The increasing prevalence of mental and neurological health disorders in Kerala has highlighted the urgent need for enhanced research and intervention. Recognising this, the recent state budget has allocated Rs 69 crore for setting up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in neurodegeneration and Brain Health at Cusat.
To get an inside view, TNIE visited the Centre for Neuroscience (CNS), which will spearhead the CoE project.
“CNS has been at the forefront of neurological research and community-driven programmes, with a commitment to transforming care systems and improving public health,” explains assistant professor Baby Chakrapani, who is the honorary director of CNS.
“Established in 2000, CNS has evolved from molecular-level brain research to a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach. It has also played a key role in integrating science and society through initiatives such as Prajña, a platform fostering community outreach and interdisciplinary collaboration.”
Notably, CNS has gained national recognition for its pioneering efforts in dementia care, incorporating AI-based assisted living technologies in collaboration with Cusat’s department of computer science. One of CNS’s flagship initiatives, Udbodh, had led to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declaring Kochi as “India’s first dementia-friendly city” (DFC) in 2021, Chakrapani notes.
“This groundbreaking initiative, in collaboration with the Ernakulam district administration, adapted international DFC concepts to regional needs, ensuring awareness, clinical and social care, and inclusivity for individuals with dementia. Over 1,000 grassroots meets were organised,” he says.
Following this success, the initiative was expanded under the Bodhi project, which scaled dementia care efforts across the district with support from the social justice department. “This comprehensive programme included public campaigns, education, and the establishment of model dementia daycare facilities, setting a statewide blueprint,” says Chakrapani.
“Our core focus is on exploring the inherent associations between these areas and their profound influence on brain health. However, our work goes beyond research – we actively disseminate knowledge to society,” explains Chakrapani.
Recognising the need to elevate CNS’s impact, Chakrapani says, the idea for a CoE emerged. “A CoE is an autonomous institution for advanced research in leading-edge areas, run by a team of highly motivated experts engaged in the production, application, and publication of new knowledge," he adds.
“Based on our projects and initiatives addressing mental health issues in Kerala, a proposal was submitted before the government. After three rounds of project presentation and selection, the CoE in neurodegeneration and brain health was approved. The higher education department has granted academic sanction to the CoE. The final project DPR is being reviewed at KIIFB for technical and financial approval.”
The CoE will serve as an infrastructural hub for collaborative research across disciplines, focusing on locally relevant but globally significant issues.
Key objectives of the CoE
Facilitate interdisciplinary, intradisciplinary, and transdisciplinary discussions and research in neuroscience.
Conduct workshops, conferences, seminars, symposia, meetings, lectures, courses, surveys, and awareness programmes focussed on neurodegeneration.
Establish inter-sectoral collaborations with industries, private and public institutions, local self-government institutions, and social and healthcare systems for brain health.
The CoE will build upon CNS’s existing work, addressing both molecular neuroscience and social neuroscience. “Under molecular neuroscience,
the plan is to develop tools to understand community-level functions, which will help us better understand various neurodegenerative disorders,” says Chakrapani.
Additionally, the CoE will play a role in policy development for governmental and non-governmental organisations concerning brain health. It will also focus on education, multidisciplinary training, and skill development for the next generation of neuroscientists.
“The CoE will also seek to empower the community at the grassroots level by offering knowledge and technical skills to address brain health challenges. We will develop ways to prevent, identify, and slow the progression of neurodegenerative conditions,” says Chakrapani.