Syed Husain Zaheer

{{Short description|Indian Scientist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}

{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Dr. Syed Husain Zaheer

| image = Syed Husain Zaheer.jpg

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1901|11|07}}

| birth_place = Lucknow, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1975|12|22|1901|11|07}}

| nationality = Indian

| workplaces = Indian Institute of Chemical Technology. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

| alma_mater = Lucknow University, Oxford University, Heidelberg University

| known_for = First to synthesize Methaqualone in 1951

| awards = Padma Bhushan(in 1972)

}}

Dr. Syed Husain Zaheer was an Indian chemist and the director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the largest research and development organisation in India.{{cite web |date=2016 |title=About the Foundation |url=http://www.zaheersciencefoundation.com/about-the-foundation |access-date=12 April 2016 |publisher=Zaheer Foundation}} Prior to taking up the directorship of CSIR, director, He served as the director of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, a division of CSIR, where he established the department of Biochemistry.{{cite book |author=D. P. Burma |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4CaQ3-x3LXMC&pg=PA152 |title=From Physiology and Chemistry to Biochemistry |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2011 |isbn=978-81-317-3220-5 |pages=152–}} After his superannuation from CSIR, he chaired the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.{{cite book |author=Prof. S P Mehrotra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QXfjCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT218 |title=The Fourth IIT: History of IIT Kanpur |date=10 November 2015 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-93-5214-192-0 |pages=218–}} The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1972, for his contributions to science.{{cite web |date=2016 |title=Padma Awards |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |access-date=3 January 2016 |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India}}

In 1951, along with Indra Kishore Kacker, he was the first to synthesize Methaqualone. 

The Government of India in 1980 onwards, announced the "Syed Husain Zaheer Medal Award" to encourage outstanding work in the field of engineering & technology{{Cite web |title=Syed Husain Zaheer Medal {{!}} India Science, Technology & Innovation - ISTI Portal |url=https://www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in/nurturing-minds/s-and-t-awards/national/syed-husain-zaheer-medal |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in}} under Department of Science and Technology{{portal|India|Science}}