LAHORE: Former chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Husain Jilani says it’s high time we ask ourselves why not a single university of 57 Islamic states is included in the top 100 universities of the world; why Pakistan spends only 2.4pc of its GDP on education; and, why we have such a horrible infant mortality rate.

He was speaking the inaugural ceremony of a two-day international symposium on ‘Biomedical Materials Translational Research and Commercialisation’ at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Tuesday.

He said though there had been considerable development in education and research in the country during the last 10 years, there was still much to be done.

Opens two-day symposium at UHS

The symposium has been arranged by the Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Biomedical Materials (IRCBM), Lahore, in collaboration with UHS, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, King Edward Medical University, Lahore.

In his address, Prof John Haycock of the University of Sheffield, UK, said biomaterials were being used in joint replacements, bone plates, bone cement, artificial ligaments and tendons, dental implants for tooth fixation, blood vessel prostheses, heart valves, skin repair devices (artificial tissue), cochlear replacements, contact lenses, breast implants, drug delivery mechanisms, sustainable materials, vascular grafts, and stents.

Mr Haycock said biomaterials’ market was rapidly flourishing and was expected to rise from $44bn in 2012 to $88.4bn by 2017.

IRCBM Executive Director Prof Ihteshamur Rehman stressed the need for strengthening linkages between universities and industry.

UHS VC retired Maj Gen Prof Muhammad Aslam said emerging biomedical materials held out the promise of new therapies for the treatment of many untreatable medical conditions. He emphasized that research results should enter the market for larger public good.

The topics discussed in the symposium included materials in orthopedic and clinical dentistry, skin repair and regeneration, tissue engineering, drug delivery, nanotechnology, biosensors, implants, materials for cancer treatment and current clinical approaches to functional neurosurgery, skin injuries, ophthalmology and cover treatment.

Those who spoke were Jean-Louis Marty, University of Perpignan, France, Jonathan C. Knowles, Eastman Dental Institute, UK, John Haycock, University of Sheffield, UK, Dr. Jukka Pekka Matinlinna, University of Hong Kong, Dr. Nicola Gree, University of Sheffield, UK, Jawwad A. Darr, University College London, UK, and Prof Syed M. Awais, King Edward Medical University, Lahore.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2014