In an experiment to integrate Ayurveda and Western medical sciences to study cancer biology and therapy, reconfigurable computing, systems biology approaches for cancer, drug development and discovery and so on, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States of America (USA's) Open Health Systems Laboratory (OHSL), to set up an International Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Computational and Biomedical Sciences.
The study and research will be initially funded by an initial funding of Rs 10 crore from the OHSL.
The objective is to build a global team science consortium by leveraging the best of biomedical informatics to address key questions of biomedical sciences. The CoE is being setup on the above areas, with a view towards bringing together excellence in knowledge and expertise for the advancement of cutting edge scientific research," said an official.
Official added that the research activities of the CoE will be initiated with the initial funding from the OHSL. In addition to the initial funding, IIT Delhi and OHSL will jointly seek funding from national and international resources.
The MoU was signed by Professor V. Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi and Anil Srivastava, President, OHSL, USA on 9 th February 2020.
Professor BR Mehta, Dean R and D, IIT said there is a large scope for interaction and collaboration with OHSL in the areas of Life Science, Ayurveda, and Computational Biology.
"Both partners will benefit immensely with such collaborations and the CoE will be the natural culmination of the long association between IIT Delhi and the OHSL. The focus will be on international collaboration in multidisciplinary research areas. The research activities undertaken through this MoU will make best utilisation of already existing Infrastructure, expertise and vast experience of both the collaborating partners," said Srivastava.