India’s First Institute of Regenerative Medicine launched

Bangalore, 20th August 2007: The Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine (MIRM), a new initiative of Manipal University, has been created to transform stem cell science into reality by bringing together a group of outstanding scientists and providing them with an exceptional research environment. MIRM will be a world leading centre for basic stem cell biology, aiming at critical advances in the field through a program of ground breaking innovation.

This initiative will facilitate cutting edge research in Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering and deliver it in a clinical setting, a strategy commonly referred to as a bench to bedside approach. MIRM is a constituent institution of Manipal University located at Bangalore.

MIRM has launched a Masters level degree and training programme to equip students from biological and / or medical related backgrounds with specialist knowledge and the research skills to pursue a career in the field of regenerative medicine. The course is focused on strategies to repair, replace and ultimately regenerate various tissues and organs to solve major clinical problems. Regenerative medicine as a discipline shows enormous potential economically and there is a global demand for specific multidisciplinary training in this area.

The MIRM center was inaugurated on August 18th by Dr H.S. Ballal, Pro- Chancellor, Manipal University in the presence of Dr Ranjan Pai, MD & CEO, Manipal Education and Medical Group and Dr Raj Warrier, Vice Chancellor, Manipal University.

During the Press Conference of MIRM, Dr Vinod Bhat, Registrar, Manipal University said that “The MSc. degree from MIRM is the first of its kind in the country and the Asia/Pacific region; in fact very few universities internationally offer such an extensive program. After obtaining the masters degree, the students can register for a PhD, however the program is also of value to students wishing to progress in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology companies or clinical applications”.

Mr. B. N. Manohar, President, Stempeutics Research, said that “MIRM students can leverage on existing industrial support, via Stempeutics Research Private Limited (SRPL), a commercial entity of Manipal group. Stempeutics Research Private Limited (SRPL) is a leading stem cell company of India, focused on research and product development of human stem cell technology in the field of regenerative medicine”.

Dr. Satish Totey, Director, MIRM said that “MIRM boasts of excellent laboratory facilities, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment. Each student has the space to perform their own experiments. The institute being associated with a hospital gives the added advantage of performing procedures like apheresis, bone marrow transplantation etc. The MSc. degree renders its graduates productive from the day of their graduation. It does away with the need for any form of training as the course is more skill-intensive. The academic year of 2007 has already started with 30 students enrolled for the course.”

Dr Vijay Sharma, Dean, MIRM said that, “Regenerative medicine is a rapidly emerging area of biomedical research with enormous therapeutic potential. As the academic research base broadens and the industry begins to adapt to new technologies, the demand for skills in this area is rapidly increasing, resulting in excellent opportunities for graduates with training in this area. Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine (MIRM) is at the forefront of Stem Cell research in the Asia/Pacific Region.”

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About Manipal Education Group:

MEG today is the leading Education provider in the private sector in India. The Manipal education network began with a single institution in a small, seaside town. The Kasturba Medical College (KMC) at Manipal opened its doors to 100 young persons in 1953. Today KMC is among India’s top ranked medical colleges.

MEG, for over five decades, has been offering world-class education to young minds and molding them into thought leaders. Manipal is a global powerhouse in education today, with a presence in 20 countries. It comprises of 2 universities, 9 campuses, 24 professional colleges, 12 professional streams offering 169 courses, with 96,000 students and 270,000 alumni. Manipal University was formerly known as MAHE (Manipal Academy of Higher Education).

MEG delivers Vocational Education in the fields of Banking, Retail, Infrastructure, IT, Telecom, BPO and Media. MEG also offers Distance Education Courses via 450 Learning Centres across India and select overseas locations. Campuses are located in Antigua, Bangalore, Dubai, Goa, Malaysia, Manipal, Mangalore, Nepal and Sikkim. Every institute of Manipal has a well-integrated infrastructure with facilities of international standards.

This release was published on openPR.