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Baylor College of Medicine announces the signing of a non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Aga Khan University for the exchange of expertise and collaboration on health sciences teaching, research, writing and distribution, and international development.

Under the terms of the MOU, Baylor College of Medicine and The Aga Khan University will work collaboratively in a bidirectional manner, leveraging the strengths of both institutions, with the goal of understanding the determinants of cardiometabolic diseases and identifying culturally relevant interventions that mitigate risks associated with cardiometabolic diseases among South Asians.

“We hope that this bidirectional initiative will allow the generation of new knowledge in the area of cardiometabolic health for South Asians and knowledge sharing between the two institutions, both of which bring rich traditions of academic excellence,” said Dr. Salim Virani, professor of cardiology and cardiovascular research at Baylor College of Medicine. “Our initial efforts will focus on learning more about determinants of cardiometabolic disorders among South Asians and the best practices to mitigate this risk. This will be done by leveraging both community level resources and big data, keeping in mind the cultural context. This is an area of great clinical need.”

Baylor College of Medicine and The Aga Khan University have a long-standing relationship that has been built on trust, personal relationships, mutual understanding, and a willingness to collaborate on research and educational initiatives that align well with the mission and vision of both institutions. Both parties are excited to work with each other and to build a lasting and wide-ranging partnership.

“South Asians constitute one-quarter of the world’s population, and emerging data indicates they are particularly susceptible to cardiometabolic diseases,” said AKU Provost and Vice President, Academic Carl Amrhein. “The Aga Khan University has a longstanding commitment to addressing the growing burden of these diseases in the countries it serves, including Pakistan, where an estimated one-third of all deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. We are greatly looking forward to strengthening our partnership with the Baylor College of Medicine and to collaboratively delivering knowledge and solutions that help save lives.”