NIMHANS

Neurochemistry

Department of

 Neurochemistry

The
Department was established in 1954 as the Department of Biochemistry and later rechristened as Department of Neurochemistry in the newly created faculty of Mental Health and Neurosciences, affiliated with the University of Bangalore. In 1994, the department became an integral part of the NIMHANS deemed university. Since its inception, the department has come a long way in fulfilling its objectives in the areas of diagnostics, research and academic programmes.

Activities

Diagnostics

The department has a 24-hour clinical biochemistry unit (CBU) conducting routine investigations in the new casualty block and Neurochemistry special diagnostics laboratory ( NCSD Lab ) located in the main department. The CBU is equipped with well trained technical staff and state-of-the art auto- analyzers for complete analysis of blood/urine and CSF samples from both in- patient and out-patient services of the Institute and outside referrals. Further, the laboratory is capable of conducting special assays for amino acids, hormones, lithium, and osmolality. The NCSD Lab has recently initiated a highly sophisticated high throughput mass spectrometry based diagnostic test for Inborn Errors of Metabolism.

Research

Research activities of the department involve both applied and basic aspects of mental health and neurosciences. Some of the current areas of research interest are biochemical aspects of stroke in young, neurometabolic disorders, molecular mechanisms in brain aging, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease traumatic brain injury, neuromuscular disorders and primary brain tumors.

Academic

The faculty members of the department train PhD students and teach basic and applied neurochemistry to undergraduate and postgraduate courses of the institute. [ For the Courses, please see the Prospectus ]

Expertise

The faculty of the department have relevant expertise in the clinical biochemistry, neurochemistry, diagnosis of neurometabolic disorders, proteomics, cell culture, neuro immunology, experimental models for brain diseases.