MCODS holds First Undergraduate Student Conference ‘SCoRE 2017
Mangaluru: The Manipal University Student Research Forum of Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS), Mangalore held its first undergraduate student conference “Student Conference of Research in Education (SCoRE) 2017”on 4th February 2017 at Dr TMA Pai International Convention Centre, Mangaluru. The inauguration was done by lighting the lamp by Chief Guest- Dr. Vinod Bhat, Vice Chancellor, Manipal University, along with other dignitaries on the dais namely-guest of honor, Dr. V. Surendra Shetty, Pro Vice Chancellor, Manipal University; Dr Ravikiran Ongole- Staff Mentor, MU; Dr Dilip G Naik- Dean, MCODS; Dr N Udupa- Research Director, MU; and Sanchitha Chandar- President, Student Core Committee.
Dr Dilip Naik welcomed the gathering, The introduction of SCoRE 207 was done by Sanchitha Chandar, followed by a speech by Dr V Surendra Shetty who said, ” Health of the Nation depends on the health of the people. Health research has high value to society. It can provide important information about disease trends and risk factors, outcomes of treatment or public health interventions, functional abilities, patterns of care, and health care costs and use. The different approaches to research provide complementary insights. Clinical trials can provide important information about the efficacy and adverse effects of medical interventions by controlling the variables that could impact the results of the study. Health research has led to significant discoveries, the development of new therapies, and a remarkable improvement in health care and public health.”
“Research and development in Medical Sciences in expanding in India, and pretty soon India will be top in the world in this field. Manipal University has world class facilities and pedagogy, which are constantly reviewed and upgraded to reflect the latest trends and developments in higher education. Students should take up research work, and contribute your research work to the journals. To ensure the quality of the journals, manuscripts submitted will go through double-blind peer review process. Manipal University is taking all care to see that these journals are indexed with reputed agencies. The journals will be publishing your research results either in the form of original research or review articles” added Dr Shetty.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Vinod Bhat said, ” Advances in health information technology are enabling a transformation in health research that could facilitate studies that were not feasible in the past, and thus lead to new insights regarding health and disease. Science today is also changing rapidly and becoming more complex, so no single researcher or single site can bring all the expertise to develop and validate medical innovations or to ensure their safety. Thus, efficient sharing of information between institutions has become even more important than in previous eras, when there were fewer new therapies introduced. The expansion of treatment options, as well as the escalating expense of new therapies, mandates greater scrutiny of true effectiveness, once efficacy has been demonstrated.”
“Advances in information-based medical research could also facilitate the movement toward personalized medicine, which will make health research more meaningful to individuals. A number of studies have been undertaken to gauge the public’s attitude toward research and the factors that influence individuals’ willingness to participate in research. Little is known about the attitudes of individuals who have actually participated in medical research. However, the available evidence suggests that most research participants have positive experiences. Achieving the goals of personalized medicine will lead to improvements in both the effectiveness and the safety of medical therapies.” added Dr Bhat.
Vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Ravikiran Ongole, while the programme was professionally compered by Jyotsna Arun and Sana Chawla, Co-Treasurer and Secretary respectively of MUSRF NCODS, Mangaluru. National Research Professor, Dr M. S. Valiathan will be delivering the keynote lecture. Guest lectures will be given by Dr Santhosh Chidangil (Head, Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Manipal University) on Diagnostic Applications of LASERs in Medicine and Dr. Mantha Janodia (Incharge, Technology Transfer Office, Manipal University) on Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Rights.
Several scientific events will be organized including original research paper presentation, ePoster presentation, educational movie and quiz. With 425 participants attending the conference from all over South India and couple of them from North India, this conference is set to make its mark in undergraduate student research activities. Multiple workshops were conducted on 3rd February as an initiative to encourage practical experience among students in topics which are usually accessible only at the specialist level. Several eminent and experienced specialists will be conducting these workshops.