You might recall the UK Science and Innovation Network in India put together an excellent workshop on infectious diseases last year, where we explored various potential UK-India collaborative areas to help tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Top experts from the UK and India discussed important issues like open innovation and drug discovery; and the many associated challenges faced due to microbes that have become resistant to antibiotics.
The need for more international collaborative research work was clearly highlighted at many levels during the course of discussions at the workshop. I am pleased to say that initiatives to encourage such collaborative efforts by way of joint-centres for AMR were launched last year with joint funding from the UK’s Medical Research Council and the Newton Fund; and India’s Department for Biotechnology.
A key recommendation agreed at the workshop involved funding being available to develop rapid diagnostics for AMR. This takes the discussion into an exciting area, having looked at drug development last year. So the UK Science and Innovation Network will be holding a joint workshop exploring new diagnostics and therapeutics to tackle AMR.
The workshop will include participation of leading experts from the University College London, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Dundee and Brighton University. Indian participants will include key organisations like IIT-Delhi, AIIMS New-Delhi, the Foundation for Neglected Diseases Research and many more.
There will also be representatives from funding agencies from both countries as well as industry, where discussions of new innovations could open up potential collaborative opportunities. The workshop will take place in Delhi on 12th and 13th October 2015. If you’d be interested in participating in the event, please do get yourself registered for the event by sending me an email.
For information, we recently held a webinar where we highlighted partnering opportunities with the UK to tackle AMR. You can listen to a recording of the webinar here. I’d also like to highlight two AMR events we’re planning in the coming months – one on the importance of design for cleaner hospitals and medical equipment and another workshop covering veterinary infections and AMR, which will be led by my colleague Swati Saxena.
We will keep you updated on our plans as these events develop.