Dr Talwar is currently working as a Director and Professor & Head, Department of Cardiology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.
He did his MBBS from the Punjabi University, Patiala in 1969. He pursued M.D. (Medicine) and D.M. (Cardiology) from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh in the year 1973 and 1976 respectively.
He received his advanced training in Electrophysiology as WHO Sr. Research Fellow from University of Gotherburg, Sweden.
He joined faculty of the PGIMER, Chandigarh in December 1977 and subsequently joined as assistant professor of Cardiology at AIIMS, New Delhi in 1980. He became professor of Cardiology in 1992 and took over as Head of the Department in 2002 at AIIMS, New Delhi.
In 2004, he joined as Director and Professor & Head, Department of Cardiology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.
Awards and achievements:- Dr Talwar has been awarded Padma Bhushan – third highest civilian award in the country by the President of India in the year 2006.
- Dr. B.C. Roy National Award (2000) for eminent teacher.
- Basanti Devi Amir Chand Award (ICMR-2003).
- Norman Alpert Award by International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (2005).
- Ranbaxy Research Award (1997).
- Goyal Prize for Science from Kurukshetra University (2002).
- Amrut Mody Unichem Award (ICMR - I993).
- Prof. Sujoy B. Roy Memorial Investigator Award (CSI-1986).
- Shyam Lal Saksena Award (NAMS-1988).
- Searle Award (CSI - 1987).
- Doctor of Science (honorary causa) by Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijaywada – 2009.
- He is recognized as one of the pioneers in the field of Electrophysiology, Pacemaker and Heart Failure. He was closely involved in the development of Heart Transplant Programme at AIIMS, New Delhi.
- He is the Patron of the Heart Rhythm Society of India and President of Heart Failure Society of India (2009-2012).
- He is President of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), Indian National Science Academy (INSA), International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences, and International Science Academy.
He is a recipient of many prestigious orations:
- Dr. K.L. Wig Oration - NAMS (2000-2001).
- Indian Medical Association - Dr. Menda Oration (2005).
- Sphere Oration - CSI (1989).
- Glaxo Oration – NAMS (1996).
- Dr. Austin Doyle Memorial Lecture (1996).
- Dr. Devi Chand Memorial Oration - Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla (1992).
- R.S. Tiwari Oration (1999).
- Dr. R.N. Chatterjee Memorial Oration (2003).
- Prof. Raman Vishwanath – VPCI Oration, New Delhi (2007).
- Prof. P.S. Bidwai Memorial Oration – 2007 at SGPGIMS, Lucknow.
- Indian Doctors Forum - Kuwait Medical Association Oration, Kuwait (2007).
- Dr. Ivan Pinto Oration, KEM Hospital, Mumbai (2008).
- Dr. J.P. Das Heart Failure Annual Oration – 2009 at the Annual Conference of Indian College of Cardiology, Lucknow.
- P.L. Wahi Oration – 2010 at the 4th Global Conference on Recent Advances in Cardiovascular Sciences, New Delhi.
His contributions:- He has established the technique of Endomyocardial Biopsy (EMB) in 1986 at the AIIMS, New Delhi. A technique to evaluate patients with various tropical heart muscle diseases to understand the pathogenesis and to evaluate newer forms of therapy.
- His contributions in the tropical heart muscle diseases are well recognized.
- For the first time in the world literature, he documented, using EMB, the occurrence of inflammatory myocarditis in patients with Takayasu Arteritis resulting in heart failure and demonstrated that myocardial dysfunction is reversible with the use of immunosuppressive therapy. He also published histomorphological analysis in restrictive cardiomyopathies, using EMB, Rheumatic Heart Disease and dilated cardiomyopathies.
- He has published more than 240 articles and 270 abstracts in both national and international journals of repute and has contributed chapters in various national and international books.
- He is the first in the country to establish the technique and facility of radiofrequency ablation to cure arrhythmic disorders at the AIIMS, New Delhi.
- He is again the first in India and South Asian region to introduce the therapy of automatic implantable cardioverter and defibrillator (ICD) in 1995 and this contribution is recorded in the LIMCA Book of Records (1997).
- In 2000, he introduced the technique of multisite pacing system as a therapy for heart failure in the country.
