Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) has partnered with National Institute of Siddha (NIS), a Centre of Excellence for Research and Higher Education in Siddha system of medicine in Chennai, on training, research and clinical studies.
The partnership is expected to result in development of new collaborative teaching programmes and research in the areas of clinical research, molecular biology and in-vitro cell line studies and health system research besides in exchange of faculty members.
An MoU in this regard was signed recently by V Kamakoti, Director, IIT-Madras, and R Meenakumari, Director, NIS.
To establish a scientific basis
Siddha is an important school of Indian medicine. This collaboration will focus on establishing a scientific basis that explains the efficacy of Siddha medicines, said Kamakoti.
The institutes will also jointly organise seminars, workshops, webinars, conferences, continuing education programmes [including Continuing Medical Education (CME)] and develop academic programmes. They will also promote the exchange of students, PhD, postdoctoral scholars and faculty for teaching/training programmes.
Meenakumari said, “We hope that the collaboration will open new avenues for knowledge sharing about the tremendous therapeutic potential of available Siddha medicine and the application of cutting-edge technology of IIT-M in scientific validation of Siddha formulations, identification of its bioactive molecule and mechanism of action.”