Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) 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 Mr. Subramonian Shankar (1971 – B.Tech – Electrical Engineering).
The ‘Shankar Center of Excellence for Diabetic Research’ (SCoEDR) was inaugurated at the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology (DMST), IIT Madras, in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Mr. Chris Hodges, U.S. Consul General, Chennai, Mr. Subramonian Shankar, CEO and Founder, AmZetta Technologies, LLC, Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean-Designate (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, and other dignitaries.
Addressing the launch event, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “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.”
Delivering the chief guest address, Mr. Chris Hodges, U.S. Consul General, Chennai, said, “It is stunning to see the amount of intellectual genius every time I come here. On treating diabetes, you are talking about isolating variables in a challenging environment. It is satisfying to see the partnership between two leaders – IIT Madras and Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC) at Emory University, U.S – come together and even greater to see members of the Indian Diaspora in the U.S. like Mr. Subramonian Shankar lead such initiatives.”
The Center 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 start-ups, and commercialization efforts aimed at transforming diabetes management and treatment.
Speaking on the occasion, IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus Mr. Subramonian Shankar, CEO and Founder, AmZetta Technologies, LLC, said, “I came to know of a Centre at Emory University that was working on diabetes. What struck me about this centre was that it was a research facility and in my entire life, I have been a research and development person. This Centre was publishing hundreds of papers a year but all academic with not much going to the industry and applying the research for the bettering of human health condition. Being an entrepreneur, I suggested to the Centre that his work can be applied to the industry and offered to work with him on this aspect. The Emory University agreed to my suggestions.”
“At the same time, being an alumnus, I was visiting IIT Madras a few times. What struck me about IIT Madras was the focus on entrepreneurship and how it was developing start-ups through the Research Park and Incubation Cell. Hence, the best thing I thought was to get IIT Madras and Emory University together. After I learnt about the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology at IIT Madras along with the entrepreneurship activities of the Institute, the rest, as they say, is History. Last year, it was all on paper. This year, everything is in place. From the way things are developing, a lot more is going to happen in the future,” he added.
As part of its mission, SCoEDR established a strategic partnership between IIT-Madras and the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC) at Emory University, U.S. 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. The EGDRC is recognized for its pioneering global initiatives aimed at preventing and treating diabetes through interdisciplinary research, education, and public health outreach.