Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is now a participant in the Indo-American Cancer Consortium )., the first collaborative initiative involving multiple tertiary cancer centres across both countries.

Apart from MAHE, the other participating institutes include Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute and the Tata Memorial Centre in India; and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, and University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center in the US.

Quoting Lt Gen (retd) MD Venkatesh, Vice-Chancellor of MAHE, a statement said that the initiative will create a global transdisciplinary team of basic cancer researchers, oncologists, epidemiologists, and surveillance experts. The consortium will build infrastructure, expand capacity, and strengthen global cancer research leadership and healthcare.

Mahadev Rao, Professor and Head of Department of Pharmacy Practice of Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, who is coordinating IACC, said the goal of this consortium is to foster cooperation between cancer centre faculties. Over 30 faculty members with active research programmes in basic science, clinical and translational research and public health sciences relevant to cancer are included.

He said the consortium offers online courses in basic cancer biology, translational oncology, and epidemiology. The consortium has also been hosting events like faculty and student research presentations.

Students at partnered cancer centres in India are unable to attend their usual lectures due to the current pandemic outbreak. Theese consortium activities offer them a way to continue their learning process. So far, the consortium has conducted several online sessions, the statement said.

Naveen S Salins, Coordinator of Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre, said such a collaborative approach is especially important in cancer care, where, for example, intricate details about genetic mutations in a patient’s tumour necessitate the combined expertise of basic and translation scientists as well as clinicians to not only select the precise treatment for the patient but also to ensure that the patient receives the best possible outcome.

Sharath K Rao, Dean of Kasturba Medical College, MAHE, said that inter-institutional collaboration efforts are urgently needed, particularly in India, to enable the construction of cooperative infrastructure projects and ensure the continuity of cancer patient care in participating hospitals.

C Mallikarjuna Rao, Principal of Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MAHE, stressed the importance of the consortium exhibiting its commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration to improve the quality of care for cancer patients.