Can Diabetes Affect Your Brain? Global Experts Join Forces in Chennai
Chennai: In a landmark international collaboration, the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) have signed separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to advance cutting-edge research exploring the intricate relationship between diabetes and brain health.
This strategic partnership brings together leading experts in diabetes, neuroscience, and dementia to investigate how metabolic disorders such as diabetes influence cognitive decline and neurological diseases, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The collaboration aims to facilitate large-scale studies, enable data exchange, and promote translational research to improve early detection and prevention strategies.
Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman of MDRF, emphasized the significance of the initiative, stating, “This collaboration marks a milestone in our journey to understand how diabetes affects not just the body but also the brain. With our decades of work in diabetes and metabolic health, and by joining hands with eminent neuroscientists and dementia researchers, we hope to uncover mechanisms that will ultimately improve the quality of life for millions worldwide.”
Dr. R. M. Anjana, President of MDRF, added, “Diabetes is increasingly being recognized as a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Through this partnership, we will leverage the strength of multi-disciplinary expertise and diverse datasets to uncover early markers of brain aging in people with diabetes. This could pave the way for preventive and therapeutic breakthroughs.”
Prof. Siddharthan Chandran, Director & Chief Executive of UK DRI, remarked, “Understanding how metabolic disorders influence brain function is one of the great scientific challenges of our time. Collaborations such as this with MDRF are crucial in uniting global expertise and resources to accelerate discoveries that can translate into real-world benefits for patients.”
Prof. K. V. S. Hari, Director of CBR at IISc Bengaluru, commented, “CBR’s focus on brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases aligns perfectly with this initiative. Working with MDRF and UK DRI will help integrate large-scale clinical, imaging, genomics, and proteomics data to identify key pathways linking diabetes and cognitive health. We are grateful to the invaluable support provided by Pratiksha Trust to this important initiative.”
Prof. Henrik Zetterberg, Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, Group Leader at UK DRI (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), and visiting faculty at CBR, noted, “This collaboration represents an exciting frontier for dementia research. By studying metabolic factors and brain biomarkers together, we can gain deeper insights into disease mechanisms and identify novel intervention strategies.”
