IIT Madras partners with LSU Health New Orleans to drive global health innovation

MUMBAI: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has entered into a strategic partnership with LSU Health New Orleans (LSUHSC-NO), US, to accelerate research and technology-led solutions in global healthcare.

The collaboration seeks to combine LSU Health’s strength in clinical and translational research with IIT Madras’s track record in engineering, informatics, and innovation.The agreement was formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed by senior leaders from both institutions, including Dr. Demetrius J. Porche, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, LSUHSC-NO; Dr. Lucio Miele, Director, LSU-LCMC Cancer Center; Prof.

Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras; and Prof. Himanshu Sinha from the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras.LSU Health New Orleans Chancellor Dr. Steve Nelson said the partnership directly supports the university’s goal of securing National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation for the LSU-LCMC Health Cancer Center. “By combining our clinical expertise with IIT Madras’s technology innovations, we are building a powerful mechanism to move discoveries from bench to bedside and improve health outcomes in Louisiana and worldwide,” he noted.

The collaboration will leverage LSU Health’s seven centres of excellence and its expanding cancer research ecosystem, alongside IIT Madras’s innovation infrastructure, including its Research Park which houses over 200 startups across 1.2 million sq ft of space. Joint teams will conduct genomic and health studies, and focus on creating scalable tools such as AI-powered applications, low-cost diagnostics, and smart medical devices aimed at addressing affordability and accessibility gaps.An important feature of the partnership is the exchange of students and faculty between the two institutions. These academic and entrepreneurial exchanges are expected to strengthen collaboration, create joint research outputs, and nurture a pipeline of innovators equipped to tackle emerging healthcare challenges.Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, emphasised that the partnership builds a bridge between technology development in India and clinical application in the US.

“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,” he said.The alliance is expected to position LSU Health New Orleans among the top 50 academic health centres in the US by 2030, while simultaneously deepening IIT Madras’s global footprint in health research and applied innovation.

Both institutions have indicated plans to expand their joint efforts into additional biomedical domains over time.For IIT Madras, which has consistently ranked as India’s top university for nine consecutive years, the partnership represents another step in exporting its innovation model to international collaborations. For LSU Health New Orleans, it provides an avenue to strengthen cancer research and global engagement. Together, the institutions aim to drive a new wave of accessible, technology-enabled healthcare solutions with global reach.