SCMM | Welcome to Jawaharlal Nehru University

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The_University_Grants_commission_in_its_IX_Plan_recommendations_decided_to_set_up_the_Special_Centre_for_Molecular_Medicine_(SCMM)_under_the_auspices_of_Jawaharlal_Nehru_University._The_purpose_of_the_SCMM_is_to_foster_research_in_the_field_of_molecular_and_cell_biology_with_direct_application_to_the_study_of_human_diseases._The_format_of_the_SCMM_center_was_a_new_concept_that_had_not_been_attempted_before_in_India.

Recent_advances_in_molecular_and_cell_biology_have_enormous_potential_for_medical_research_and_practice._So_far,_they_have_been_most_successfully_exploited_for_determining_the_causes_of_diseases_and_how_to_control_them._However,_it_is_clear_that_recombinant_DNA_technology_and_modern_cell_biology_will_find_applications_in_almost_every_branch_of_medical_practice._It_is_revolutionizing_cancer_research,_has_spawned_a_biotechnology_industry_that_is_already_producing_a_wide_range_of_diagnostic_and_therapeutic_agents_and,_in_the_longer_term,_promises_to_play_a_major_role_in_clarifying_the_causes_of_some_unsolved_mysteries_of_modern_medicine:_cardiovascular_diseases,_neuronal_diseases,_infectious_diseases_and_many_others._It_should_also_help_us_to_gain_insights_into_broader_aspects_of_biology,_including_development,_aging_and_evolution.

The_Jawaharlal_Nehru_University_has_emerged_as_a_leading_research_and_training_centre_for_the_core_sciences,_which_underlie_biology_and_related_areas_over_the_last_few_decades._A_number_of_research_groups_have_contributed_significantly_to_research_and_teaching_programs_in_the_areas_of_molecular_cell_biology_along_with_interdisciplinary_areas_such_as,_bioinformatics_and_computer_sciences,_environmental_sciences_and_physical_sciences._Modern_medicine_has_benefited_greatly_from_interdisciplinary_application_of_all_these_areas_and_much_of_the_recent_advances_can_be_directly_attributed_to_the_inputs_obtained_from_traditionally_non-medical_areas._The_Jawaharlal_Nehru_University_has_thus_taken_a_leadership_role_in_designing_and_implementing_a_comprehensive_approach_that_would_target_new_research_programs_and_teaching_in_Molecular_Medicine.

Molecular_medicine_is_an_emerging_area_within_biomedical_sciences_that_aims_to_understand_the_molecular_determinants_of_health_and_disease_with_an_ultimate_goal_of_applying"_the_knowledge_for_the_prevention;_diagnosis_and_treatment_of_diseases._The_Special_Centre_for_Molecular_Medicine_(SCMM)_at_JNU_pioneered_research_and_education_in_this_field_in_India_and_is_the_first_national_centre_imparting_Ph.D._level_training._The_centre_aims_to_accomplish_its_goal_through_innovative_and_collaborative_basic_and_clinical_research_programmes._To_fulfill_its_goal_the_centre_has_already_initiated_many_collaborative_research_activities_with_reputed_national_and_international_medical_research_institutes.

The_goal_of_the_SCMM_is_to_foster_teaching_and_research_activities_in_the_study_of_human_diseases_with_application_of_advanced_tools_of_molecular_and_cell_biology._SCMM_has_started_academic_programmes_for_the_training_of_young_scientists_(clinical_and_non-clinical),_who_are_keen_to_pursue_careers_in_basic_medical_research._The_training_program_has_been_designed_to_develop_essentially_two_types_of_scientists,_who_can_contribute_to_the_continuing_progress_of_medical_science._Type_one_is_first_and_foremost_a_clinician_with_a_basic_clinical_degree,_but_one_who_is_familiar_with_and_understands_the_essence_of_modern_biology_at_the_molecular_level_as_applied_to_medicine._The_second_is_a_modern_biologist,_but_one_who_has_sufficient_knowledge_in_medicine_to_deal_productively_with_the_medical_problems_so_that_they_would_be_able_to_deliver_product_or_processes_to_the_society._For_successful_implementation_of_these_objectives,_SCMM_has_started_the_following_programs_of_study

To_encourage_medical_graduates_and_students_from_basic_sciences,_the_centre_has_introduced_Pre-Ph.D._and_Direct_Ph.D._programmes_in_Molecular_Medicine_and_is_pursuing_teaching_&_research_activities_in_the_following_thrust_areas:

Metabolic_disorders:_diabetes_type_2,_cardiovascular_diseases,_steroid/nuclear-_receptors_in_health_and_diseases,_diseases_associated_with_cell_-_cell_junctions,_neurodegenerative_disorders.

Infectious_and_non-infectious_diseases_: Plasmodium_falciparum biology_and_cell_cycle_regulation,_hepatitis_C,_Leishmaniasis, Helicobactor pathogenesis_&_DNA_replication,_Candidiasis,_bacterial_biofilms,_pathobiology_of_innate_immune_dysfunctions,_modulation_of_cell-_cell_junctions_by_pathogens.