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The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and the University of Liverpool (UoL) Tuesday signed an MoU for collaboration in the field of brain research. The joint research initiative will be funded by the Pratiksha Trust.
The focus areas of the partnership will be brain infections, child and maternal mental health, epilepsy and brain imaging and basic neurosciences.
NIMHANS in a statement stated that the partnership has three core research strands, each being led by experts. “Research in Brain Infections spearheaded by Professor Tom Solomon from the University of Liverpool and Dr Netravathi from NIMHANS; Child and Maternal mental health, featuring collaborative longitudinal studies such as the Bangalore Child Health and Development Study, led by Prof. Helen Sharp from the University of Liverpool and Prof. Prabha Chandra at NIMHANS; Neuro-imaging and epilepsy research, led by Professor Simon Keller at the University of Liverpool and Dr Sanjib Sinha and Dr Jitender Saini from NIMHANS,” it said.
Explaining neuro-imaging and epilepsy research, Saini said, “This research attempts to answer why some patients with neurocysticercosis – a parasitic infection caused by tapeworm, develop epileptic seizures. We are using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in this research. It is caused due to poor hygiene.”
In the field of child and maternal mental health, featuring collaborative longitudinal studies such as the Bangalore Child Health and Development Study, Prof Chandra from NIMHANS said the study aims to identify the impact of prenatal stress, postnatal and early childhood environment on children’s behavioural and emotional development to shape future interventions to improve child mental health.
The partnership also includes a dual PhD programme, and joint workshops held annually to set research priorities and explore new avenues of research. It will expand across four key components: Dual PhD programme, Early Career Researcher Exchange programme, Senior Researcher Exchange programme, and joint Annual Symposia.
Prof Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool, said: “We are delighted to be signing this MoU with NIMHANS, with whom we already have a longstanding relationship that has real-world impact. Signing the MoU, and thanks to the generous donation from Kris Gopalakrishnan, allows us to further our work researching brain infections, mental health, neuro-imaging and epilepsy as well as the dual PhD programme.”
The collaborative partnership between NIMHANS and the University of Liverpool began in 2002 on Japanese encephalitis.
Prof Pratima Murthy, Director of NIMHANS, said: “We are excited to continue our valuable collaboration with the University of Liverpool. Together, we have achieved remarkable progress in the fields of maternal and child mental health, epilepsy, and brain infections. It has been an extraordinary journey, uniting the brightest minds to unravel the mysteries of the human brain.”
Gopalakrishnan, who is also a founder of Pratiksha Trust, said, “Pratiksha Trust is glad to contribute to the joint efforts of NIMHANS and University of Liverpool to tackle complex health challenges. With our contribution, we aim to further strengthen the critical research endeavours initiated by these two leading institutions in the realm of healthcare. India is a good place to study the brain. We would like India to be participating in a global research programme.”
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