Medicosnext
Manjari Devkota
Trustee, Upendra Devkota Foundation
She has a background in public health and sociology and currently works in management at UDM-NINAS. She will begin her Master’s in Healthcare Administration at Columbia University this fall. As a Trustee of the Upendra Devkota Foundation, she is dedicated to honouring her father’s legacy in Nepal.
The Upendra Devkota Award for Outstanding Service in Neuroscience was created in 2023 alongside the first NEUROCON and is presented by the Upendra Devkota Foundation (UDF). This foundation carries forward the vision and unfinished work of Prof. Devkota, a pioneer and the father of modern neurosurgery in Nepal.
Prof. Devkota believed deeply in the power of academic exchange—he knew that real progress comes from collaboration, curiosity, and creating a space where ideas and research can be openly shared.
Every two years, on his death anniversary, June 18, we come together to honor his memory by doing exactly what he valued most: academic exchange; fostering a community where neuroscience can grow and thrive.
At the conference opening ceremony, it has become tradition to award the UDF Award to someone whose work reflects Prof. Devkota’s commitment to excellence, service, and lifelong dedication to the field.
The inaugural award in 2023 went to the respected Dr. Dinesh Nath Gongal—a mentor and steadfast supporter of Prof. Devkota. Dr. Gongal arranged for Prof. Devkota’s neurosurgical training in Glasgow in 1983 and worked alongside him to establish Nepal’s first neurosurgical unit, as well as to found NAMS and the Upendra Devkota Memorial National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences. Their partnership laid the groundwork for modern neurosurgery in Nepal.
This year, we honor Prof. Dr. David Terence Hope, Prof. Devkota’s longtime friend and colleague. A senior consultant neurosurgeon and former chair of the Intercollegiate FRCS Neurosurgery Exam, Prof. Hope’s 15-year commitment to neurosurgical education in Nepal has left a lasting impact. The academic wing at NINAS named after him stands as a tribute to his quiet leadership, steadfast mentorship, and enduring friendship; qualities that have carried on Prof. Devkota’s legacy long after his passing.
The award is a testament for those who carry his vision forward with the same conviction and unwavering drive to move neuroscience ahead.
