Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has launched a new research centre on diabetes to drive advancements in diabetes research and develop innovative technologies to address the most pressing challenges in diabetes care and associated complications.

This centre has been supported by generous funding from IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus Awardee Subramonian Shankar.

The ‘Shankar Centre of Excellence for Diabetic Research’ (SCoEDR) will support 15 PhD students over the coming years as ‘Shankar Fellows’, enabling them to undertake cutting-edge research. The new Centre will also foster product development, potential startups, and commercialisation efforts aimed at transforming diabetes management and treatment.

SCoEDR has established a strategic partnership between IIT-Madras and the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC) at Emory University, US. This collaboration will enable joint research initiatives, knowledge exchange and expertise-sharing in diabetes research, combining the strengths of both institutions in biomedical innovation and public health.

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “The ‘Shankar Centre of Excellence for Diabetic Research’ has come at a very important juncture when we are building the Department of Medical Science and Technology. The objective of the Department is to see how technology can intervene to either prevent an illness or diagnose quickly and treat the illness. With diabetes being one of the most prevalent illness in the country, the outcome of this joint activity that will happen in this centre of excellence will be of great societal and national importance.”