News Capsule - National

Avesthagen and Harvard Medical School sign MoU

Our News Bureau - Mumbai

Avesthagen and The Harvard Medical School's (HMS) Department of Genetics entered into a long-term collaboration in the field of genomics that includes data analysis, population structure and various other studies.

Avesthagen’s Avestagenome project is a path-breaking research study that will be instrumental in establishing linkage between genes, disease and environmental factors. It aims to predict disease risk and to play a catalytic role in development of new therapies and diagnostics.

Under Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Avesthagen will be involved in providing data sets from genome wide array experiments along with other data sets that arise from other experiments analysing population structure. In addition, to providing data sets to HMS, it will also deliver genotype data from anonymised individuals.

On signing the MoU, Dr Villoo Morawala Patell, Founder and Chairman and Managing Director, Avesthagen said, "We are very privileged and excited to partner with Harvard Medical School in this collaborative effort. The Institute's vast experience in pioneering and supporting research work will ensure that internationally due recognition will be given to The Avestagenome project."

Speaking on the occasion, Dr David Reich, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School said, "Our goal in this collaboration is to understand the structure of Parsi populations and the historical and genetic relationship with groups in India and elsewhere. Hopefully these analyses will be able to help in searches for genes that cause disease at unusual rates in the Parsi population."