Hyderabad: Brain research in India needs a more intense and focussed approach, say senior scientists. Also, newer techniques and young talent was required to take forward research in neurosciences. The brain, a very complex organ, is made up of 85 billion cells which are making 200 trillion connections every moment. Each of these cells has thousands of genes and proteins. They are constantly decoding a lot of information which is sent to them.
Currently, research on the brain happens on a very minimal scale in India. Prof. Upinder S. Bhalla, professor and Dean of National Centre for Biological Sciences, says, “There is a need to have a sizeable number of people equipped with newer techniques to bring a transformation in neurosciences. It is important to understand what goes wrong in the brain which then leads to mental dysfunction and disease.”
There is a need for young scientists to be supported and sustained in a collaborative and open environment so that they understand the various methods of carrying out research.
We in India have only researched on understanding the basics of brain functioning. But what happens when there is a mutation in the gene and how the brain reacts is not known.
The science of brain is yet to gain ground in India and the focus of the government and other agencies is more on non-communicable diseases.
