father’s dream in 1975. His first job was as entomologist-OIC of the ICAR research project in Assam Agricultural University. Soon after, he was
selected in a national competition by the Agricultural Research Services in India as the youngest scientist with this rank to work on tick-borne
anasplasmosis bovine disease at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute where he worked until 1982.
The years that followed took the young scientist from Punjab to other countries for fellowships and further studies that enhanced Dr. Miranpuri’s
training and skills far beyond the study of plants, photosynthesis, and animal diseases. From Scotland in 1982 to the United States in 1983, to
Canada and back to the U.S, the wealth of knowledge he acquired and new experiments he conducted, catapulted Dr. Miranpuri into becoming
one the most respected scientists in his field. So far, he has presented more than 52 papers at various conferences and published 75 refered
articles and other invited reports, reviews, book chapters and publications. In addition, he has mentored many students, undergraduate and
graduate alike, at the universities where his expertise was sought. In 1993, Dr. Gerald Byrne invited him to join his lab in the UW-Madison
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. He accepted, partly because of his sons’ educational plans. Since then, Dr. Miranpuri has
stayed with UW-Madison and settled in the city.
“My sons wanted to have an education in the United States, and I thought it was the best time to bring them here,” Dr. Miranpuri recalled. “Both
of them became medical doctors.”
Dr. Miranpuri admitted that he was ambitious, in the sense that he wanted to be the best scientist he could be. “I try my level best, and although
there had been ups and downs, I had very good labs where I worked,” he said. “If you Google search ‘Miranpuri,’ you’d find how many papers I have
published.” True enough, his name is among other scientists whose works have been widely published in scientific journals, and read and cross
referenced by other scientists.
At present, Dr. Miranpuri is working with Dr. Daniel K. Resnick, a neurosurgeon at UW, trying to find the explanations for neuropathic pain that
occurs after a spinal cord injury. “ We’re looking at some gene expressions and how we can take care of the pain,” he explained. “The stage of the
research is that we have found some agonists, antagonists, and some gene receptors responsible for the pain during the chronic phase of the
injury. Through our rat models, we also study functional recovery and efficacy of certain drugs.”
Dr. Miranpuri was careful to explain that any kind of experiment they conduct has to first get approval from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), including choices of drugs. “We cannot do any experiment without their permission,” he said. “We choose drugs on the basis of the literature
also. We study a lot first, and our study model is done under the guidelines or the protocol for animal care, animal health, animal post-care, and
animal pain. All these things are considered.”
Dr. Miranpuri’s research team is working towards applying for funding from NIH or the Christopher (and Dana) Reeve Foundation, the organization
founded by the late “Superman” Christopher Reeve, which is dedicated to finding a cure for spinal cord injury through funding innovative research
and improving the lives of people with paralysis.
While Dr. Miranpuri’s career, by all standards, is successful and self-fulfilling, he considers the achievements of his sons as his life’s real success;
much like what his father felt when he attained degrees in higher education (the only one out of the 10 children) and became a scientist. “I’m a
proud father of two sons who gave me a good name and fame,” Dr. Miranpuri said with a glisten in his eyes. “They’re both medical doctors and are
married to medical doctors as well!
Dr. Miranpuri shares his blessings with others, especially his family back in India. “I brought two of my brothers, Rattan Singh and Harmit Singh,
here in Madison and I helped them start their own business.”
Aside from Dr. Miranpuri’s personal and professional accomplishments, he is very active in the Indian community (he is a former president of
the Association of Indians in America (AIA)-Madison Chapter and an awardee in philanthropy) and now, president of the Sikh Society of
Wisconsin. “I’m going down the hill in my life’s journey,” he said, “but I feel that I have achieved what I wanted to achieve.”
Indeed, this extremely hardworking, determined and highly intelligent man has come a very long way. And his Sikh values have had a lot to do
with it.
Next issue: Sikhism as a religion and a way of life.
religion with over 20 million followers globally, is their religion, and its message is devotion to God, truthful living, equality for all, and
denunciation of superstitions and blind rituals. Dr. Miranpuri is the president of the Sikh Society of Wisconsin-Madison.
This is his story…
“I was born on May 5, 1948 in Miranpur, my village, in India,” Dr. Miranpuri began. “My last name ‘Miranpuri’ means ‘a person who lives in
Miranpur.’ My name ‘Singh’ is the name for all Sikh men. ‘Singh’ means ‘lion,’ while ‘Kaur,’ the name given to women, means ‘princess.’ Then
‘Gurwattan,’ my first name, means ‘where the guru lives.’”
Dr. Miranpuri is one of 10 children born to a school teacher and a homemaker, Apar Kaur, in Miranpur, county of Hoshiarpur, Punjab State. “My
brother and I used to share a bike to go to school, which was eight kilometers away,” he recalled, adding that at the time, there was no available
public transportation in his village. “Of the 10 siblings — six sisters and four brothers — I was the only one who reached the university level.
Education was not that common among girls in the village in those times; when they reach 18 or 20, they get married. My two older sisters didn’t
have education.”
It was Dr. Miranpuri’s father, Amar Singh Miranpuri, who influenced him to become a scientist, frequently telling his son about how
photosynthesis works in plants. “‘Plants also live, like animals and human beings,’” his father told him. “‘You need to do more research, and to be a
doctor of that kind, would be admirable.’ That was his dream for me.”
His father’s dream started to become a reality when Dr. Miranpuri obtained his undergraduate degree in 1968 from the Punjab Agricultural
University (PAU) in Ludhiana. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture and animal husbandry. “It’s a top-ranking university among
agricultural universities in India,” he said proudly. “Punjab is (considered) mini-California because we grow everything which is grown in California,
and we feel pride in saying that we are the breadbasket for the country. Green Revolution came from Punjab. Punjab Agricultural University is the
creator of Green Revolution, the (movement for) self-sufficiency in food.”
Over the next seven years, he went on to complete his master’s and Ph.D degrees in entomology. Throughout his years at PAU, Dr. Miranpuri
received scholarships and merit fellowships that helped him complete his academic requirements leading up to his doctorate. He fulfilled his
father’s dream in 1975. His first job was as entomologist-OIC of the ICAR research project in Assam Agricultural University. Soon after, he was
selected in a national competition by the Agricultural Research Services in India as the youngest scientist with this rank to work on tick-borne
anasplasmosis bovine disease at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute where he worked until 1982.
The years that followed took the young scientist from Punjab to other countries for fellowships and further studies that enhanced Dr. Miranpuri’s
training and skills far beyond the study of plants, photosynthesis, and animal diseases. From Scotland in 1982 to the United States in 1983, to
Canada and back to the U.S, the wealth of knowledge he acquired and new experiments he conducted, catapulted Dr. Miranpuri into becoming
one the most respected scientists in his field. So far, he has presented more than 52 papers at various conferences and published 75 refered
articles and other invited reports, reviews, book chapters and publications. In addition, he has mentored many students, undergraduate and
graduate alike, at the universities where his expertise was sought. In 1993, Dr. Gerald Byrne invited him to join his lab in the UW-Madison
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. He accepted, partly because of his sons’ educational plans. Since then, Dr. Miranpuri has
stayed with UW-Madison and settled in the city.
“My sons wanted to have an education in the United States, and I thought it was the best time to bring them here,” Dr. Miranpuri recalled. “Both
of them became medical doctors.”
Dr. Miranpuri admitted that he was ambitious, in the sense that he wanted to be the best scientist he could be. “I try my level best, and although
there had been ups and downs, I had very good labs where I worked,” he said. “If you Google search ‘Miranpuri,’ you’d find how many papers I have
published.” True enough, his name is among other scientists whose works have been widely published in scientific journals, and read and cross
referenced by other scientists.
At present, Dr. Miranpuri is working with Dr. Daniel K. Resnick, a neurosurgeon at UW, trying to find the explanations for neuropathic pain that
occurs after a spinal cord injury. “ We’re looking at some gene expressions and how we can take care of the pain,” he explained. “The stage of the
research is that we have found some agonists, antagonists, and some gene receptors responsible for the pain during the chronic phase of the
injury. Through our rat models, we also study functional recovery and efficacy of certain drugs.”
Dr. Miranpuri was careful to explain that any kind of experiment they conduct has to first get approval from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), including choices of drugs. “We cannot do any experiment without their permission,” he said. “We choose drugs on the basis of the literature
also. We study a lot first, and our study model is done under the guidelines or the protocol for animal care, animal health, animal post-care, and
animal pain. All these things are considered.”
Dr. Miranpuri’s research team is working towards applying for funding from NIH or the Christopher (and Dana) Reeve Foundation, the organization
founded by the late “Superman” Christopher Reeve, which is dedicated to finding a cure for spinal cord injury through funding innovative research
and improving the lives of people with paralysis.
While Dr. Miranpuri’s career, by all standards, is successful and self-fulfilling, he considers the achievements of his sons as his life’s real success;
much like what his father felt when he attained degrees in higher education (the only one out of the 10 children) and became a scientist. “I’m a
proud father of two sons who gave me a good name and fame,” Dr. Miranpuri said with a glisten in his eyes. “They’re both medical doctors and are
married to medical doctors as well!
Dr. Miranpuri shares his blessings with others, especially his family back in India. “I brought two of my brothers, Rattan Singh and Harmit Singh,
here in Madison and I helped them start their own business.”
Aside from Dr. Miranpuri’s personal and professional accomplishments, he is very active in the Indian community (he is a former president of
the Association of Indians in America (AIA)-Madison Chapter and an awardee in philanthropy) and now, president of the Sikh Society of
Wisconsin. “I’m going down the hill in my life’s journey,” he said, “but I feel that I have achieved what I wanted to achieve.”
Indeed, this extremely hardworking, determined and highly intelligent man has come a very long way. And his Sikh values have had a lot to do
with it.
Next issue: Sikhism as a religion and a way of life.
Part 1 of 2
By Heidi M. Pascual
Dr. Gurwattan Singh Miranpuri smiles broadly as he opens the door to his
home, wearing a formal suit with matching turban and tie. He welcomes
me with a warm “Hello, Heidi; come on in! Thank you for coming!” He
invites me to sit comfortably on a sofa in the receiving room of his
beautiful home on Madison’s west side. Prior to this visit, I met Dr.
Miranpuri at the grand opening of the Sikh temple in Middleton, the Sikh
Gurdwara. It was also the celebration of Vaisakhi Day, a significant
occasion commemorating the founding of the Akal Khalsa (Community of
the Pure) by Guru Gobind Singh in the latter part of the 17th century.
When I called Dr. Miranpuri for an interview, he told me that I would have
lunch with him and his wife in their home, so that I could taste an
authentic Punjabi home-cooked meal. (I sensed right away, I would be
By Heidi M. Pascual
Dr. Gurwattan Singh Miranpuri smiles broadly as he opens the door to his
home, wearing a formal suit with matching turban and tie. He welcomes
me with a warm “Hello, Heidi; come on in! Thank you for coming!” He
invites me to sit comfortably on a sofa in the receiving room of his
beautiful home on Madison’s west side. Prior to this visit, I met Dr.
Miranpuri at the grand opening of the Sikh temple in Middleton, the Sikh
Gurdwara. It was also the celebration of Vaisakhi Day, a significant
occasion commemorating the founding of the Akal Khalsa (Community of
the Pure) by Guru Gobind Singh in the latter part of the 17th century.
When I called Dr. Miranpuri for an interview, he told me that I would have
lunch with him and his wife in their home, so that I could taste an
authentic Punjabi home-cooked meal. (I sensed right away, I would be
treated to the kind of hospitality rarely found in this part of the world.)
Two huge portraits of Dr. Miranpuri’s sons with their beautiful brides, each
taken on their wedding day last year, grace the walls of this neat and spacious
abode: one by the stairs, the other in the receiving room — a significant way to
show how much their children mean to the Miranpuri couple. Both sons
(Sarnarendra and Amrendra), as well as their brides (Gurkit and Aastha), are
medical doctors. Their mom, Satya, is in a similar line of work; she’s a research
specialist at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Their dad,
Dr. Miranpuri, the interviewee today, is a senior scientist at UW-Madison’s
Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health.
While the Miranpuri home isn’t unlike many American homes in this part of the
Two huge portraits of Dr. Miranpuri’s sons with their beautiful brides, each
taken on their wedding day last year, grace the walls of this neat and spacious
abode: one by the stairs, the other in the receiving room — a significant way to
show how much their children mean to the Miranpuri couple. Both sons
(Sarnarendra and Amrendra), as well as their brides (Gurkit and Aastha), are
medical doctors. Their mom, Satya, is in a similar line of work; she’s a research
specialist at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Their dad,
Dr. Miranpuri, the interviewee today, is a senior scientist at UW-Madison’s
Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health.
While the Miranpuri home isn’t unlike many American homes in this part of the
(Clockwise from top) Dr.
Gurwattan Singh Miranpuri in
front of the new Sikh
Gurdwara in Middleton, Wis.;
Dr. Miranpuri with wife,
Satya, in their receiving room;
speaking at the Vaisakhi Day
celebration and grand
opening of the Sikh
Gurdwara on April 27, 2008.
Gurwattan Singh Miranpuri in
front of the new Sikh
Gurdwara in Middleton, Wis.;
Dr. Miranpuri with wife,
Satya, in their receiving room;
speaking at the Vaisakhi Day
celebration and grand
opening of the Sikh
Gurdwara on April 27, 2008.