Two-day Symposium on Cancer Research organized to strengthen Industry-Academia-Hospital Linkages in Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University News
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Aligarh, February 22: “Cancer is a complex and rapidly growing challenge in India that requires a novel multidisciplinary approach to overcome.” This central theme echoed throughout the two-day symposium, “Defeating Cancer through Collaboration: Establishing Cancer Nanomedicine Consortium,” which united experts from industry, government, clinical, and academic institutions to strengthen industry-academia-hospital linkages.

Addressing the inaugural session, AMU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Naima Khatoon, the chief patron of the event, commended the initiative for promoting collaboration across disciplines. She said nanomedicines are an emerging alternative due to their targeting, bioavailability, and low toxicity.

Chief Guest Prof. Bushra Ateeq (IIT-Kanpur) lauded the unprecedented formation of the consortium, appreciated the confluence of different disciplines, and acknowledged the need to tackle cancer as a multi-factorial disease. She suggested increasing the cancer research efforts at AMU to counter the increasing incidence and mortality in the Indian scenario.

Dr. Mohd. Azhar Aziz, Convener of the symposium, stated, “This consortium is not just an academic pursuit but a commitment to uniting our expertise in developing innovative solutions for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.”

Dr. Aziz has established similar research groups abroad. He is the founder and director of the Cancer Nanomedicine Consortium, which currently includes three faculties and seven departments at AMU, with scope for expansion nationally and internationally.
Industry expert Dr. Mohd. Zainuddin (Jubilant Therapeutics Inc.) emphasised the need for faster discovery and commercialisation in academia, highlighting the consortium’s potential for industry collaboration.

Dr. Poonam Yadav (Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi) enlightened the audience with the funding mechanism and encouraged them to submit more projects in alignment with the call for proposals. She exhorted the university to facilitate the proposal submission and logistical aspects of project management.

Clinicians Prof. Ritu Kulshreshtha (Patel Chest Institute), Dr. Rishikesh Jha (Apollo Hospitals), and Prof. Afzal Anees (JNMC, AMU) stressed the importance of early detection, lifestyle changes, and integrating research into clinical practice. Dr. Mohan Joshi (Jamia Millia), Prof. Farukh Arjumand (AMU), and Dr. Kausar M. Ansari (IIT-R, Lucknow) highlighted the role of indigenous research in advancing clinical applications.

The Cancer Nanomedicine Consortium comprises seven core members from three faculties: Prof. Afzal Anees (Surgery), Prof. Mohammad Akram (Radiotherapy), Prof. Mohammad Jaseem Hassan (Pathology), Prof. Rashid Ali (AI), Prof. Hamid Ashraf (Endocrinology), Dr. Hifzur R. Siddique (Zoology), and Founder-Director Dr. Mohammad Azhar Aziz (Nanotechnology).
The event featured oral and poster presentations from institutions across India. Ms. Maryam Khursheed (IIT-Delhi) won Best Oral Presentation, while Syed Mohd. Hasan Abedi received a consolation prize. Umrah Arshad (AMU, Chemistry) won Best Poster, with Dr. Naureen Rizvi (JNMCH, AMU) receiving a consolation award.

The symposium facilitated interdisciplinary collaboration, setting the stage for future advancements in cancer research.

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Aligarh Muslim University