Dr. Shripad A. Patil is a professor and head of the department of Neuro-Microbiology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.  Dr. Patil obtained his master’s degree in microbiology from the Karnatak University, Dharwad and a PhD in microbiology from the Agra University, Agra.  He worked as a visiting scientist at the Division of infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and at the Central Jalma Institute of Leprosy in Agra.  His present research interests are in the area of molecules that cause auto-immune nerve disorders like Myasthenia gravis. Dr. Patil is an author over fifty research publications in national and international peer reviewed scientific journals.  Dr. Patil is the recipient of Sir C.V. Raman award in medical sciences by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 2003.