Clinical and Translational Research Incubator - CITRIC

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Established in 2020 by AKU Medical College's Dean's Office, CITRIC is designed to serve as a designated space for clinical and translational research. The incubator is a momentous step towards realising His Highness the Aga Khan's founding vision of AKU as a globally-recognised research university. Research continues to be a priority; in his 2020 address, pertaining to the pandemic, the Chancellor stated:

"AKU aims to be as relevant for the next global health crisis as it has been for this one. Today, AKU is building its capacity for cutting-edge research applicable to the distinctive health risks for populations in Asia and Africa. It will seek to harness the enormous potential of advances in artificial intelligence, genomic medicine and stem cell science to address tomorrow’s challenges, as well as today’s".

The CITRIC Space

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The Incubator is divided into two spaces: CITRIC Main (left), CITRIC Junior (right)

CITRIC's beneficiaries span senior leadership, faculty, researchers, staff, fresh medical graduates and students.

Research Incubation

Five centres are housed within CITRIC, providing their team members with designated spaces for collaborative research.

18 million
secured in funding through grants

100 %
of initial investment into CITRIC has been recouped

220 +
beneficiaries since CITRIC's inauguration

Research Training

Dean's Clinical Research Fellowship - DCRF Programme

AKU_(82).JPG Offered to AKU's fresh medical graduates to strengthen their clinical research portfolios while addressing a need for formal mentorship. It is a one-year, fully-funded position designed to prioritise strong exposure to various aspects of clinical research in specific areas of interest. The programme involves practical research as well as focused teaching sessions and workshops. Learn more about DCRF.

Director: Dr Shahzad Shamim

Research Facilitation

AKU_(66).JPG CITRIC is set up as a flexible working space with 24 total seats available for research staff at any given time. Seat allocation is organised through a hot-desking system whereby desks are used by different people at different times, in the interest of maximum space efficiency. Since CITRIC's inauguration, 53 research staff members from AKU's academic departments have benefitted from using the space to facilitate their research activities.

Celebrating CITRIC's 1st Anniversary

Researchers, faculty and senior leadership gathered to celebrate one year of impact from CITRIC. Dr Asad Ali, Associate Dean Research, delivered a welcome address and an impact report. Dr Shamim, Dr Atiq and Dr Nadeem presented their initiatives.

Grants

Grants provide valuable resources to organisations, and essentially fuel the research projects underway in CITRIC centres. Click here to learn more about the partnerships and projects.

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