Dr. Manjula Bansal is an Attending Pathologist at The Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan where she specializes in the pathology of the diseases of the bones and joints. She is also the Chief of Clinical Pathology and Associate Scientist at the hospital and an associate Professor of Clinical Pathology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Bansal is a member of various national and international Pathology Associations and participates in many national and international conferences. She has a large number of publications in medical journals, covering the areas of osteoporosis, joint replacements for arthritis, and other diseases of the bones and joints. Her responsibilities include teaching medical students at Cornell University and orthopedic residents at the hospital, Dr. Bansal believes in the oneness of all mankind and feels that differences among people, no matter what race, creed, or religion they belong to should not be boundaries to the betterment of the world we all live in. She and her family endeavor to further this philosophy through activities that benefit and instruct those they come into contact with.
In addition to her activities in the medical field, Dr. Bansal belongs to several societies in the community.
- Recipient of the First Annual New York State Governor’s Award for Outstanding Asian Americans in 1993 presented by Gov. Mario Cuomo. This was in recognition of her professional excellence, leadership qualities and service to both the Indian as well as the American community
- Dr. Bansal and her husband represented India at the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island dedication.
- Association of Indians in America: Dr. Bansal joined in 1979 and has been active in organizing many of the recent activities of the Association.
- Dr. Bansal was a founding member of the annual "Deepavali Festival - Festival of Lights" held at the South Street Seaport Museum in Manhattan.
This festival is designed to introduce Indian traditions and values to Americans and to remind young Indians in this country of their roots. For 5 years at this festival, she was chairperson of a multi-ethnic dance and music program involving approximately 250 young performers of American, Indian, and Tibetan origin. Through her efforts and on her own initiative, she arranged to bring several master craftsmen to the festival and to tour local technical and educational schools and museums to learn and emphasize the beauty, intricacy, and importance of handicrafts. As part of the festival, Dr. Bansal helped "man" kitchens in The Bowery section of Manhattan to feed the poor and homeless.
- She was responsible for organizing several fund raisers to provide aid for those affected by natural disasters and man-made calamities in Bangladesh, Bhopal, and Delhi.
- National Dance Institute: This institute was founded by Jacques d'Amboise to use the power of dance to draw out excellence and the joys of achievement from the underprivileged, handicapped, and inner city school children. She was inspired by this philosophy and devoted herself to this cause by chairing the Indian dance event in 1991, "Chakra", for which she not only raised a large sum of money but also coordinated the participation of a group of young Indian traditional dancers and guests. She continues to support Mr. d'Amboise in his efforts.
- Dr. Bansal and her physician husband spear headed a massive community effort successfully in getting a Chair Endowed for Indian Studies at Columbia University: She was secretary of the project and raised funds for this academic chair in Columbia University's Southern Asian Institute. It is her belief that the Indian community in this adopted homeland should build “temples of learning and not just temples of religion” in this country.
- World Summit of Children at the UN: She organized the participation of Indian children and coordinated their dance recital with a presentation to the Chief guest Mr. John Travolta.
- Asia Society: She has worked with the curator of the Asia Society Museum to promote exhibitions of Indian art, artifacts, and music.
- American Cancer Society: She organized a fund-raiser with an Indian theme in an effort to show that research to fight cancer will have a global benefit.
- Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan: This is a highly renowned Indian institution in New York City concerned with education in the culture of India. She has organized and hosted several performing arts events at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, and other venues. She was a member of the Board of Directors in 1993.
- AWB Food Bank: This a non-profit charitable organization for the relief of hunger in New York and India and is similar to the "meals on wheels" program in the U.S. She makes her neighbors, friends, and local businesses aware of this desperately needed assistance for impoverished children.
- Medical Aid to India: She has been instrumental in the transfer of $15 million worth of orthopedic prosthetic, surgical, and technical aid to needy people in three hospitals in India through the generosity of Johnson & Johnson Inc. in cooperation with an eminent orthopedic surgeon, Dr. C.S. Ranawat.
The activities of Dr. Bansal demonstrate a broad commitment to furthering her philosophy that all people are members of the same human race and have more in common than not. Her activities and those she supports impact on the Indian and non-Indian communities and stem from her heart-felt desire to improve the awareness of all people of the importance and needs of our neighbors both in the community and in the world.
FOR PROGRAM PRINTING:
Dr. Manjula Bansal is an Attending Pathologist, Chief of Clinical Pathology and an Associate Scientist at The Hospital for Special Surgery, specializing in the diseases of bones and joints. She is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Bansal has been instrumental in the transfer of substantial orthopedic aid to needy people in India. One of the original organizers of the annual Deepavali Festival of the Association of Indians in America, she served for five years as it's Cultural Program Chairperson. As a member of the Advisory Council of the National Dance Institute she has given freely of her time and energy to enrich the lives of underprivileged, inner-city school children. Her work with the Asia Society and the World Summit of Children at the UN demonstrates her commitment to Indian - American cultural exchange.
FOR PRESS AND INTRODUCTION:
Dr. Manjula Bansal is an Attending Orthopedic Pathologist at The Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Medical College of Cornell University, specializing in the diseases of bones and joints. As an original organizer of the annual Deepavali Festival of the Association of Indians in America and a member of the Advisory Council of the National Dance Institute, she has given freely of her time and energy to promote the rich cultural heritage of India in her adopted homeland.
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