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LSU Health & IIT Madras Partner on Health Innovation
NEW ORLEANS – LSU Health New Orleans (LSU Health) has announced a major partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), India’s highest ranked engineering university, to advance global health through education, research, and technology-driven entrepreneurship programs.
The strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) merges LSU Health’s leading clinical research expertise in cancer, genomics and other fields with IIT Madras’ cutting-edge technology innovations to create scalable, transformative healthcare solutions.
The collaboration is a blueprint for translating global expertise into improved care for Louisiana and other states. The agreement advances healthcare outcomes for Louisiana by:
- spearheading the development of affordable diagnostics, AI-powered health apps and smart medical devices for diverse communities, including in rural and underserved areas;
- bringing state-of-the-art technology solutions directly to Louisiana families, closing critical gaps in care and setting national benchmarks for health innovation; and
- leveraging technology and international collaboration, accelerating LSU Health New Orleans’ ambition to rank among the top 50 U.S. academic health centers by 2030 and driving new jobs, investments and economic growth for Louisiana.
“This collaboration supports our commitment to pursuing NCI (National Cancer Institute) Designation for the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center,” said LSU Health New Orleans Chancellor Dr. Steve Nelson. “By combining our clinical expertise with IIT Madras’ technology innovations, we are building a powerful mechanism to move discoveries from bench to bedside and improve health outcomes in Louisiana and worldwide.”
The collaboration blends LSU Health New Orleans’s robust research capabilities, including seven Centers of Excellence and NCI-designation efforts, with IIT Madras’ technology innovation to drive health outcomes. Joint teams will lead genomic and health studies and develop scalable tools like AI-powered apps, affordable diagnostics, and smart medical devices.
An exchange program will support student and faculty collaboration with new research and entrepreneurship efforts, expanding the partnership’s reach.
A Hub for Health and Technology
IIT Madras has been recognized by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) as India’s leading engineering institute for nine consecutive years and the nation’s top overall institution for the past seven. The institute is also home to one of Asia’s most dynamic deep-tech ecosystems, anchored by its Research Park, which houses more than 200 startups and provides over 1.2 million square feet of dedicated innovation space.
Speaking about this collaboration, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Bringing our technology-driven innovation together with LSU Health New Orleans’ research and clinical presence in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast establishes a pathway for translating ideas into global health solutions.”
The partnership aims to position LSU Health among the nation’s top 50 academic health centers by 2030, while enhancing IIT Madras’s global engagement in applied health research.
The MOU was signed by Dr. Demetrius J. Porche, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans, Lucio Miele, MD, Director LSU-LCMC Cancer Center, Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans, Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras and Prof. Himanshu Sinha, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras.
About LSU Health New Orleans (LSUHSC)
LSU Health New Orleans educates Louisiana’s health care professionals. The state’s health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans, includes a School of Medicine with campuses in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state’s only School of Dentistry, Louisiana’s only public School of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing, and Graduate Studies.
LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and an enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment or cure disease.
About IIT Madras
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an ‘Institute of National Importance.’ The activities of the Institute in various fields of Science and Technology are carried out in 18 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centres.
The Institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S., and Ph.D., degrees in a variety of specialisations. IITM is a residential institute with more than 650 faculty and 10,000 students. Students from 18 countries are enrolled here. IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IITM Incubation Cell.
Recognized as an Institution of Eminence (IoE) in 2019, IITM has been ranked No.1 in the ‘Overall’ Category for the sixth consecutive year in India Ranking 2024 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. The Institute has also been ranked No.1 in the ‘Engineering Institutions’ category in the same Rankings for nine consecutive years – from 2016 to 2024. In 2023, IIT Madras became the first IIT to establish an international Campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania called ‘IIT Madras Zanzibar.
