IIT Madras, LSUHSC join hands for healthcare innovation

CHENNAI: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has entered into a partnership with LSU Health New Orleans (LSUHSC-NO), aimed at advancing global health through education, research, and technology-led entrepreneurship initiatives.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently by Demetrius J Porche, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs at LSUHSC-NO, Lucio Miele, director of LSU-LCMC Cancer Centre, Prof Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement) of IIT Madras, and Prof Himanshu Sinha, Department of Biotechnology, IIT-M.

The collaboration will combine LSUHSC-NO's expertise in clinical and translational research with IIT Madras's strengths in engineering, informatics, and innovation, according to IIT-M. The focus will be on accelerating the development of new technologies to address healthcare gaps and improve outcomes worldwide.

IIT-M Director V Kamakoti said the initiative provides a pathway to translate research into global health solutions. The institutions also plan to expand collaboration into other biomedical areas in the coming years.

Steve Nelson, LSU Health New Orleans Chancellor, said the collaboration will support LSU's efforts to secure the National Cancer Institute designation for the LSU-LCMC Health Cancer Centre.

"By combining our clinical expertise with IIT Madras' technology, we are creating a platform to move discoveries from research to patient care and improve health outcomes," he said.

Joint teams will lead genomic and health studies and design tools such as AI-based applications, low-cost diagnostics, and medical devices. The partnership will also include student and faculty exchange programmes and support for entrepreneurship.