First IBRO Associate School of Neuroscience inaugurated
Karachi: The first International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) Associate School of Neuroscience that began on Sunday will usher Pakistan in the league of 112 nations, which are members of the IBRO, in trying to explore the mystery of human brain.
The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Karachi, Prof. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui said while welcoming the participants at the inaugural session of the IBRO School of Neuroscience. The event is being held at the auditorium of the International Centre of Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS). The six-day school is jointly organised by Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi and Aga Khan University.
The VC expressed hope that the young scientists who will be trained in the IBRO School will be able to teach others in the field of neuroscience. The establishment of a Brain Bank was on the anvil and the neuroscientists can solve the unanswered problems of the brain after examining the brain tissue cultures. All the endevour in the field of neuroscience will be supported by the IBRO. The stress factor in Pakistan had increased manifold and the stress-related diseases such as Schizophrenia, Alzheimer and Parkinson’s in, which neurons in the brain were degenerated and the brain stops to function normally. The IBRO School will work to find solutions to check advancement in these diseases.
The holding of regular IBRO Schools for the students of neuroscience (MD and PhD) locally and internationally will be possible after the first IBRO School in Pakistan. The Pakistan Society of Basic and Neuroscience (PASBAN) that will look after all the developments going on in the field of neuroscience was launched after the inaugural session.
The acting Director, PCMD, Dr Iqbal Choudhary pointed out that the brain is too complex organ to be handle by one individual or even one organisation. The best way to know the vast but unknown last frontier of the brain was to pool the resources both locally and internationally. Scientists from various fields can research and share their knowledge to get better results in solving the brain puzzles.
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world and stress had induced Epilepsy in 10 persons out of a total of 1000, while the world average was five persons out of 1000. It is a dangerous sign and the development in the field of neuroscience can check the advancement of the disease.
The Chairman IBRO, Switzerland, Prof. Laurence Garey, the chief guest spoke about the advantages of studying and enhancing the knowledge of neuroscience. The Chairman, Aga Khan University Research Council, Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta talked about the foetal and child mortality in Pakistan, which is at rise due to stress and malnutrition of the mother during pregnancy. Dr Ather Enam, Professor of Neurology highlighted the necessity of enlarging the scope of the neuroscience in Pakistan.