Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 3-4 December 2024

The Aravind Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) hosted a two-day Education and Research Conference in collaboration with Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA. This initiative began in 2016 through discussions between Dr. N. Venkatesh Prajna, Chief, Cornea Services, Aravind-Madurai, and Dr. Michael E. Zegans, Chief, Ophthalmology Department, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centre. The conference was organised by Prof. K. Dharmalingam, Director, Research, AMRF, and coordinated by Dr. D. Bharanidharan, Scientist, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, AMRF, alongside Dawn E. Carey, Senior Associate Director, Global Health and Development, Dartmouth College.

During the morning sessions, ten students from Dartmouth College presented research proposals on various eye diseases to an audience group of clinicians, scientists, and research scholars. In the afternoon, AMRF research scholars displayed their research activities through poster presentations. During lab visits, AMRF scientists showcased the core research facilities and explained the ongoing projects to the Dartmouth delegation. Additionally, there were cultural events, performed by students from both institutions. The conference served as a unique opportunity for both institutions to share educational and research activities, paving the way for future collaborative research projects and long-term partnerships.

Dr. P. Sundaresan, Senior Scientist, Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) was appointed as an ICMR-Emeritus Scientist by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for a term of three years, to continue his biomedical research at AMRF, focusing on the project entitled, Molecular genetics in ocular diseases: Pathways to personalised medicine, with special emphasis on Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) and Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON).