The Aga Khan University held a ceremony on July 11, 2021, to name a laboratory at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research (CRM) after the late Dr Parveen Kanji, a passionate and dedicated medical professional in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
The naming ceremony was held to honour Dr Kanji for her generous support since the founding of AKU and particularly for her donation towards expanding and enhancing the CRM's existing and future infrastructure.
Established in 2016, AKU’s CRM is dedicated to exploring the potential of stem cells and tissue regeneration to understand better the underlying process in stem cells in specific non-communicable diseases and develop potential novel treatments or cures.
The CRM collaborates with the University of California, San Francisco, and other leading centers in North America and Europe. It is undertaking ambitious research on blood and breast cancers, inherited blood disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, stem cell cytogenetics and tissue engineering. Over the next few years, it is envisaged that the research undertaken at the CRM will contribute to science in Pakistan and internationally.
The laboratory naming ceremony hosted family members of the late Dr Parveen Kanji. Speaking to the occasion’s significance, President Rasul alluded to the speech of the Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan, at the University’s Charter Granting Ceremony in 1983 in which he outlined his vision for AKU to be at the frontiers of science and enabling societies in the developing and the Muslim world to realise its potential. A fundamental message at that time by His Highness was for AKU to develop local indigenous capacity, local understanding, and local knowledge, and the Covid crisis has endorsed this, said President Rasul.
"The creation of CRM is a step towards realising the long-term vision of the Chancellor for AKU. This important milestone would not have been possible without the generous support of visionary donors like Dr Kanji," said Professor El-Nasir Lalani, CRM's founding director and the Khatija and Mohan Manji Dhrolia Endowed Chair in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
The contribution and legacy of the late Dr Parveen Kanji, as a donor and professional, stand amongst the University's most generous supporters.
President Rasul thanked the family of Dr Parveen Kanji for their vision and gift, which will continue to support cutting-edge research in regenerative medicine and stem cells, one of the most promising fields in health sciences and an area identified as a priority by the Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan.