Dr. Harbans Lal is  Emeritus Professor and Chairman, Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Texas. Dr.  Lal began his long and profitable career in India at Punjab University,receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. He later migrated to the United States in 1956 and received his Doctoral degree in Medical Sciences, majoring in Pharmacology from the University of Chicago in 1962. Over the years, Dr. Lal held various teaching and research positions at the IIT Research Institute, the University of Kansas, the University of Chicago, and theUniversity of Rhode Island. In 1980, he moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth areato be installed as the Professor and Chairman Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He retired from this position in 2000 and now serves the University as Professor Emeritus. Professionally Dr. Lal is known for his research in behavioral medicine, experimental psychology, substance abuse, and theprolongation of a healthy lifespan by nutritional optimization and genetic engineering.

During his professional life, Dr. Lal served on many national and international advisory boards, including the National Institute of Health Sciences Advisory Committees, the US Food and Drug Administration, and, for 14 years, as the Editor of a monthly journal, Drug Development Research. He has published over 400 research papers, 28 research books, several research reviews, and 56 chapters in medical textbooks during his academic career.

At his retirement, he was recognized with the Distinguished Neuroscientist Award at the Annual Meeting of the Society forNeuroscience. The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology elected him as amember and included him amongthe top scientists recognized for making discoveries in medicines in the past 50 years.The Scientists of Indian Origin in America elected Dr. Harbans Lal as its President. Dr. Lal is Sikh ashis religious preference.He was elected unanimously as the President of the All India Sikh Students’ Federation in 1954. At the 1999 Celebration, The Anandpur FoundationIndia recognizedhim with the Order of theKhalsa Award for his distinguished service in promoting causes of the Sikh community.

The Guru Nanak Dev University awarded Dr. Lalthe honorary Doctor of Literature degree in 1995 and appointed him as Professor Emeritus at the Guru Nanak Dev University at Amritsar.He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Academy of Guru Granth Studies in USA. Dr. Lal’s interests lie in promoting many humanitarian and academic causes. He continuously writes for many journals, including Dallas Morning News. He serves on many humanitarian and interfaith or religious organizations. He is a member of the Interfaith Council of the Center for World Thanksgiving, The Interfaith Center at Fort Worth, and advisor to the American Project on Religion and the News Media, to THE SIKH TIMES and the Sikh Foundation.

In 2017, Dr. Harbans Lal was among the Faith leaders receiving the “International Medal of Honor” award for his lifelong commitment to promoting interfaith engagement among the adherents of all world religions.   The Grace International Seminary presented the award medal founded and led by President Dr. Karen Hollie-Thibodeaux, also the Senior Minister of The Lifeway Church of Dallas, which is the only seminary for women in the USA with chapters spread in other cities.  Dr. Lalalso received the USA  Unity Day and International Ummah awards.Most recently (2022), Dr. Lal was honored with the Stan Golden Men of Action award bythe Southwest Jewish Congress. Dr. Lalwas a Board Member of the UNA- Dallas.Dr. Lal participated in many UNO/NGOs and attended their conferences and symposia at the UNO campus in New York. He participated in the “Millennium Development Goals:  Civil Society Takes Action”at the UN in New York in 2004.  It focused on the worldwide efforts of non-governmental organizations to support the United Nations’ campaigns to reduce indices of extreme poverty by 2015 dramatically. He participated in a similar conference in New York in the year 2000 when the meeting of NGOs formulated and supported those goals for Civil Society.

Dr. Lal became a Dallas Chapter of UNA member several years ago. Presently he is a member of the board and active in the Dallas Chapter Public Relations projects.  He is the Ambassador of the Parliamentof World’s Religions and serves on the editorial boards of the Sikh Review, Nishan Nigara, and J. of Sikhism and Comparative Religions.