The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) celebrated the completion of the initial phase of its pioneering health monitoring project, the ‘Phenome India-CSIR Health Cohort Knowledgebase’ (PI-CheCK). In a special event, ‘Phenome India Unboxing 1.0’, held at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, CSIR marked this significant achievement.
Dr. Shantanu Sengupta, Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, addressed the media, highlighting the importance of this milestone for Indian healthcare. He emphasized the need for tailored approaches to address the diverse risk factors contributing to cardio-metabolic diseases in India.
According to Dr. Sengupta, the project aims to develop an advanced prediction model for diseases like diabetes, liver diseases, and cardiac conditions by conducting a comprehensive longitudinal study across India. He invited other organizations to emulate their sample collection efforts, stating that a larger sample pool would refine health parameters nationwide.
As reported by Economic Times, the initiative surpassed its target of 10,000 samples, drawn from CSIR affiliates, pensioners, and their spouses across 17 states and 24 cities. The collected data includes clinical, lifestyle, and dietary information, alongside various measurements and extensive biochemical data.