The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) announces the launch of the 'Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind', a center dedicated to advancing Indian research and practice pertaining to neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health. The primary focus of the center will be the thorough examination of long-term severe mental illnesses and their underlying causes in relation to environmental and genetic factors affecting brain development.

The plaque was unveiled by Rohini Nilekani, the chair of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, to commemorate the opening of "the Centre for Brain and Mind" on the NCBS campus in Bengaluru.

Through its partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), the center will actively support research and NCBS' therapeutic practices related to five mental disorders: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and dementia. These conditions are considered to have a neurodevelopmental origin.

The research carried out at the center will integrate the molecular biological research resources and technologies available at NCBS with the well-established stem cell capabilities at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem-DBT). inStem-DBT is an independent institution operating under the purview of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. inStem has been and will continue to collaborate with NCBS on research activities, including the Accelerator program for Discovery in Brain disorders using Stem cells (ADBS).

Nilekani expressed-

"The collaboration between NCBS and NIMHANS will offer globally relevant insights, evidence, and pathways for improved treatment for millions of people in India and around the world. I encourage medical practitioners, decision-makers, and researchers to join the community and actively contribute to the success of this initiative."

Regarding the center, Prof L. S. Shashidhara, Director of NCBS, stated-

“Improvements in human health and well-being have often been possible through the development of new technologies and their application to finding solutions for medical problems. We are at an opportune moment where recent advances in genomics, cell biology and stem cell technology offer an exciting opportunity for discovery science that can be applied to the problems of human mental illness. With the generous support of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNP), NCBS looks forward to working with NIMHANS and other partners at ‘the Center for Brain and Mind’ to develop new solutions for the early diagnosis and better clinical management of mental illness."

Dr. Pratima Murthy, Director of NIMHANS, remarked about the Centre, saying-

“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. This will enable us to look further into the common as well as distinctive biological (including genetic) and psychosocial underpinnings of disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, addictive disorders and dementia. We hope that with the help of the RNP, we will be able to help lakhs of people with severe mental diseases to eventually receive more effective interventions.”

Resource - https://www.expresshealthcare.in/news/ncbs-launches-centre-for-severe-mental-illnesses/439797/