Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology

The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology(SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), India is an Institute of National Importance established in 1974 by Government of Kerala. Now, it is an autonomous Institute with National Importance under the administrative control of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

The Institute focuses on Patient Care, technology development of industrial significance and health research studies of social relevance. The stress is on development of facilities such as interventional radiology, cardiac electro physiology, pre-surgical evaluation and surgery for epilepsy, microsurgery and deep brain stimulation for movement disorders, new biomedical devices and products, evaluation of medical devices to global specifications, new academic programmes and global public health networks.

The Institute has a dedicated team of clinicians, scientists and engineers devoted to biomedical research and developing technologies in health care with emphasis on cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

Research and development
The Biomedical Technology Wing has played a pioneering role in the establishment of a medical device industry base in India by successfully developing and transferring technologies for diverse medical products such as disposable blood bag system, Mechanical heart valve prosthesis, blood oxygenators, ophthalmic sponge, concentric needle electrode, hydroxyapatite based biocermaic porous granules with many more in the pipeline with industrial collaboration. the Institute also holds a number of international patents for devices and processes. The Biomedical Technology wing has implemented a quality system to meet the requirements of international standard ISO/IEC 17025. About twenty of these tests are accredited by Le Committee Francais d’Acreditation (COFRAC) of France.

Biomedical research

Division of Biochemistry

1. Coconut oil and incidence of coronary artery disease in Kerala

2. Lp(a) and its relationship to coronary artery disease

3. Pathology of carbohydrates- binding antibodies

Department of Cardiology

1. Long term results of coil occlusion of patient ductus arteriosus

2. Influence of Troponin- T and C reactive protein (CRP) levels on clinical outcome in patients with unstable angina.

3. TEI index as a marker of left ventricular function.

4. Role of amiodarone in rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation.

5. Coronary venous anatomy in patients undergoing angiography.

6. Nicotinic acid as an added on therapy with stains in patients with low HDL levels.

7. Effects of Clopidogrel in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

8. Long term follow up in patients with ASD after Amplatzer septal occluder device closure.

9. Coarctation of aorta- Surgical versus balloon dilatation- Long term follow up.

10. Pain paring in unstable angina- Randomized study evaluating ischemia burden.

11. Atrial septal defect with severe pulmonary hypertension- Long term follow up after surgery. In collaboration with Department of Neurology)

Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

1. Clinical trial of cardiovascular devices

Division of Cellular and Molecular Cardiology

1. Modulation of myocardial contraction by sub-optimal levels of extracellular magnesium in free radical stress.

2. Synergistic action of magnesium deficiency and free radicals on the myocardium

3. Vitamin D and its relationship to coronary artery disease in the tropics

4. Molecular mechanism in cardiac fibrosis

5. Neuronal control of cardiac growth: Does substance P regulate cardiac fibroblast function?

6. Molecular basis of endomyocardial fibrosis

Division of Microbiology

1. Anti viral and anti fungal studies on some indigenous medicinal plants of Western Ghats

2. Identification and characterization of protective antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the potential benefits of tuberculosis with the potential benefits of identifying antigens as vaccine candidate and as reagents for immunodiagnostic tests.

Department of Neurology

1. Epilepsy research

2. Stroke research
 * Evaluation of aphasia in stroke and establishing a clinico- radiological correlation of aphasia.
 * Stroke in the young- a case control study

3. Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology
 * Urban dementia survey

Department of Neurosurgery

1. Role of mucoid vasculopathy in the etipathogenesis of cerebral aneurysms

2. Comparison of spiral CT angiography in the diagnosis of intracranial vascular lesions.

3. Corrosion casts of cerebral vessels.

4. Creating Three D images of cerebrovascular system and its anomalies.

5. p53 gene mutations in gliomas.

6. Surgical trial in intracerebral haemorrhage.

7. Fibrin glues.

Department of Pathology

1. Role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of Guillain-Barré syndrome

Department of Radiology

1. Detection and treatment of cancer using laser based techniques

Patient care
It has a 239-bedded hospital for tertiary care of cardiovascular and neurological diseases. SCTIMST conducts Cardiology Clinics, Thoracic Clinics, Neurology Clinics, Neurosurgery Clinics and Radiology Clinics for the public.

Academic offerings
The Institute has the status of a University and offers postdoctoral, doctoral and postgraduate courses in medical specialties, public health, nursing, basic sciences and health care technology. It is a member of the Association of Indian Universities and the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

The courses includes DM Neurology, DM Cardiology, DM Neuroradiology, DM Anaesthesia, MCh Neurosurgery / Radiology, Vascular Surgery, Diploma in Nursing, Cardiac Laboratory Technology, Neuro Technology, Advanced Medical Imaging, Blood Banking Technology, Post DM/MCh Fellowships and PHD on various Bio medical streams.