He was a member of the Committee on Education in Medicinal Chemistry of
the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, which prepared the Report on the International
Education of Medicinal Chemists (IUPAC Technical Reports Number 13; 1974). His affiliations with several
scientific and professional organizations include emeritus membership of the American Chemical Society,
life memberships of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association and Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers
of India, and memberships of the American Institute of History of Pharmacy and British Society for
History of Pharmacy. His research work is comprised of 50 Master and Doctor, thesis (completed under his
supervision), 125 original scientific research papers, 14 patents and the designing of a clinically useful drug
candocuronium iodide (INN) (chandonium iodide, HS-310), which is a synthetic azasteroid. Dr. Singh has
lectured on his research at several of the institutions and conferences sin India, United States of America,
Canada, United Kingdom and China. He delivered lectures at the Harvard School of Medicine and at the
International Symposium on Molecular Structure sponsored by the International Union of Crystallography
at Beijing. As a science historian Professor Singh has examined the history of pharmaceutical developments
in India of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His history research studies have been on pharmacopoeias
and formularies, pharmaceutical education, pharmacy practice, biographies of pharmaceutical luminaries,
and pharmaceutical journalism. He has published over fifty articles. In addition to his scientific and history
research papers, Dr. Singh has authored and/or coauthored twelve books and nearly two dozens of review
articles, including several book chapters. He has written extensively on educational, scientific, historical and
professional issues. All told his total publications come well to over 300. For his marvelous achievements, S.
Harkishan Singh has been honoured with many awards and recognitions. He has been a national Fellow OF
THE University Grants Commission, New Delhi. He has been General President of the Indian Pharmaceutical
Congress. He received Eminent Pharmacist Award of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association. Dr. Singh’s
standing as historian has been recognized through his election to the Academie Internationale d’Histoire
de la Pharacie. The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia conferred upon Professor Harkishan Singh
the degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his distinguished academic career and
outstanding contributions to scientific research in organic and medicinal chemistry and the history of
pharmacy. He has recently been honoured with Padam Shri (January 2017) by Government of India. Such
a distinguished scientist with excellent achievements, particularly the search of a drug recognized by World
Health Organization, makes all the Indian proud of him, the Sikhs in particular.
