Salimuzzaman Siddiqui

Known for

Isolated ajmaline and other alkaloids from the Rauvolfia plant; founded PCSIR

Biography

Pakistani organic chemist born in Uttar Pradesh who moved to Pakistan in 1951 and led the country's early science institutions.

Contributions

• Isolated alkaloids from Rauvolfia serpentina, including ajmaline, used for heart-rhythm problems
• Founding chairman of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR)
• Founded the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry at the University of Karachi