Abdul Latif: Difference between revisions
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| snippet1=Abdul Latif is a retired professor from AMU known for his academic contributions to Unani Medicine and Pharmacology, as well as his work in vitiligo counseling and public awareness. | | snippet1=Abdul Latif is a retired professor from AMU known for his academic contributions to Unani Medicine and Pharmacology, as well as his work in vitiligo counseling and public awareness. | ||
| snippet2=Who is Abdul Latif? Abdul Latif is a retired professor from AMU who served as Provost, General Warden, Chairman of the Department of Ilmul Advia, and Coordinator of DRS-I UGC, and is the author of 21 books and 79 research papers. | | snippet2=Who is Abdul Latif? Abdul Latif is a retired professor from AMU who served as Provost, General Warden, Chairman of the Department of Ilmul Advia, and Coordinator of DRS-I UGC, and is the author of 21 books and 79 research papers. | ||
| snippet3=Abdul Latif has reported seeing approximately | | snippet3=Abdul Latif has reported seeing approximately 5,000 cases of vitiligo and works on counseling patients, reducing social stigma, and creating public awareness about the condition. | ||
| keywords=Abdul Latif, Abdul Latif AMU, Abdul Latif Retired Professor, Abdul Latif Unani Medicine, Abdul Latif Vitiligo, Abdul Latif Vitiligo Awareness, Abdul Latif Unani Pharmacology, Abdul Latif DRS-1 UGC, Abdul Latif AI Unani Medicine, Latif-Sukul Syndrome | | keywords=Abdul Latif, Abdul Latif AMU, Abdul Latif Retired Professor, Abdul Latif Unani Medicine, Abdul Latif Vitiligo, Abdul Latif Vitiligo Awareness, Abdul Latif Unani Pharmacology, Abdul Latif DRS-1 UGC, Abdul Latif AI Unani Medicine, Latif-Sukul Syndrome | ||
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Abdul Latif is an Indian retired professor associated with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He has academic qualifications in Unani Medicine and Pharmacology and has served in several academic and administrative positions, including Professor, Chairman of the Department of Ilmul Advia (Unani Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences), Coordinator of DRS-I Programme of UGC, Provost, and General Warden of a Hall of Residence for students at AMU. | Abdul Latif is an Indian retired professor associated with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He has academic qualifications in Unani Medicine and Pharmacology and has served in several academic and administrative positions, including Professor, Chairman of the Department of Ilmul Advia (Unani Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences), Coordinator of DRS-I Programme of UGC, Provost, and General Warden of a Hall of Residence for students at AMU. | ||
His professional interests also include Unani counseling and public awareness related to vitiligo. He has focused on counseling people affected by vitiligo and addressing social stigma associated with the condition, and has reported seeing approximately | His professional interests also include Unani counseling and public awareness related to vitiligo. He has focused on counseling people affected by vitiligo and addressing social stigma associated with the condition, and has reported seeing approximately 5,000 cases of vitiligo during his professional experience. | ||
==Education== | |||
Abdul Latif completed his B.Sc. in 1973, his B.U.M.M.S. (Bachelor of Unani Medicine with Modern Medicine and Surgery) in 1979, and his M.D. in Ilmul Advia (Unani Pharmacology) in 1983. He also completed an Indo-American Course of Ophthalmic Optometry from Indiana University, USA, and a Dermatology Pharmacy Course from the School of Dermatology, New Delhi. | |||
==Career== | |||
Abdul Latif began his professional career as Assistant Research Officer (Unani) at the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, from 1 February 1983 to 31 July 1994. He subsequently served as Lecturer in Ilmul Advia at Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, from 1 August 1994 to 24 January 1996. | |||
He then joined Aligarh Muslim University, where he held several administrative positions: General Warden, Sir Syed Hall (North), from 1999 to 2007; Chairman, Department of Ilmul Advia, from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2016; and Provost, Sir Syed Hall (South), from 2011 to 2012. He served as Coordinator of the DRS-I Programme of the UGC from 2011 to 2016, focused on the thrust areas of standardization, pharmacognosy, and pharmacology of Unani drugs, and was the first teacher in the Faculty of Unani Medicine, AMU, Aligarh, to receive this DRS-I Programme (SAP-II) coordinatorship. He retired from AMU on 30 September 2017. | |||
He has held several professional and editorial positions, including Honorary Editor of the International Journal of Pharmacognosy & Chinese Medicine, Joint Secretary of the Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine & Sciences, Aligarh, Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Incubation and Entrepreneurship Development (CIED), Integral University, Lucknow, Member of the Pharmacopoeia's Subcommittee through Gazette Notification of the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India (8 July 2022), and Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi. | |||
He has attended international conferences in Germany (four times), Turkey, China, Pakistan (Lahore and Karachi), Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Dubai, UAE. | |||
===Research Contributions=== | |||
Abdul Latif has contributed significantly across several research areas in Unani medicine. In pharmacovigilance, he published research on the rationality of using Unani drugs to prevent adverse drug reactions in correlation with the theory of temperaments, including a paper in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology (2008), and is a founder life member of the Society of Pharmacovigilance India (SoPI). | |||
In pharmacology, he determined pharmacological activities of herbal drugs including Habb-e-qilqil (Cardiospermum halicacabum), Berg-e-Arusa (Adhatoda vasica), and Shoneez (Nigella sativa) for hypoglycaemic activity, and studied the effects of Syzygium aromaticum and Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) on sexual behaviour. | |||
He identified and coined the Latif-Sukul Syndrome (Iris heterochromic vitiligo), described as the first discerned case of this rare autosomal dominant congenital condition reported in Asia, indicating that vitiligo and similar pigmentary diseases may be hereditary and genetic rather than acquired only; it was presented at the IX Biennial Conference of Dermatology, Lahore, Pakistan, in 1997. He also reported Melanonychia (nail pigmentation) as a rare unwanted effect of Atrilal (Ammi majus) in the treatment of vitiligo. | |||
He worked extensively on the standardization of single and compound Unani formulations, and established a microbiology laboratory during his tenure as chairperson to assess microbial load and evaluate the antimicrobial properties of Unani drugs, authoring the book "Unani Herbal Antibiotics" (two editions) and conducting hands-on antimicrobial screening training for postgraduate students. | |||
He designed a UV-C lamp instrument for the treatment of vitiligo and psoriasis, described as a cheaper and handier device usable by female patients on hidden portions of affected areas, for which he received the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Recent Innovations in Science, Technology, Management, and Environment, New Delhi, in 2016. He also guided the design of an instrument for the preparation of Nabeez, a fermented dosage form, as part of an M.D. thesis he supervised. | |||
==Publications== | |||
Abdul Latif is the author of 21 books, including "Unani Herbal Antibiotic" (2nd edition, 2024), "Animal House and Laboratory Experimentation" (2023), "Inventing My Days Being Born A Muslim: An Autobiography Part-2" (2022), "Inventing My Days: An Autobiography Part-1" (2021), "Herbal Cosmeto-Dermatology" (2021), "Ibn Sina & Uzbekistan" (2020), "Huqna (Enema & Basti) Therapy" (2019), "Development of Pharmacology (Ilmul Advia) during Abbasid Period and its Relevance to Modern Age" (2019), multiple editions of "Tauzihat Kulliyat Advia" (2002–2017), "Ethnomedicobotany of Western Uttar Pradesh" (2011), "Scope & Market Value of BUMS/BAMS: A Real Picture" (2008), "Recent Advances in Unani Herbal Dermatology" (2001), "Unani Pharmacy (Vol. I)" (1994), and "Humrat-ul-Ain" (1980), among others. | |||
He has published 79 research papers and articles in journals including the Indian Journal of Pharmacology, Hippocratic Journal of Unani Medicine, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (Elsevier), Hamdard Medicus, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Spectrochimica Acta Part A, and the Journal of Ophthalmology, among others, covering pharmacognosy, standardization of Unani drugs, antimicrobial and antibacterial screening, pharmacovigilance, and clinical studies related to vitiligo and other conditions. | |||
He has presented or participated in approximately 122 conferences, seminars, symposia, and congresses, including 47 international and 75 national events, spanning topics such as Unani pharmacology, pharmacovigilance, standardization of Unani drugs, and vitiligo research, held in India and internationally in countries including Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and China. | |||
His academic work has been reviewed in publications including the Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science (2020), which featured a critical review of his book "Huqna Therapy." | |||
His citation record includes 1,216 total citations (502 since 2019), an h-index of 17 (11 since 2019), and an i10-index of 20 (14 since 2019). | |||
==Unani Medicine and Vitiligo Awareness== | |||
Abdul Latif has been involved in counseling and public awareness related to vitiligo. His work focuses on helping vitiligo patients understand the condition and addressing misconceptions and social stigma associated with it. | |||
A key message of his public-awareness work is that vitiligo is non-infectious and should not be associated with ''Safed Kushta'' or other Kushta preparations. | |||
He has reported seeing approximately 5,000 cases of vitiligo. His experience has included counseling patients and addressing mental and social stigma associated with the condition. | |||
==UVC Lamp Initiative== | |||
Abdul Latif has designed a UVC lamp intended for the benefit of female patients with vitiligo. The initiative forms part of his efforts to explore practical approaches that may support patients and improve access to treatment-related facilities. | |||
==AI and Unani Medicine== | |||
Abdul Latif is also pioneering the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications to improve knowledge and clinical practice in Unani medicine. | |||
His work explores the application of AI as a tool for organizing, developing, and improving knowledge related to Unani medicine and its clinical practice. | |||
==Teaching and Mentorship== | |||
Abdul Latif has supervised numerous M.D. theses at AMU, including research on antimicrobial and physicochemical studies of Unani drugs used in respiratory diseases, pharmacognostical and antimicrobial studies of medicinal herbs, scientific evaluation of Unani eye drop formulations, and pharmacological studies of Unani aphrodisiac drugs, among others, supervising students including Abdul Haleem, Zeenat Mahmood, Sumbul Rehman, Ali Haider Naiyer, and Ghulam Haider Shah Jafri. | |||
He has organized several seminars and training workshops, including a Self-Employment Training Workshop on Aloe Vera cultivation and uses (2019), a Training Course on Herbal Dermatology & Cosmetology Pharmacy (2018), a National Seminar on "Scope of Emerging Technologies in Unani Medicine" (2013), a Training Workshop on Pharmacognostical Awareness cum Field Trip on Cultivation of Unani Medicinal Plants (2013), and the 2nd National Seminar on "Relevance of Modern Methods of Studies in Unani Medicine" (2014). | |||
He has also organized extension lectures by international scholars, including Dr. Rod Blackhirst of La Trobe University, Australia, and Prof. R. Stefan Reichmuth of Ruhr University, Germany. | |||
==Achievements== | |||
Abdul Latif has received numerous awards and honours throughout his career, including: | |||
* Eminent Professor Award, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Memorial National Awards – 2025, conferred by the International Association of Research and Developed Organization (IARDO), New Delhi | |||
* Visionary Indian Award, presented by Bollywood actress Poonam Dhillon at Akashvani Bhavan, Prasar Bharati, New Delhi, 2025 | |||
* 3rd Sheikh Zayed International TCAM Award with Gold Medal, Abu Dhabi, 2024 | |||
* Life Time Achievement Award, Yash Bharti Hkm. S. Hassan Nagrami Memorial, NUDWACON-2023, Lucknow | |||
* Teacher's Appreciation Certificate, Association of Muslim Professionals, 2023 | |||
* Life Time Achievement Award, International Conference on Rights & Duties, Dr. Ambedkar's Youth for Nation Award 2023, New Delhi | |||
* Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Certificate of Appreciation, U.P. Journalist Association, Aligarh, 2023 | |||
* Dr. AU Azmi Lifetime Achievement Award, World Unani Medicine Day, All India Unani Tibbi Congress, New Delhi, 2023 | |||
* Prize on Abu Ali Ibn Sino, Avicenna Public Foundation, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 2021 | |||
* Ibn-e-Sina International Award, 2018 | |||
* Mohammad Ilyas Dehlvi Nishane-Tibb Award, 1st World Unani Congress, New Delhi, 2017 | |||
* Hakeem Ajmal Khan Award for contributions in Research, World Unani Day, Jaipur, 2017 | |||
* Ibn Sina Public Health Award for lifetime outstanding contribution, Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine & Science, Aligarh, 2015 | |||
* Teacher's Excellence Award, 2015 | |||
* National Award of Teaching Excellence in Pharmacology & Clinical Trial Research, Indus Foundation, Hyderabad, 2013 | |||
* Best Citizen of India Award, 2013 | |||
* Bharat Jyoti Award, 2010 | |||
* Best Paper Award, International Conference on Recent Innovations in Science, Technology, Management, and Environment, New Delhi, 2016 | |||
He is a member of numerous professional societies, including the Royal Society of Health (M.R.S.H.), London; International Who's Who Historical Society; American Biographical Institute; Indian Pharmacological Society; International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine; European Society of Integrative Medicine, Berlin; International Association for History of Islamic Medicine, Bahrain (life member); Ibn Sina Academy, Aligarh (life member and joint secretary); Pharmacological Society of India (life member); Society of Pharmacovigilance India (founder life member); and the All India Unani Tibbi Congress (life member). | |||
==Extra Mural Research Projects== | |||
Abdul Latif has completed or co-led several extramural research projects sponsored by bodies including the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, and UGC, including a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Unani formulation in Chloasma/Melasma (Principal Investigator, 2010–2013), a study on genotyping of Unani system-based temperament (Mizaj) groups by RAPD fingerprinting (2011–2014), identification of minerals used in the Unani system of medicine (2011–2013), and evaluation of drugs of indigenous medicine systems for efficacy and adverse drug reactions in bronchial asthma patients (completed 2006). | |||
==External Links== | |||
* [http://www.abdullatif.webs.com Official Website] | |||
[[Category:Indian Articles]] | |||
[[Category:Latest Articles]] | |||
[[Category:Featured Articles]] | |||
==Education== | ==Education== | ||
Revision as of 15:22, 18 August 2026
Abdul Latif is an Indian retired professor associated with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He has academic qualifications in Unani Medicine and Pharmacology and has served in several academic and administrative positions, including Professor, Chairman of the Department of Ilmul Advia (Unani Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences), Coordinator of DRS-I Programme of UGC, Provost, and General Warden of a Hall of Residence for students at AMU.
His professional interests also include Unani counseling and public awareness related to vitiligo. He has focused on counseling people affected by vitiligo and addressing social stigma associated with the condition, and has reported seeing approximately 5,000 cases of vitiligo during his professional experience.
Education
Abdul Latif completed his B.Sc. in 1973, his B.U.M.M.S. (Bachelor of Unani Medicine with Modern Medicine and Surgery) in 1979, and his M.D. in Ilmul Advia (Unani Pharmacology) in 1983. He also completed an Indo-American Course of Ophthalmic Optometry from Indiana University, USA, and a Dermatology Pharmacy Course from the School of Dermatology, New Delhi.
Career
Abdul Latif began his professional career as Assistant Research Officer (Unani) at the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, from 1 February 1983 to 31 July 1994. He subsequently served as Lecturer in Ilmul Advia at Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, from 1 August 1994 to 24 January 1996.
He then joined Aligarh Muslim University, where he held several administrative positions: General Warden, Sir Syed Hall (North), from 1999 to 2007; Chairman, Department of Ilmul Advia, from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2016; and Provost, Sir Syed Hall (South), from 2011 to 2012. He served as Coordinator of the DRS-I Programme of the UGC from 2011 to 2016, focused on the thrust areas of standardization, pharmacognosy, and pharmacology of Unani drugs, and was the first teacher in the Faculty of Unani Medicine, AMU, Aligarh, to receive this DRS-I Programme (SAP-II) coordinatorship. He retired from AMU on 30 September 2017.
He has held several professional and editorial positions, including Honorary Editor of the International Journal of Pharmacognosy & Chinese Medicine, Joint Secretary of the Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine & Sciences, Aligarh, Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Incubation and Entrepreneurship Development (CIED), Integral University, Lucknow, Member of the Pharmacopoeia's Subcommittee through Gazette Notification of the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India (8 July 2022), and Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi.
He has attended international conferences in Germany (four times), Turkey, China, Pakistan (Lahore and Karachi), Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Dubai, UAE.
Research Contributions
Abdul Latif has contributed significantly across several research areas in Unani medicine. In pharmacovigilance, he published research on the rationality of using Unani drugs to prevent adverse drug reactions in correlation with the theory of temperaments, including a paper in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology (2008), and is a founder life member of the Society of Pharmacovigilance India (SoPI).
In pharmacology, he determined pharmacological activities of herbal drugs including Habb-e-qilqil (Cardiospermum halicacabum), Berg-e-Arusa (Adhatoda vasica), and Shoneez (Nigella sativa) for hypoglycaemic activity, and studied the effects of Syzygium aromaticum and Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) on sexual behaviour.
He identified and coined the Latif-Sukul Syndrome (Iris heterochromic vitiligo), described as the first discerned case of this rare autosomal dominant congenital condition reported in Asia, indicating that vitiligo and similar pigmentary diseases may be hereditary and genetic rather than acquired only; it was presented at the IX Biennial Conference of Dermatology, Lahore, Pakistan, in 1997. He also reported Melanonychia (nail pigmentation) as a rare unwanted effect of Atrilal (Ammi majus) in the treatment of vitiligo.
He worked extensively on the standardization of single and compound Unani formulations, and established a microbiology laboratory during his tenure as chairperson to assess microbial load and evaluate the antimicrobial properties of Unani drugs, authoring the book "Unani Herbal Antibiotics" (two editions) and conducting hands-on antimicrobial screening training for postgraduate students.
He designed a UV-C lamp instrument for the treatment of vitiligo and psoriasis, described as a cheaper and handier device usable by female patients on hidden portions of affected areas, for which he received the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Recent Innovations in Science, Technology, Management, and Environment, New Delhi, in 2016. He also guided the design of an instrument for the preparation of Nabeez, a fermented dosage form, as part of an M.D. thesis he supervised.
Publications
Abdul Latif is the author of 21 books, including "Unani Herbal Antibiotic" (2nd edition, 2024), "Animal House and Laboratory Experimentation" (2023), "Inventing My Days Being Born A Muslim: An Autobiography Part-2" (2022), "Inventing My Days: An Autobiography Part-1" (2021), "Herbal Cosmeto-Dermatology" (2021), "Ibn Sina & Uzbekistan" (2020), "Huqna (Enema & Basti) Therapy" (2019), "Development of Pharmacology (Ilmul Advia) during Abbasid Period and its Relevance to Modern Age" (2019), multiple editions of "Tauzihat Kulliyat Advia" (2002–2017), "Ethnomedicobotany of Western Uttar Pradesh" (2011), "Scope & Market Value of BUMS/BAMS: A Real Picture" (2008), "Recent Advances in Unani Herbal Dermatology" (2001), "Unani Pharmacy (Vol. I)" (1994), and "Humrat-ul-Ain" (1980), among others.
He has published 79 research papers and articles in journals including the Indian Journal of Pharmacology, Hippocratic Journal of Unani Medicine, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (Elsevier), Hamdard Medicus, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Spectrochimica Acta Part A, and the Journal of Ophthalmology, among others, covering pharmacognosy, standardization of Unani drugs, antimicrobial and antibacterial screening, pharmacovigilance, and clinical studies related to vitiligo and other conditions.
He has presented or participated in approximately 122 conferences, seminars, symposia, and congresses, including 47 international and 75 national events, spanning topics such as Unani pharmacology, pharmacovigilance, standardization of Unani drugs, and vitiligo research, held in India and internationally in countries including Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and China.
His academic work has been reviewed in publications including the Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science (2020), which featured a critical review of his book "Huqna Therapy."
His citation record includes 1,216 total citations (502 since 2019), an h-index of 17 (11 since 2019), and an i10-index of 20 (14 since 2019).
Unani Medicine and Vitiligo Awareness
Abdul Latif has been involved in counseling and public awareness related to vitiligo. His work focuses on helping vitiligo patients understand the condition and addressing misconceptions and social stigma associated with it.
A key message of his public-awareness work is that vitiligo is non-infectious and should not be associated with Safed Kushta or other Kushta preparations.
He has reported seeing approximately 5,000 cases of vitiligo. His experience has included counseling patients and addressing mental and social stigma associated with the condition.
UVC Lamp Initiative
Abdul Latif has designed a UVC lamp intended for the benefit of female patients with vitiligo. The initiative forms part of his efforts to explore practical approaches that may support patients and improve access to treatment-related facilities.
AI and Unani Medicine
Abdul Latif is also pioneering the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications to improve knowledge and clinical practice in Unani medicine.
His work explores the application of AI as a tool for organizing, developing, and improving knowledge related to Unani medicine and its clinical practice.
Teaching and Mentorship
Abdul Latif has supervised numerous M.D. theses at AMU, including research on antimicrobial and physicochemical studies of Unani drugs used in respiratory diseases, pharmacognostical and antimicrobial studies of medicinal herbs, scientific evaluation of Unani eye drop formulations, and pharmacological studies of Unani aphrodisiac drugs, among others, supervising students including Abdul Haleem, Zeenat Mahmood, Sumbul Rehman, Ali Haider Naiyer, and Ghulam Haider Shah Jafri.
He has organized several seminars and training workshops, including a Self-Employment Training Workshop on Aloe Vera cultivation and uses (2019), a Training Course on Herbal Dermatology & Cosmetology Pharmacy (2018), a National Seminar on "Scope of Emerging Technologies in Unani Medicine" (2013), a Training Workshop on Pharmacognostical Awareness cum Field Trip on Cultivation of Unani Medicinal Plants (2013), and the 2nd National Seminar on "Relevance of Modern Methods of Studies in Unani Medicine" (2014).
He has also organized extension lectures by international scholars, including Dr. Rod Blackhirst of La Trobe University, Australia, and Prof. R. Stefan Reichmuth of Ruhr University, Germany.
Achievements
Abdul Latif has received numerous awards and honours throughout his career, including:
- Eminent Professor Award, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Memorial National Awards – 2025, conferred by the International Association of Research and Developed Organization (IARDO), New Delhi
- Visionary Indian Award, presented by Bollywood actress Poonam Dhillon at Akashvani Bhavan, Prasar Bharati, New Delhi, 2025
- 3rd Sheikh Zayed International TCAM Award with Gold Medal, Abu Dhabi, 2024
- Life Time Achievement Award, Yash Bharti Hkm. S. Hassan Nagrami Memorial, NUDWACON-2023, Lucknow
- Teacher's Appreciation Certificate, Association of Muslim Professionals, 2023
- Life Time Achievement Award, International Conference on Rights & Duties, Dr. Ambedkar's Youth for Nation Award 2023, New Delhi
- Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Certificate of Appreciation, U.P. Journalist Association, Aligarh, 2023
- Dr. AU Azmi Lifetime Achievement Award, World Unani Medicine Day, All India Unani Tibbi Congress, New Delhi, 2023
- Prize on Abu Ali Ibn Sino, Avicenna Public Foundation, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 2021
- Ibn-e-Sina International Award, 2018
- Mohammad Ilyas Dehlvi Nishane-Tibb Award, 1st World Unani Congress, New Delhi, 2017
- Hakeem Ajmal Khan Award for contributions in Research, World Unani Day, Jaipur, 2017
- Ibn Sina Public Health Award for lifetime outstanding contribution, Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine & Science, Aligarh, 2015
- Teacher's Excellence Award, 2015
- National Award of Teaching Excellence in Pharmacology & Clinical Trial Research, Indus Foundation, Hyderabad, 2013
- Best Citizen of India Award, 2013
- Bharat Jyoti Award, 2010
- Best Paper Award, International Conference on Recent Innovations in Science, Technology, Management, and Environment, New Delhi, 2016
He is a member of numerous professional societies, including the Royal Society of Health (M.R.S.H.), London; International Who's Who Historical Society; American Biographical Institute; Indian Pharmacological Society; International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine; European Society of Integrative Medicine, Berlin; International Association for History of Islamic Medicine, Bahrain (life member); Ibn Sina Academy, Aligarh (life member and joint secretary); Pharmacological Society of India (life member); Society of Pharmacovigilance India (founder life member); and the All India Unani Tibbi Congress (life member).
Extra Mural Research Projects
Abdul Latif has completed or co-led several extramural research projects sponsored by bodies including the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, and UGC, including a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Unani formulation in Chloasma/Melasma (Principal Investigator, 2010–2013), a study on genotyping of Unani system-based temperament (Mizaj) groups by RAPD fingerprinting (2011–2014), identification of minerals used in the Unani system of medicine (2011–2013), and evaluation of drugs of indigenous medicine systems for efficacy and adverse drug reactions in bronchial asthma patients (completed 2006).
External Links
Education
Abdul Latif completed his B.Sc. in 1973, his B.U.M.M.S. (Bachelor of Unani Medicine with Modern Medicine and Surgery) in 1979, and his M.D. in Ilmul Advia (Unani Pharmacology) in 1983. He also completed an Indo-American Course of Ophthalmic Optometry from Indiana University, USA, and a Dermatology Pharmacy Course from the School of Dermatology, New Delhi.
Career
Abdul Latif began his professional career as Assistant Research Officer (Unani) at the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, from 1 February 1983 to 31 July 1994. He subsequently served as Lecturer in Ilmul Advia at Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, from 1 August 1994 to 24 January 1996.
He then joined Aligarh Muslim University, where he held several administrative positions: General Warden, Sir Syed Hall (North), from 1999 to 2007; Chairman, Department of Ilmul Advia, from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2016; and Provost, Sir Syed Hall (South), from 2011 to 2012. He served as Coordinator of the DRS-I Programme of the UGC from 2011 to 2016, focused on the thrust areas of standardization, pharmacognosy, and pharmacology of Unani drugs, and was the first teacher in the Faculty of Unani Medicine, AMU, Aligarh, to receive this DRS-I Programme (SAP-II) coordinatorship. He retired from AMU on 30 September 2017.
He has held several professional and editorial positions, including Honorary Editor of the International Journal of Pharmacognosy & Chinese Medicine, Joint Secretary of the Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine & Sciences, Aligarh, Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Incubation and Entrepreneurship Development (CIED), Integral University, Lucknow, Member of the Pharmacopoeia's Subcommittee through Gazette Notification of the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India (8 July 2022), and Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi.
He has attended international conferences in Germany (four times), Turkey, China, Pakistan (Lahore and Karachi), Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Dubai, UAE.
Research Contributions
Abdul Latif has contributed significantly across several research areas in Unani medicine. In pharmacovigilance, he published research on the rationality of using Unani drugs to prevent adverse drug reactions in correlation with the theory of temperaments, including a paper in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology (2008), and is a founder life member of the Society of Pharmacovigilance India (SoPI).
In pharmacology, he determined pharmacological activities of herbal drugs including Habb-e-qilqil (Cardiospermum halicacabum), Berg-e-Arusa (Adhatoda vasica), and Shoneez (Nigella sativa) for hypoglycaemic activity, and studied the effects of Syzygium aromaticum and Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) on sexual behaviour.
He identified and coined the Latif-Sukul Syndrome (Iris heterochromic vitiligo), described as the first discerned case of this rare autosomal dominant congenital condition reported in Asia, indicating that vitiligo and similar pigmentary diseases may be hereditary and genetic rather than acquired only; it was presented at the IX Biennial Conference of Dermatology, Lahore, Pakistan, in 1997. He also reported Melanonychia (nail pigmentation) as a rare unwanted effect of Atrilal (Ammi majus) in the treatment of vitiligo.
He worked extensively on the standardization of single and compound Unani formulations, and established a microbiology laboratory during his tenure as chairperson to assess microbial load and evaluate the antimicrobial properties of Unani drugs, authoring the book "Unani Herbal Antibiotics" (two editions) and conducting hands-on antimicrobial screening training for postgraduate students.
He designed a UV-C lamp instrument for the treatment of vitiligo and psoriasis, described as a cheaper and handier device usable by female patients on hidden portions of affected areas, for which he received the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Recent Innovations in Science, Technology, Management, and Environment, New Delhi, in 2016. He also guided the design of an instrument for the preparation of Nabeez, a fermented dosage form, as part of an M.D. thesis he supervised.
Publications
Abdul Latif is the author of 21 books, including "Unani Herbal Antibiotic" (2nd edition, 2024), "Animal House and Laboratory Experimentation" (2023), "Inventing My Days Being Born A Muslim: An Autobiography Part-2" (2022), "Inventing My Days: An Autobiography Part-1" (2021), "Herbal Cosmeto-Dermatology" (2021), "Ibn Sina & Uzbekistan" (2020), "Huqna (Enema & Basti) Therapy" (2019), "Development of Pharmacology (Ilmul Advia) during Abbasid Period and its Relevance to Modern Age" (2019), multiple editions of "Tauzihat Kulliyat Advia" (2002–2017), "Ethnomedicobotany of Western Uttar Pradesh" (2011), "Scope & Market Value of BUMS/BAMS: A Real Picture" (2008), "Recent Advances in Unani Herbal Dermatology" (2001), "Unani Pharmacy (Vol. I)" (1994), and "Humrat-ul-Ain" (1980), among others.
He has published 79 research papers and articles in journals including the Indian Journal of Pharmacology, Hippocratic Journal of Unani Medicine, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (Elsevier), Hamdard Medicus, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Spectrochimica Acta Part A, and the Journal of Ophthalmology, among others, covering pharmacognosy, standardization of Unani drugs, antimicrobial and antibacterial screening, pharmacovigilance, and clinical studies related to vitiligo and other conditions.
He has presented or participated in approximately 122 conferences, seminars, symposia, and congresses, including 47 international and 75 national events, spanning topics such as Unani pharmacology, pharmacovigilance, standardization of Unani drugs, and vitiligo research, held in India and internationally in countries including Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and China.
His academic work has been reviewed in publications including the Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science (2020), which featured a critical review of his book "Huqna Therapy."
His citation record includes 1,216 total citations (502 since 2019), an h-index of 17 (11 since 2019), and an i10-index of 20 (14 since 2019).
Unani Medicine and Vitiligo Awareness
Abdul Latif has been involved in counseling and public awareness related to vitiligo. His work focuses on helping vitiligo patients understand the condition and addressing misconceptions and social stigma associated with it.
A key message of his public-awareness work is that vitiligo is non-infectious and should not be associated with Safed Kushta or other Kushta preparations.
He has reported seeing approximately 50,000 cases of vitiligo. His experience has included counseling patients and addressing mental and social stigma associated with the condition.
UVC Lamp Initiative
Abdul Latif has designed a UVC lamp intended for the benefit of female patients with vitiligo. The initiative forms part of his efforts to explore practical approaches that may support patients and improve access to treatment-related facilities.
AI and Unani Medicine
Abdul Latif is also pioneering the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications to improve knowledge and clinical practice in Unani medicine.
His work explores the application of AI as a tool for organizing, developing, and improving knowledge related to Unani medicine and its clinical practice.
Teaching and Mentorship
Abdul Latif has supervised numerous M.D. theses at AMU, including research on antimicrobial and physicochemical studies of Unani drugs used in respiratory diseases, pharmacognostical and antimicrobial studies of medicinal herbs, scientific evaluation of Unani eye drop formulations, and pharmacological studies of Unani aphrodisiac drugs, among others, supervising students including Abdul Haleem, Zeenat Mahmood, Sumbul Rehman, Ali Haider Naiyer, and Ghulam Haider Shah Jafri.
He has organized several seminars and training workshops, including a Self-Employment Training Workshop on Aloe Vera cultivation and uses (2019), a Training Course on Herbal Dermatology & Cosmetology Pharmacy (2018), a National Seminar on "Scope of Emerging Technologies in Unani Medicine" (2013), a Training Workshop on Pharmacognostical Awareness cum Field Trip on Cultivation of Unani Medicinal Plants (2013), and the 2nd National Seminar on "Relevance of Modern Methods of Studies in Unani Medicine" (2014).
He has also organized extension lectures by international scholars, including Dr. Rod Blackhirst of La Trobe University, Australia, and Prof. R. Stefan Reichmuth of Ruhr University, Germany.
Achievements
Abdul Latif has received numerous awards and honours throughout his career, including:
- Eminent Professor Award, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Memorial National Awards – 2025, conferred by the International Association of Research and Developed Organization (IARDO), New Delhi
- Visionary Indian Award, presented by Bollywood actress Poonam Dhillon at Akashvani Bhavan, Prasar Bharati, New Delhi, 2025
- 3rd Sheikh Zayed International TCAM Award with Gold Medal, Abu Dhabi, 2024
- Life Time Achievement Award, Yash Bharti Hkm. S. Hassan Nagrami Memorial, NUDWACON-2023, Lucknow
- Teacher's Appreciation Certificate, Association of Muslim Professionals, 2023
- Life Time Achievement Award, International Conference on Rights & Duties, Dr. Ambedkar's Youth for Nation Award 2023, New Delhi
- Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Certificate of Appreciation, U.P. Journalist Association, Aligarh, 2023
- Dr. AU Azmi Lifetime Achievement Award, World Unani Medicine Day, All India Unani Tibbi Congress, New Delhi, 2023
- Prize on Abu Ali Ibn Sino, Avicenna Public Foundation, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 2021
- Ibn-e-Sina International Award, 2018
- Mohammad Ilyas Dehlvi Nishane-Tibb Award, 1st World Unani Congress, New Delhi, 2017
- Hakeem Ajmal Khan Award for contributions in Research, World Unani Day, Jaipur, 2017
- Ibn Sina Public Health Award for lifetime outstanding contribution, Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine & Science, Aligarh, 2015
- Teacher's Excellence Award, 2015
- National Award of Teaching Excellence in Pharmacology & Clinical Trial Research, Indus Foundation, Hyderabad, 2013
- Best Citizen of India Award, 2013
- Bharat Jyoti Award, 2010
- Best Paper Award, International Conference on Recent Innovations in Science, Technology, Management, and Environment, New Delhi, 2016
He is a member of numerous professional societies, including the Royal Society of Health (M.R.S.H.), London; International Who's Who Historical Society; American Biographical Institute; Indian Pharmacological Society; International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine; European Society of Integrative Medicine, Berlin; International Association for History of Islamic Medicine, Bahrain (life member); Ibn Sina Academy, Aligarh (life member and joint secretary); Pharmacological Society of India (life member); Society of Pharmacovigilance India (founder life member); and the All India Unani Tibbi Congress (life member).
Extra Mural Research Projects
Abdul Latif has completed or co-led several extramural research projects sponsored by bodies including the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, and UGC, including a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Unani formulation in Chloasma/Melasma (Principal Investigator, 2010–2013), a study on genotyping of Unani system-based temperament (Mizaj) groups by RAPD fingerprinting (2011–2014), identification of minerals used in the Unani system of medicine (2011–2013), and evaluation of drugs of indigenous medicine systems for efficacy and adverse drug reactions in bronchial asthma patients (completed 2006).