STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In their collective endeavour to work together to achieve excellence in the field of Dope Testing in Sports in India and to promote the Anti-Doping Science and Research in the country, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Canal Road, Jammu and the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), Government of India on Saturday renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for another three years.
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM and Dr. Puran Lal Sahu, Director, NDTL New Delhi have signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutes, for the continuance of their collaborative research and reference standard synthesis work for the next term.
While giving detail of the work to be done under the MoU, Dr. Zabeer said that in 2021, a groundbreaking scientific collaboration was initiated jointly by CSIR-IIIM and NDTL for the synthesis of reference standards and cells-based and pharmacokinetics studies on the metabolites with the main emphasis on the national goals in the area of Dope Testing and Global Positioning.
“Quite significant work was done during the initial phase of collaboration” he underlined and mentioned that to meet the pressing need for reference materials essential in accurately detecting and deterring prohibited substances in sports, CSIR-IIIM has accomplished the successful synthesis of multiple secondary metabolites intricately associated with substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Dr. P.L. Sahu strongly advocated for future collaborations between CSIR-IIIM and NDTL, envisioning a roadmap for global projects aimed at advancing research in doping analysis. To achieve the excellence in the field of Dope Testing in Sports in India and to advance the Anti-Doping Science and Research in the country, he underscored the need to put together the expertise of both the partner institutions, offering substantial value in elucidating metabolic pathways and augmenting detection capabilities of drug in sports.
Dr. Qazi Naveed Ahmed, Head of the Natural Products and Microbial Chemistry (NPMC) Division attributed these accomplishments to the institute’s leadership, which have elevated the institution’s national standing in scientific and societal endeavors.
The MoU signing ceremony was witnessed by the notable dignitaries, including Er. Abdul Rahim (Chief Scientist & Head of the Research Management, Business Development and Information Sciences and Technology and Head of IIIM Srinagar Branch), Dr. Qazi Naveed Ahmed, Dr. Mir M. Asrar, Dr. Rajkishor Rai, Dr. Kapendra Sahu, Dr. Saurabh Saran, Dr. Sheena Mahajan, and Dr. Ashiq Hussain Padder.
Er. Abdul Rahim presented a vote of thanks.