Dr Nadir Ali Syed, a leading neurologist who helped develop Pakistan’s guidelines for the treatment of Parkinson’s, passed away at home in Karachi unexpectedly between Thursday and Friday.
The medical community across Pakistan express deep shock and disbelief over the news as Dr Nadir was barely sixty years old and considered to be generally in good health.
Dr Nadir was widely known for his work in adult neurology, particularly in the treatment of epilepsy, stroke and headache disorders.
He was serving as a clinical neurologist at South City Hospital and was part-time faculty at the Aga Khan University’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
Detailed session on parkinson’s disease by Nadir Ali Syed at South City Hospital.
An alumnus of Karachi Grammar School, Dr Nadir graduated with honors from the Aga Khan University Hospital’s MBBS program. He went to the United States for clinical training in neurology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey, where he was appointed Chief Resident at one of the country’s top neurology programs.
He completed a two-year fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, the world’s largest biomedical research institution, where he gained expertise in complex neurological diagnostics.
In 1998, Dr Nadir returned to Pakistan to join the neurology faculty at AKUH. He was a key contributor to the development of the neurosciences curriculum and chaired the university’s neurosciences module committee.
Dr Nadir served as Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education, led the neurology section at AKUH to steer it into becoming the largest neurology department in the country.
Dr. Nadir Ali Syed, Consultant Neurologist at South City Hospital, discusses the latest developments in the field of Neurology.
Dr Nadir was a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Neurology), the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Clinical Neurophysiology).
He authored over 25 international research publications and received numerous awards for his academic, clinical, and educational contributions.
Patients and their familes across Karachi, and beyond as the news spread, expressed their deep sadness.
”Dr. Nadir was a kind and astute neurologist whose calming presence brought comfort to my mother throughout her treatment,” commented Ms Aneela Pasha of Aga Khan University, who had worked with him before she joined AKU. ”As a colleague, he was generous with his time, always supportive, and deeply respected by all who worked with him. His passing is a profound loss to the medical community in Pakistan.”
Dr Nadir is survived by his wife and three children.
The funeral is expected to be held on Sunday as family members are awaited from outside Pakistan.
