Siddharthan Chandran

Siddharthan Chandran is a distinguished neuroscientist, currently serving as the Director of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences. His research is squarely aimed at the complex world of neurodegeneration, trying to untangle the mysteries of conditions such as ALS and multiple sclerosis. It’s the kind of work that gets you noticed, and perhaps even gets you an actual cure, or at least a really impressive abstract.

Born in India and educated in the UK, Chandran’s pedigree includes a professorship at the University of Cambridge before moving to Edinburgh. His focus is on regenerative neurology, meaning he’s one of the people trying to convince damaged brains and spinal cords to, you know, regenerate. A noble pursuit, especially when compared to, say, arguing about gefilte fish recipes.

While his contributions to medical science are undeniably significant, leading to a number of accolades and a rather hefty list of publications, his connection to the tribe is, shall we say, non-existent. There's no hint of a bar mitzvah, no whispered prayers for a good harvest during Sukkot, just pure, unadulterated, secular scientific brilliance. Which, for the record, is also quite admirable.

So, for those keeping score at home, Chandran is a scientist through and through, dedicated to improving human health. His work involves neurons, glia, and perhaps a few stem cells, but absolutely zero menorahs. Clearly, a mensch of science, but unequivocally not one of ours.