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Director
Neuberg-Anand Global Reference Laboratory
Neuberg-Anand Academy of Laboratory Medicine
Interviewed by Dr. Ramya Suresh
“Showcasing the artist in the pathologist makes our world more colourful.”
Dr. Ramya: "Looking back from your days at Osmania, PGI, to now Director of such a reputed laboratory, what were your pivotal moments that shaped your career?"
Dr. Jayaram: "It’s been a long journey—fortunately not a tumultuous one. Born in Karnataka, with parents from Hassan, my father’s transfer to Hyderabad meant my entire education was there. Medical admissions were simpler then—the unified Andhra Pradesh was zoned, and college seats rotated by entrance rank. No anxiety; a friend simply called to say, “You’ve been selected for medicine.” We had a six-month pre-medical course, more like an ice-breaker. But PG entrance was my first big failure—it taught me success needs more than hard work; external factors matter. Failure made me wiser. I had also written the UPSC, becoming a Medical Officer, and was lucky my professor let me work as a Senior Resident—so I stayed in touch with academia. In 1983 I took my first PGI entrance exam, travelling across India. I didn’t get into my preferred clinical branches. In August 1984, amid tense security in Chandigarh after Operation Blue Star, I got into Pathology—my third choice, but no regrets. PGI shaped me. Destiny later intervened—I married Dr Ram Prasad’s daughter and joined Anand Diagnostic Lab. I pioneered diagnostic immunofluorescence in the region, setting up advanced labs from scratch. Mentors encouraged me to teach—soon I was faculty at a CME. Recognition followed, and there’s been no looking back since."
Dr. Ramya: “How rocky has been the road?"
Dr. Jayaram: "Not really rocky, except the initial exam failure. Another funny one—my wedding was right after my exam! People kept asking, “Pass-a? Fail-a?” That was nerve-racking."
Dr. Ramya: "Are Indian laboratories on par with global standards?"
Dr. Jayaram: "Yes and no. Across the whole country—no. But our centers of excellence rival, even surpass, international institutions. Many Indian pathologists collaborate globally and contribute to WHO blue books and consensus studies. However, this excellence is institutional, not uniform. We need time and structure to make it universal. We must recognize our diversity. Uniform quality everywhere isn’t possible immediately, but we can build gradations—identify ground realities, use available resources, and improve progressively. Target tertiary centers first, ensure they stay current, then cascade improvements to secondary and primary levels. Our strength lies in infectious disease pathology—its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and research. The data we generate, because of our vast population and diverse exposures, is authentic and invaluable. That’s where we can truly lead."
“I realised destiny sometimes chooses better for you than you choose for yourself. You cannot blossom under someone else’s shadow. Teaching came not by plan, but by command—and became my calling ”
Dr. Ramya: "Your name is now synonymous with quality assurance. How did you get into this realm?"
Dr. Jayaram: "Do you want the audience-friendly answer or the honest one? For the audience—quality is essential everywhere. Honestly—I like order and correctness; that drew me naturally to improving systems. Around 1999–2000, accreditation became a buzzword. At conferences I met pioneers, who encouraged me to get our lab accredited. They said, “We’ll help—start preparing documents.” So, I read the ISO 17025 standards, wrote our documentation, trained as an assessor, and later audited labs in India, UAE, and Nepal. Over time, quality system management became second nature. But truthfully, laboratory medicine was galloping while I was only walking! Concepts of quality don’t change much, which makes it stable ground—and that stability appealed to me. We later launched our own Proficiency Testing (PT) Program, now NABL-accredited for external quality assessment across routine and esoteric tests—molecular, cytogenetic, and cytopathology. Practice and quality go hand in hand."
Dr. Ramya: "So behind this pathologist that you are, who are you? What is your day, what is your routine?"
Dr. Jayaram: "I don’t know. Somehow, people tell me years after knowing me that, “Sir, the first time I met you, I was scared.". So probably that’s a façade. But behind this façade, I’m actually a warm person. I love children. I love family. I love spending time with people. Coming towards—I can’t say twilight—twilight is visible to me now, I spend a lot of time gardening. I have a terrace garden—maybe around 200-odd pots in my terrace garden, including some trees-drumstick trees, good lemon trees, a gulmohar tree, dwarf trees and a few bonsai. I’ve developed a passion for photography—wildlife. Mohammad Rafi would probably be my favorite over Kishore/Mukes. But yeah, old Hindi songs—they always take my heart. I think what is important here is—career is there for everyone, but then career is not the end of your life. After all, you’re doing what you’re doing to have a wonderful life with your family."
“Career is not the end of your life—if your balance is rocking, I would go for family, not career. So, that's my mantra"
Dr. Ramya: "So, I’ll go back to something that you mentioned earlier in the interview—about academic pathology. Now, there seems to be a misconception that practicing pathologists are not academicians. Do you concur—agree?"
Dr. Jayaram: "Many people carry this feeling: after your MD, there’s a bifurcation—you either join institutions as academic pathologists, taking classes and teaching, or you go into practice, where, supposedly, hardcore pathology takes a back seat. The belief is that practice becomes about public relations, diluted with biochemistry or business, and not real pathology. But I don’t think academics can be kept out of practice. If you look closely, infrastructure in the private sector is often better than in government. In government, you find great people with solid training, and if someone can stitch all the strengths together—good material, good people, good training—the research output can be fantastic. Also, anyone with a passion for teaching—whether giving a formal lecture in college, addressing a class of students, or just sharing slides on social media—is always involved in disseminating knowledge. Each of those moments is a teaching episode. So the idea that a practicing pathologist isn’t involved in academics is simply not true. In our own institution, Dr. Ram Prasad came from academics, I’ve stayed in teaching, Sujay Prasad leads in teaching, and the next generation is conducting CME programs. Academics and practice must go hand in hand—only then does the outcome become truly remarkable."
Dr. Ramya: "One last question, sir. What would you like to share with young doctors who are hesitant or apprehensive about choosing pathology as their subject?"
Dr. Jayaram: "If your passion lies elsewhere and you get an opportunity—go for it. But as someone who didn’t get what I originally wanted, choosing pathology was never a regret; every moment in the Department of Pathology has been fulfilling. Let me share an incident: both I and a friend from a Hyderabad college were selected for pathology and planned to go to Chandigarh. My friend’s mother asked, “What is pathology? Just urine and stool examination? Why go so far for that?” Explaining that pathology is much more was difficult—during my training, we never saw a single urine or stool sample! Only in private practice did I actually look at ova, cysts, different casts on the microscope. Even in 1988, pathology extended far beyond these basics. Today, the boundaries of pathology are unimaginable—the field has ramified extensively. Clinicians work solely on evidence, and it is pathologists who provide that evidence. We guide clinicians not just in diagnoses, but in what to do, how to do it, and what to avoid. That puts pathology in a unique position, although we all work together. The bottom line: whatever field you enter, do it wholeheartedly. Pathology may be a tough road, but it is deeply rewarding for those committed to it."
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