Logo of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) seen at the university's campus, in Bengaluru.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tufts University to foster collaborations in nutrition science and medicine.
Signed on Monday in the presence of Tufts University President Sunil Kumar and IISc Director Govindan Rangarajan, the agreement sets a framework for joint initiatives.
At its core is the proposed Interdisciplinary Centre for Nutrition Science and Medicine (ICNSM) at IISc, conceived to combine both institutions’ strengths in tackling nutrition-related health challenges.
Early priorities include launching research across basic, applied, clinical and translational categories at both the Gerald J and Dorothy R Friedman School at Tufts and IISc, enabling joint projects, visiting scholars, and research collaborations.
Focus areas will cover ageing, nutritional immunity, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, kidney diseases, infectious diseases, precision nutrition, gut microbiome, obesity, plant-based nutrition, food-as-medicine, ultra-processed food, nutrition technology (sensors and AI), and preventative nutrition.
The centre will also support large-scale intervention studies on chronic diseases, anaemia, hypertension, malnutrition, and metabolic disorders.
"We envision a flexible training model equipping emerging physician-scientists and researchers with a strong grounding in nutrition science,” said Christina Economos, Professor and Dean of the Friedman School at Tufts.
Planned initiatives include a joint PhD supervision programme and a tele-nutrition system for primary care knowledge transfer.
Navakanta Bhat, Dean of IISc’s Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences, said: "Anchored in IISc’s medical school, the centre will leverage our expertise in basic sciences and engineering, offering a platform for India-US collaborations addressing health issues linked to malnutrition and obesity worldwide.”