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The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in partnership with the University of Liverpool along with a £1.5 million fund support from Pratiksha Trust, will now accelerate the pace of research in mental health & neurosciences. This includes Japanese Encephalitis which requires early detection and neurocysticercosis, another serious brain infection.The collaboration between NIMHANS and the University of Liverpool, established in 2002, has had a profound impact on global healthcare saving over 200,000 lives. It also attracted external funding, totalling £10 million, from Wellcome Trust, the UK Medical Research Council, the Indian Council for Medical Research, and the Gates Foundation.Specifically, brain infection study attempted to understand why some patients with neurocysticercosis, which manifests with seizures, is drug resistant with delayed diagnosis and treatment has resulted in huge fatality. This parasite infection caused by larva of the tapeworm, is known to cause epileptic seizures and mandates an MRI scan for detection. NIMHANS will now chip in to ensure quick detection to enable fast treatment access and prevent fatalities.The three core research focus areas of the renewed partnership are 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; and 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.The pact with the University of Liverpool also includes a fully funded dual PhD programme which will allow students from NIMHANS and University of Liverpool a study at both the Universities. This will also include Early Career Researcher Exchange programme, Senior Researcher Exchange programme, and joint annual joint workshops will set research priorities and explore new avenues of study of infections.Prof. Pratima Murthy, director, NIMHANS, said: “We 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 helped to be associate with the brightest minds to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. We stand poised to uncover even more, to change lives, and to make a significant impact on the world’s healthcare landscape with the generous funding by the Pratiksha Trust.”Prof. Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool, noted that the continuation of the pact will allow to further research on brain infections, mental health, neuro-imaging and epilepsy.Pratiksha Trust contributes 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. We believe that this collaboration will have far-reaching positive consequences for the well-being of individuals worldwide,” said Kris Gopalakrishnan, founder, Pratiksha Trust.
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