Dr. T. S. Kanaka

Neurology & Neurosurgery · Hindu Mission Hospital, Chennai, Chennai

T. S. Kanaka or Thanjavur Santhanakrishna Kanaka, also known as Tanjore Santhana Krishna Kanaka, was Asia's first female neurosurgeon and one of the world's first few female neurosurgeons. She was the first neurosurgeon in India to perform chronic electrode implants in the brain, having been also the first to perform deep brain stimulation as early as in 1975. She pioneered functional neurosurgery in the 1960s and 1970s along with Prof. Balasubramaniam, Prof. S. Kalyanaraman; and received recognition for her research and contributions to the field of stereotactic surgery. She is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of Madras Neuro Trust.