HYDERABAD: Osmania University Vice-Chancellor Prof Kumar Molugaram stressed the need to translate scientific research into tangible community health benefits. He was speaking at an outreach programme titled ‘Interplay of Genetics and Nutrition: Implications for Health, Disease and Longevity’ on Sunday.
The event was organised by the Institute of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases, OU, to mark National Science Day and Rare Disease Day 2026. It aimed to improve public understanding of gene–nutrition interactions, promote awareness of rare diseases and encourage early screening and education. An informative poster on ‘Genes and Nutrition’ was released on the occasion.
Prof Molugaram said preventive healthcare initiatives must be strengthened through sustained academic outreach.
Dr Bhanu Prakash Reddy of the National Institute of Nutrition delivered a lecture on health and nutrition, highlighting the growing role of personalised nutrition in improving treatment outcomes and long-term wellbeing.
As part of the outreach activities, general health check-ups were conducted along with thyroid profile and PCOS screening, blood grouping, complete blood picture analysis and detection of haemoglobinopathies. Educational sessions on nutrition, genetics and rare diseases underscored the importance of early awareness in reducing disease burden and healthcare costs, a senior OU official said.