The Department of Neuropathology is unique in being the only one of its kind in the country dealing exclusively in neuropathological disorders and houses the largest number of “neuropathologists” in the country all under one roof. The department has highly qualified faculty of national and international acclaim, supported by well trained staff and state-of-art technology to enable the clinicians to deliver high standards of care to patients admitted in the Institute. The constant striving for precision in diagnosis and the close interaction of faculty with clinicians to ensure the best in patient care has made it a nodal diagnostic referral centre for the country with a heavy referral load of cases from several parts of India and abroad. Recognising the adherence to high quality standards the Histopathology laboratory has obtained the prestigious national NABL Accreditation for Medical Laboratory, and is currently the sole superspecialiaty government histopathology laboratory with this credit.
Manpower development for the country in the field of diagnostic neuropathology is a key mandate. The Department has an active program for manpower development and offers post doctoral fellowships, PhD programs and DM in Neuropathology, a unique facility available only in this Institute. A well structured academic program with intensive training in neuropathology is conducted four times a year for post graduates of Pathology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Neurosciences. This is a highly popular program and is in great demand amongst students from NIMHANS and several Institutions across India. Regular “brain cutting” and slide sessions are conducted with active clinicopathologic discussions with treating clinicians for optimizing patient care. Many of the current senior neuropathologists in the country have received training at NIMHANS and seek consultation when in need.
The Department has a strong research wing with several of faculty involved in cutting edge research in neurooncology, neuroinfections, neuromuscular disorders and neurodegeneration with emphasis on pathobiology of disease and translational research. In keeping with scientific advancements, forays have been made into proteomics, genomics and transcriptomics of various neurological disorders in collaboration with other Institutions. Strength of department lies in its strong interdisciplinary and inter Institutional collaborations which has translated into numerous publications in national & international in high impact journals and patents. The Mortuary is one of the very few in the Country wherein autopsies are conducted 24×7. The active autopsy service provides material for Human Brain Tissue Repository (Brain Bank) – the only one of its kind in the Country and the Neuropathology Brain Museum. The Human Brain Bank collects, characterizes and stores fresh brain tissues and fluids that are made available free of cost to neuroscientists for research.
The Neuropathology Museum is a unique museum that houses brain specimens collected over the past 35 years, from cases of head injury, cerebrovascular diseases, neuroinfections, neurodevelopmental & neurodegenerative disorders and brain tumors. This unique facility has become a center of attraction for the school students, public, and postgraduate students as a valuable source of neuroscience material, helping popularize neuroscience and destigmatise neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.