The father and son will be honored at the upcoming 118th Annual Callaway Gala.
Amit Pallekar was selected as the guest of honor for the event. The Guest of Honor honors someone who was born and raised in Callaway County but has left the area to achieve success.
Parlekar said he was honored to be recognized by the community.
“In a way, it speaks to your achievements, but I think it probably reflects what your whole family contributed to the community,” Parlekar said.
He was born in Mexico, Missouri, to Mangal and Dilip Parlekar. He has his older sister Ashwini.
Perlekar grew up in Fulton and attended Fulton Public Schools, graduating in 1998, according to the release.
While in school, he played soccer, basketball, and tennis for the Fulton Hornets. He also played the trumpet in the school band.
After graduating from Fulton High School, Parlekar attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He combined his BA and M.D. in 2004, according to the release.
Upon completion of medical school, he underwent further medical training at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis/University of Washington.
While there, Parlekar “completed clinical training in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, critical care and lung transplantation,” the release said. He also conducted his translational research related to asthma.
After completing his medical training in 2010, Parlekar enrolled at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where he served as the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program Director. He also served as medical director of lung and cardiopulmonary transplants at Baylor, according to the release.
Parlekar’s study at Baylor focused on outcomes in severe asthma and lung transplant patients. His research has resulted in grants and several peer-reviewed publications.
While at Baylor, he earned a master’s degree in clinical research from Baylor College of Medicine and an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, according to the release.
He received his tenure at Baylor College of Medicine in 2018.
After ten years at Baylor, Palleker moved to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. At Vanderbilt University, he served as the Medical Director of Lung Transplantation and led the lung transplant program. He also helped Vanderbilt perform one of the country’s earliest lung transplants for COVID-related lung damage, according to a release.
Parlekar will return to Texas in 2021 to help launch the first lung transplant program in HCA Healthcare hospital history.
After more than a year of consulting, Parulekar has taken the position of Director of Global Medical Affairs for Infection and Immunity at Roche in Pleasanton, Calif., according to the release.
He currently lives in Houston.
Although he currently lives in Texas, Callaway County is still at home in some ways, he said.
“It’s where I grew up. It’s kind of like your early formative years. Above all, I have a lot of good memories of those times,” Parlekar said.
Amit isn’t the only family to be honored at the Kingdom of Callaway banquet.
His father, Dilip Pallekar, was named a settler award winner. This award is given to members of the community who were not born and raised in Callaway County, but have moved to the area and made an impact on the community.
Dilip moved to Fulton in 1976 and practiced medicine in the area for the next 36 years. He died in November at the age of 77.
“He was much loved by his community, colleagues and patients,” his obituary said.
His daughter, Ashwini, accepts the award on his behalf.
Amit said he was honored to have his father receive the Settlers Award.
“I wish I could have received it, but I still think he saw it as a reflection of the good things he’s done over the years.
Dilip Parlekar being presented with the Settler’s Award at Callaway’s Gala.
