The St. John’s Medical College & Research Institute (SJRI), Bangalore has entered into a collaboration with with the Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Canada for a two-year long health research mentorship programme for the health professionals. Sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA and the Indian Cardiovascular Research and Advocacy Group (ICRAG), the programme is scheduled to begin in September this year.

The two-year health research mentorship programme is focussed on enhancing research infrastructure and capacity for collaborative research across India, by conducting research to evaluate knowledge translation approaches for CVD prevention, by training health professionals and other research support personnel in research methodology and research management.

Dr Denis Xavier, professor and head, Pharmacology, St John’s Medical College Division of Clinical Trials, SJRI said, “The research training programme aims to impact the current shortage of health researchers and research personnel in India. We aim to train and mentor a total of 12 researchers (6 in each phase lasting two years) over a 5 year period. We will also conduct several short-term courses in health research methods for over 100 health professionals across India. We are also trying to send some of the students for full-time advanced research training over one year which will be facilitated and fully funded by ICRAG.”

Stressing the importance of the institute Dr Xavier said, “Our institute has developed and conducted numerous case studies and clinical trials in various institutions in India in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Professionals specialising in health research in chronic disease in India, especially in cardiovascular disease or diabetes, having involvement in clinical work, research or national public health services will be given first preferences.”

The ICRAG is a consortium led by SJRI and includes Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram and Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Annamalainagar. This collaboration has worked together for over a decade on several observational studies and clinical trials, predominantly in cardiovascular disease (including strokes) and diabetes.

With this collaboration SJRI institute is also introducing two-week course in health methodologies from September 12 and 24, 2011 which will focus on current health research scenario in India and challenges for young health professionals.