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The Need

Foundation for Medical Research is a Public Trust that depends largely on the generosity of individuals and organizations to help in the undertaking its objectives. The Foundation has recognition u/s 35(i)(ii) of the Income Tax Act, which enables the donors to avail of tax exemption and has also recently been awarded exemption u/s 80G and registered through CSR-1 to widen the breadth of the donor community. The FMR has been granted renewed permission to accept foreign funding in line with the modified FCRA Act of 2020 upto the year 2025.

As the Foundation is posed to enhance the direction of its work (where are we headed) towards more translational preventive and public health aspects of health and disease, the search for funding assumes greater importance. While the Foundation has a modest corpus and has been successful in garnering project funds with a specific purpose that supports current endeavours, further support is required to expand and sustain the organization’s objectives.

For more information , please write to us on [email protected]

You can support us in any of the following aspects that may interest you, either in whole or part.


Human Resources

Researchers are an integral part of the Foundation’s success. To enhance its research capacity in the newer areas, the Foundation is looking to employ senior researchers with expertise in environmental sciences, bioinformatics, spatial epidemiology and public health research. This would help to develop the evidence base first through pilot inquiries and then through an expanded network of projects. Support is needed to help fund the salary/fellowship and provide start-up research grants.

Infrastructure

Support is sought towards

  • Advanced bioinformatic computing systems to perform large scale genome and microbiome studies
  • Setting up of an aerobiology facility for studying the impact of biological and environmental factors on disease transmission mechanisms.
  • GeneXpert for rapid screening of Drug resistant TB and COVID-19
  • Purchase and maintenance of workhorse equipment like freezers for maintaining pathogen /sample repository, PCRs, Gel documentation system etc
Pilot Research

These studies establish the need and provide direction for further research. It helps to formulate research project proposal which are then submitted for funding to Indian and foreign scientific organizations. Currently, we are seeking immediate support for the following pilot projects

  • Understanding the host and bacterial determinants of TB transmission- In a pilot, we aim to test the feasibility of detecting and measuring the characteristics of airborne TB bacteria from patients and their environment relevant for transmission and infection. This is critical to answer research questions around impact of environmental and biological factors of airborne pathogen transmission
  • Decoding the role of small non-coding RNA in TB pathogenesis - Small molecules in TB germ called sRNAs (of whom much is unknown), could play an important role in establishing TB infection in humans. We seek to explore the role of one such sRNA, using a multipronged approach to unravel an exciting unknown that may pave the way for a better understanding of TB disease and identify newer therapies.
  • Investigate the site-specific molecular changes associated with extrapulmonary TB- The mechanism of spread of TB bacteria from lungs to other organs is well researched, though what factors determine the development of TB disease in a particular organ is unclear. As a first step, we plan to explore the molecular signature of the TB disease sites for understanding unique patterns of TB of different organs.
  • Investigating effects of Guava Leaf Extract as Adjunct Therapy for Tuberculosis Patients-TB disease disrupts the delicate balance between the good and bad microbes (host microbiome) present in the TB patients’ lungs and gut. In this study, we will explore if consuming Guava Leaf extract during the initial periods of TB treatment can help restore the balance of the gut and lung microbiome, thereby improving TB treatment outcomes.
  • Conducting active genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater samples in Mumbai with a faster turn-around-time (1-2 weeks) to alert the local municipality and the government of any new variant (or mutations) of concern.
  • Identifying the transcriptional changes in drug resistant TB bacteria.
  • Exploring alternative antimicrobial strategies and supplemental approaches (other than anti-TB drugs) for achieving better treatment disease outcomes in drug sensitive and resistant TB patients.
  • Developing a curriculum for primary care workers for pandemic preparedness. Issues such as anti-microbial resistance, climate change, infection control and concurrent soft skills like communication will be attempted for inclusion in the syllabus of auxillary nurse midwives and ASHAs at the grassroots.