NCBS launches Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind to advance research, address disorders

NEW DELHI: The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) launches the 'Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind,' for research and practices related to neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health in India. It was inaugurated on the NCBS campus in Bengaluru by Rohini Nilekani, chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.

The center will examine and study the environmental and genetic factors that contribute to brain development and are associated with severe mental illnesses.

The 'Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind' will also support research. It has collaborated with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and NCBS' therapeutic practices for studying various mental disorders including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction, and dementia.

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The center will use molecular biological research capabilities and technologies at NCBS. The research work will also combine the stem cell capabilities established at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem-DBT), an autonomous institution under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. NCBS and inStem collaborated on the Accelerator program for Discovery in Brain disorders using Stem cells (ADBS) previously.

The event was attended by Vijay Raghavan, DAE Homi Bhabha Chair at NCBS-TIFR; Sanjeev Jain, emeritus professor at NIMHANS; Mahendra Rao, former collaborative science Chair at inStem and CEO of Implant Therapeutics; and Maneesha Inamdar, director of inStem.

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While inaugurating the centre, Nilekani said: “India has a significant number of people, around 193 million, dealing with mental illness. The proportional contribution of mental disorders to the total disease burden in India had almost doubled since 1990, and this calls for urgent attention. ‘The Centre for Brain and Mind’ will attempt to address this challenge by driving interdisciplinary research to understand the complexities of brain and mind conditions.”

“More Research originating from India is critical at this juncture. The collaboration between NCBS and NIMHANS will provide globally relevant insights, evidence, and pathways for better treatment for millions of people in India and the world. I hope medical practitioners, decision-makers, and researchers will join the community and co-create success for this endeavor." the chairperson further added.

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Pratima Murthy, director of NIMHANS, said: “It is a greater challenge to get research support for mental health as compared to physical disorders like cancer. NIMHANS, along with NCBS, has been carrying out research looking at shared and unique markers in severe mental illness. The generous funding provided by the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies to NIMHANS and NCBS in order to establish ‘the Centre for Brain and Mind’ at both institutions is a great opportunity to further this research.”