OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT

The Department of Biochemistry at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, India, is a core academic basic science department with a strong commitment to teaching, training, and research. The department caters to a diverse student body enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral (PhD) programmes.

Undergraduate teaching encompasses the MBBS programme, nursing courses, and a range of allied health science programmes. The department continually innovates its teaching methodologies to enhance learning outcomes, helping students appreciate the relevance of biochemistry to their respective disciplines and apply this knowledge effectively in their future roles as healthcare professionals. Academic mentoring and sustained student support throughout the duration of the course form integral components of the teaching programme.

Postgraduate and doctoral training in the department includes MD and PhD programmes in Biochemistry. These training programmes are regularly reviewed and strengthened to ensure that they meet high academic, ethical, and professional standards.

Research activities within the department focus on medical conditions of relevance to the Indian context, encompassing both basic and clinical research approaches. The overarching goal of this research is to advance understanding of disease mechanisms and contribute to the development of more effective strategies for the diagnosis, prevention, and management of these conditions.

HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT

The Department of Biochemistry at Christian Medical College was established between 1956 and 1957 as a part of the then Department of Chemistry at the institution. Professor S.C. Devadutta was the first head of this new department. In 1963, it became an independent Department of Biochemistry under the leadership of Professor Mary Dumm. It moved to its present location on the college campus in 1966. 

Both Professors Devadutta and Dumm were responsible for the early work that helped establish the department. Teaching of undergraduates began from the very start of the department. Recognition for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) course was obtained in 1964, and that for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master’s (MSc) courses in 1967. In 2011, however, the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University in Chennai (to which CMC, Vellore is affiliated) decided to discontinue the MSc course in Biochemistry.