SHILLONG:The department of Orthopaedics & Trauma, NEIGRIHMS recently hosted successfully a two day Symposia on Research Methodology and Biomaterials for Human applications for clinical translational research on 20th & 21st March, 2015 that was funded by Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India & Meghalaya Basin Development Authority and NEIGRIHMS administration.
The symposia were designed to impart knowledge on Research Methodology and biomaterials for human implantation across the various fields of Medical Sciences and Biotechnology. The symposia focused on eliminating growing barriers between researchers of different sciences, between clinical and basic research, to address the increasing complexities involved in conducting clinical research. It equipped young researchers from diverse fields with the necessary ethos, knowledge and critical evaluative skills to develop technical competence to pursue research for in vivo sciences to make them ready for facing the future challenges. It also discussed the complex interactions among body systems, and how these may be modified with adaptations, by drugs, biomaterials, implanted devices in health and in disease.
Over 140 delegates from diverse disciplines from the north-eastern region have participated in the symposia. Guest lecturers were delivered by distinguished faculties from IIT Guwahati, and Assam Medical College besides NEIGRIHMS faculties. The inauguration programme highlighted that Application of suitable implantable biomaterials has brought tremendous relief to mankind: be it in the form of heart valves, total joint replacements, artificial implantable lenses or cochlear implants etc. This demonstrates that the fundamental research pursued in the lab can be translated in to products or devices and artificial organs through tissue engineering for much awaited paradigm shifts in human health care. A Compendium of Biomaterials Research was released by NEIGRIHMS Dean Prof V.Rapahel and Sri David Umdor, Deputy Director, NEIGRIHMS.
Prof. A.G.Ahangar in his message in compendium said that translational research in Biomaterials must benefit the society at large. Dr Utpal Bora from the department of Biotechnology IIT Guwahati presented his indigenous work on development of a novel Muga silk fibre based nerve regeneration conduit showing promising results in nerve paralysis. Prof P S Robi, former Dean Research & Development of IIT Guwahati spoke on Intellectual property rights and patents. The huge interdisciplinary gaps and barriers make translation a difficult exercise and translational research requires meaningful interaction across diverse fields of researchers including engineers, biologists and clinicians, he emphasized.
