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 In a significant leap towards advancing India’s capabilities in cancer research and personalized healthcare, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR) under the Department of Health Research (DHR) has announced a DHR-sponsored intensive training course titled “Advent of Omics Technologies in Precision Diagnostics and Targeted Therapeutics.”
This initiative by ICMR-NICPR is a strategic effort to build indigenous capacity in translational research, equipping scientists and clinicians with globally relevant skills and technologies. By bridging the gap between molecular biology and clinical care, this training course represents a crucial step in the evolution of India's healthcare system.
India is witnessing a rising incidence of non-communicable diseases, particularly cancers, many of which are diagnosed at advanced stages. Omics technologies are poised to transform this scenario by enabling early detection, real-time monitoring, and personalized treatments.
This four-week comprehensive program, scheduled from June 2 to June 24, 2025, is meticulously designed to train the country’s medical and scientific community in cutting-edge omics technologies—tools that are reshaping the landscape of disease detection, treatment, and prevention.
This is aimed at empowering India's medical researchers to lead the next generation of healthcare innovation. Omics technologies help identify potential therapeutic targets by revealing key genes, proteins, or metabolic pathways involved in cancer. These targets can be further validated for their relevance in cancer progression and targeted drug development.
The term “omics” refers to a broad field of biological sciences that study the roles, relationships, and actions of various types of molecules that make up the cells of an organism. These include Genomics – the study of an organism’s entire DNA (its genome), which provides insights into gene mutations and hereditary conditions, Transcriptomics – analyzing RNA transcripts to understand gene expression patterns, Proteomics – exploring the full range of proteins produced in a cell or tissue, which can indicate disease processes, Metabolomics – studying metabolic pathways and molecules to identify changes linked to diseases.
Together, these technologies allow scientists to look deeply into the molecular blueprint of life. In healthcare, especially in oncology, omics tools are revolutionizing how we diagnose diseases at early stages, identify specific treatment targets, and tailor therapies to individual genetic profiles — a field broadly known as precision medicine.
This programme will provide theoretical knowledge and hands-on training across key omics disciplines, with a special focus on cancer biology.
Key highlights include expert lectures and interactive sessions on the fundamentals and applications of omics technologies. Hands-on training in next-generation sequencing (NGS) — the foundational technology enabling high-throughput genomic analysis. Demonstrations of bioinformatics tools, enabling participants to interpret vast datasets for real-world clinical and research applications.
It will also include workshops on research methodology and statistical analysis, ensuring participants are equipped to design robust experiments and analyze results scientifically.
This course will equip participants with the knowledge to transition from conventional diagnostics to precision-based approaches, laying the groundwork for impactful research and better patient outcomes.
The programme is targeted toward medical faculty, researchers from Model Rural Health Research Units (MRHRUs) and Medical Research Units (MRUs), MBBS/MD professionals, PhD/Postdoctoral researchers and PhD scholars.
With only 15 seats available, selection will be merit-based and confirmed on or before May 16, 2025.
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