Rebooting the brain

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What are the qualities of a good teacher? | ft. Dr. Narayan Rao | Teacher’s Day Special | Ep.19 |

Episode Summary

This Teacher’s Day special of Rebooting the Brain honors the guru–shishya tradition. It moves into a conversation between the hosts and their teacher, Professor Devnahalli Narayan Rao. The episode traces his 44-year teaching journey across India and Libya, the value of honest student feedback, and the duty of a teacher to nurture curiosity without shaming learners. He illustrates core neuroscience (glia, neurotransmission, Cajal–Golgi) and medical ethics, and links disordered brain circuits to how functional neurosurgery can restore order. The tone is grateful, reflective, and practical—about shaping character as much as transmitting knowledge.

Special Guest

Professor Devnahalli Narayan Rao, 87, is a Professor of Neurosciences and mentor to the hosts. He taught for 44 years (22 in India, 22 in Libya, including at Al Arab Medical University). Students remember him as a father figure who demanded clarity of thought, encouraged questioning, corrected textbook errors, and insisted on ethics. He avoids self-praise, believes teachers and students learn together, and urges creating classrooms that build confidence. His legacy is rigorous science with compassion—and generations of doctors who still send him thanks.