CUSAT to Study the Role of Neurons in Carcinogenesis

KOCHI:
Cochin University of Science and Technology will get One crore rupee to study the role of neurons in carcinogenesis. The fellowship has been sanctioned to Dr Unnikrishnan Sivan by the Department of Health Research, Govt. of India program to bring back Indian Scientists working outside the country. He is one among the three scientists who got the fellowship. He will do the research in association with Dr. Baby Chakrapani P.S, Director, Centre for Neuroscience. This prestigious fellowship is meant for starting a research group in premier universities and research institutions in India, and will result in helping billions of cancer patients.

The project intends to elucidate the role of neurons in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Dr Unnikrishnan has completed his studies in Karolinska Institutet at Stockholm, and University of Oxford. He is an expert in the field of stem cells, tissue engineering and cancer biology and he is among the three scientists selected by the CUSAT is known for research and public health interventions in the field of neuroscience and has successfully completed the project for making Kochi, the first Dementia friendly city in India.

“Cancer neuroscience is a relatively new research area, where scientists are trying to understand the role of neurons and neuron-derived factors in the initiation, progression, and metastasis of cancer. We need the expertise and advanced methodologies of the field of Neuroscience to make progress and we have overlapping research interests in this field. This is the reason behind my selection of Centre for Neuroscience, CUSAT”, Dr Unnikrishnan said. The Vice-Chancellor Dr K N Madhusoodanan welcomed Dr Unnikrishnan to CUSAT.