The Chennai-based Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM) has invited applications from scientists and clinicians for enrolling in the second batch of Training Programme in Regenerative Medicine (TPRM) which will be started in September at the NCRM in Chennai. NCRM is the first institution in the country to offer an international level comprehensive training in regenerative medicine.

The programme will enable scientists and clinicians to receive web-based training in regenerative medicine through lectures transmitted via web-casting from the University of Toronto. Sources in the Centre said enrolment is open till August 31 for 10 PhD students in biology, medicine and dentistry. The teaching staff can also enrol for the training. In India, this programme began in the year 2008.

Regarding this, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed last year between Dr Samuel JK Abraham, director, NCRM and Dr Gary Levy, Director (TPRM) Multi-organ Transplant Programme, University of Toronto Hospital. The TPRM is affiliated with the University of Toronto, McMaster University and Ottawa University, and will provide a series of 30 lectures. Upon successful completion of the course, the participants will be issued certificates from the TPRM and Stem Cell Network.

NCRM sources said that since this is a graduate course, a grade below 70 percent will be considered as failure. Students who wish to apply must be fluent in English language. The purpose of this initiative is to encourage a trans-disciplinary, integrative approach to health research through the training of a new generation of researchers capable of combining various approaches in devising innovative solutions for the research and treatment of complex medical problems.

NCRM is an Indo-Japanese joint venture institute and probably the first one of this kind in India and has been chosen to be a partner of TPRM. The first batch had 10 scholars, five basic scientists and five clinicians, who upon completion have started several research projects. There is no course fee to be paid this year as it has been waived by the TPRM. NCRM has decided to give priority to the attendees of this programme for their PhD registration. Starting from organ failure to repair mechanisms, stem cell biology, ethics and translation, this course will cover extensively the various areas of regenerative medicine, said Dr Abraham, director of NCRM.