The University of Wisconsin-Madison will soon have a One Health Center in Bangalore, to research and develop new vaccines for the country. In addition to producing vaccines, UW-Madison students and faculty will collaborate with researchers at the Center to study emerging infectious diseases and the effects of environmental, political and social structures on health. The Center is expected to be operational by end of 2023
The initiative is a partnership between the Global Health Institute and the Ella Foundation, a nonprofit in India co-founded by UW-Madison alum Krishna Ella. The foundation uses biomedicine and veterinary sciences to advance human and animal health. Ella also founded the Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech, which developed the Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine.
“Both Ella Foundation and UW-Madison GHI share a common vision to advance innovation in science, research, and knowledge sharing. Establishing the UW-Madison global health center holds great significance as it will advance global health through research, education, and community engagement by facilitating student, faculty exchanges, research and education,” said Dr. Krishna Ella, director, Ella Foundation, co-founder and executive chairman of Bharat Biotech.
Dr. Jorge Osorio, director of the Global Health Institute hopes to bring to India UW-Madison’s expertise in developing gene cancer therapies, which alter the DNA of the body’s cells to prevent or treat cancer. He said the India One Health Center has the potential to make this treatment more affordable and accessible to people in Asia.
