Participants to Benefit from Special Activities and Capstone Projects that Generate Interest in Pursuing Careers in Medicine and Health Sciences ��

Khalifa University has announced that the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) will host Summer Med-Camp 2022 to provide learning and growth opportunities for UAE National high school students keen on pursuing careers in medicine and health sciences.��

The week-long Khalifa University CMHS Summer Med-Camp 2022 will run from 8-12 August at the Main Campus. Participants will engage with current MD students, tour the campus facilities, and work on capstone projects on hypertension, anatomy, pharmacology, and on simulation, about which they will learn during the camp. The final projects will be presented to a panel of judges who will award the winner.��

Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Senior Vice-President, Academic and Student Services, Khalifa University said: “The Khalifa University CMHS Summer Med-Camp 2022 provides UAE national high school students an opportunity to learn from medical and healthcare professionals and understand the skill sets required to enter this crucial healthcare sector. The camp aims to not only generate interest among the students but also help them explore future career options in this important area right from a very young age. We believe the special activities and capstone projects will immensely benefit the participants.”��

Dr. John Rock, Founding Dean, Khalifa University CMHS, said: “The Summer Med-Camp is part of the pipeline programs that help stimulate interest and enhance the qualifications of potential applicants to the CMHS MD degree program”.��

The camp will include health and wellness activities, a session on presentation skills, an introduction to CMHS, and a Q&A session.��

The Khalifa University MD program is the first graduate-entry medical education program in the UAE and is accredited by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA). The first cohort of KU medical students will graduate in 2023.Over the years, the Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences has registered remarkable achievements, including publishing 250 research papers in respected international scientific and medical journals. Khalifa University CMHS PubMed-listed research papers address a wide array of biomedical topics of relevance to the UAE and beyond, ranging from the Arab genome to diabetes, nanoparticles to cardiovascular and medical education.

Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
8 August 2022

The post Khalifa University CMHS’ Week-Long Summer Med-Camp 2022 for High School Students to Open on 8 August at Main Campus appeared first on Khalifa University.

Halima Alnaqbi’s PhD research addresses the gap in Arab representation in global genome data and establishes preliminary framework for organ and bone marrow transplantation in the UAE.��

Organ transplantation is one of the greatest advances in modern medicine and is the only life-saving strategy for patients with end-stage organ failure. Unfortunately, the need for organ donors is much greater than the number of people who donate.

The human immune system, however, poses a significant barrier to success when organs are transplanted from one individual to another. Rejection is caused by the immune system identifying the transplant as foreign, triggering a response that will ultimately destroy the transplanted organ. Donor and recipient are carefully matched prior to transplantation to minimize the risk of rejection, using tissue typing and blood group markers, but research into the population-specific genome can also play a larger role.

Dr. Halima Alnaqbi has successfully completed her PhD in Immunogenetics with her thesis focusing on enhancing the existing organ transplantation system to include Arab ethnic groups. This was the first research to identify conserved extended haplotypes (CEHs) in Arabs using high-resolution HLA pedigree-phased haplotypes. Dr. Alnaqbi, Dr. Guan Tay, Dr. Sarah Chehadeh, and Dr. Habiba Alsafar, Director of the KU Biotechnology Center, published this research in.

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex, also known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), is a set of genes that code for cell surface proteins essential for the acquired immune system to recognize foreign molecules. It is the set of genes that determines compatibility for organ transplant, among many other things, and has garnered attention for its high level of allele variety among populations.

With more than 7000 alleles, the HLA complex is the most polymorphic region of the human genome. Studies have already examined the HLA complexes of various populations for many medical purposes, including populations where particular HLA types are very common and could potentially be identified as hot spots for severe disease, endemic persistence, or pathogen emergence. Proper understanding of the population-specific HLA complex is instrumental for making informed medical decisions.

“Unfortunately, there is a dearth of information about the structure of the MHC in Arab populations, especially for those who reside in Gulf countries,” Dr. Alnaqbi said. “The structure and content of the MHC region in Arab populations remain poorly characterized, posing challenges when establishing disease association studies in ethnic groups that inhabit the region and reducing the capacity to translate genetic research into clinical practice. We wanted to address the knowledge gap and characterize CEHs in the United Arab Emirates population.”

Conserved extended haplotypes refer to the conserved, long stretches of DNA that occur in people from the same population or ancestry. A haplotype is a physical grouping of genomic variants that tend to be inherited together and extended haplotypes provide most of the markers for HLA-associated autoimmune diseases. Previous disease association studies have been dominated by analyses based on populations of European ancestries, but this is gradually changing, allowing researchers to fill the knowledge gaps in disease risk predictions in some ethnic groups. The genome structure of Arab populations from the Middle East, however, remains poorly characterized.

“Although often grouped for their shared language, history, and culture, the populations of the Arabian Peninsula represent a genetically diverse group,” Dr. Alnaqbi said. “With the United Arab Emirates recently establishing its national organ registry program, this study provides insights on the MHC of the UAE population, which is important for matching recipients to appropriate donors.”

To contribute to the available data on Arab populations, Dr. Alnaqbi analyzed MHC alleles and haplotype frequencies in consenting volunteers from the UAE. Families were randomly recruited from different parts of the UAE and all participants were UAE nationals. The research found sections of genetic code were shared between the participants, identifying conserved extended HLA haplotypes in the population.

Dr. Alnaqbi said. “We need more effort into studying the MHC region of the Arabian population to offer better healthcare and benefit from the new paradigm of healthcare represented by personalized and precision medicine.”

Jade Sterling
Science Writer
15 June 2022

The post PhD Research Helps Reduce Organ Transplant Risk Using New Insights to Emirati Genome appeared first on Khalifa University.

Incident cases of colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, more than doubled between 1990 and 2019. For the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, the Colorectal Cancer Collaborator Network, which includes Khalifa University’s Dr. Juan Acuna, investigated the global impact of colorectal cancer with the results published in.��

By Dr. Juan Acuna

In 2019, colorectal cancer was the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and the second leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for cancer. Around 60 to 75 percent of colorectal cancer cases occur sporadically and are associated with modifiable risk and preventable factors – behaviors and exposures that can raise or lower a person’s risk of cancer – whereas 25 to 40 percent of cases are linked to non-modifiable risk factors, which include genetic factors, a personal history of polyps or adenoma, or a family history of colorectal cancer or hereditary risk.

Incident (new) cases are growing rapidly around the world, but particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. Part of this is due to the increased prevalence of modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, sedentary behavior, and obesity. However, at the same time, and in contrast, it is now much more affordable and simple to screen for colorectal cancer, with capacity for screening and increasing awareness contributing to the detection of more and earlier cases simply due to more people being screened and to massive programs aiming at early detection. Early detection dramatically improves the prognosis of colon cancer.

Target 3.4 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals focuses on reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, including cancers, by a third by 2030. We can reach that goal by primary prevention (preventing the disease to happen in the first time) or by early detection, when the prognosis is substantially better, including allowing for complete cure. Colorectal cancer is one of those cancers that can be prevented (modifying behaviors or exposures) or detected early. By improving lifestyle and championing early detection we can address the global colorectal cancer burden, making it a key driver of progress towards meeting this goal.

To identify where progress is being made and where more work is needed, recent changes in the colorectal cancer burden should be tracked at the global, regional, and national levels. This global study with the Global Burden of Disease Collaborator Network (more than 700 investigators worldwide) investigated the burden of colorectal cancer in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. This work built on the previous study conducted in 2017, with another nine countries providing data, adding to the global picture.

In this study the GBD collaborators found that incident cases of colorectal cancer doubled or more than doubled in 16 of 21 world regions, and the number of deaths doubled or more than doubled in 15 of 21 world regions in the past three decades.

When standardized for age, the incidence and death rates either remained the same or decreased in countries measured as high sociodemographic index (SDI) countries, but increased in low SDI and middle SDI locations. Large increases in colorectal cancer incidence rates were observed in middle SDI countries, as well as in people aged 20 to 49 in high SDI countries.

We need further research into why younger people saw an increase in cases, but we can assume some of this is due to the main risk factors for colorectal cancer: obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and an altered gut microbiome. This is where public health interventions can help, including increased screening and awareness and encouraging a reduction in risky behavior.

We can also assume that fast economic growth and rapid industrialization have an impact. A thriving middle class in developing countries adopting a westernized lifestyle characterized by an unhealthy diet and sedentary behavior have resulted in an increased incidence of lifestyle-related illnesses, including colorectal cancer, in the middle SDI countries.

All genders saw an increase in colorectal cancer incidence, but men experienced greater increases in incidence, deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) than women in terms of absolute counts. In 2019, men accounted for 57.2 percent of colorectal cancer incident cases, and 54.9 percent of deaths due to colorectal cancer. Additionally, when age was taken into account, the preponderance of colorectal cancer in men was more apparent in developed regions, including central Europe, high-income Asia Pacific and Australasia, but differences in the genders were smaller in South Asia and regions of Africa.

China, the USA, and Japan had the highest incident counts for all genders combined, but globally, the age-specific rates of colorectal cancer followed a bell-shaped distribution, with a peak in individuals aged 60 to 74. Incident cases were higher in men than in women in all age groups up to age 80 to 84, with a greater number of new cases in women aged over 85. Incident rates continued to increase with age, but all age groups experienced a rise in incident cases.

At the global level, a diet low in milk (15.6 percent), smoking (13.3 percent), a diet low in calcium (12.9 percent), and alcohol use (9.9 percent) were the main contributor to colorectal cancer DALYs, with the relevant contribution of different risk factors varying as per the region’s development status. A high BMI contributed only 8.3 percent of DALYs, but men with a higher BMI contributed significantly more to DALYs than women.

Colorectal cancer is clearly a global health concern and stemming the tide would be a key contributor to improving health and life quality around the world. We expect low and middle SDI countries to continue to see an increase in cases as a result of population ageing, increased life expectancy and improved screening and detection, so strategies such as dietary and lifestyle modifications are imperative to facing the challenge.

Studies like this one highlight the importance of population-based cancer registries for monitoring colorectal cancer incidence and providing an important resource for people and healthcare providers. Our findings can be used by policy makers and provide new perspectives for scientists and physicians around the world, informing efforts for equitable colorectal cancer control worldwide, with the larger goal of reducing the overall incidence and the specific global burden of cancer for all people.

The post The Worldwide Burden of Colorectal Cancer and its Risk Factors appeared first on Khalifa University.

Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences aims to provide its students with the medical education that prepares them to become highly competent, culturally aware, and socially accountable physicians capable of improving the health of patients and communities.��

The Balsam Program was initiated to achieve this goal. Balsam, or Barnamij L-Ta‘leem Sehat al-Mujtama (برنامج لتعليم صحة المجتمع – بَلسمْ), is a community-based, household-focused, longitudinal service-learning program that incorporates attention to the social determinants of health through its education, health care, and research missions.��

Balsam is also an Arabic term that refers to a soothing or restorative effect and a tree species that yields a fragrant resinous substance, especially one used in medicine, i.e., the resinous substance yielded by a balm that helps to cure wounds and diseases.��

Balsam integrates social sciences, clinical experience, interprofessional teamwork, and attention to the social determinants of health to prepare socially accountable and culturally sensitive physicians. Balsam’s mission is accomplished by partnering with a network of community agencies to improve the health of households and communities.��

Currently, CMHS students embark on house visits to senior citizens’ home under the supervision of licensed healthcare professionals from Seha’s Ambulatory Healthcare Services team as part of a three-year longitudinal program. This experience does not only promote the professional development of students, enhance their medical knowledge and encourage inter-professional collaborations, but also deepens their understanding of the health systems and the social determinants of health linking those to interventions and policies which may improve the lives of this patient population.��

The Balsam program is young and has a lot of opportunities ahead. Partnering with governmental organizations that look after community development, this program hopes to expand in order to support KU’s social responsibility to the community it serves as well as provide its medical students with the competencies needed to address social determinants of health and offer culturally-sensitive human focused high standard medical care.��

Medical students participating in the Balsam program have expressed a deep appreciation for the opportunity to blend hands-on service-oriented learning with medical education.����

“To learn, we must do. Indeed, this is the essence of the Balsam program, our first real-world encounter with patients before our clinical years. Every few weeks, we had the privilege of accompanying homecare clinicians on visits to patient homes – an intimate first-hand experience we were incredibly lucky to be invited to. The program and faculty gave us a meaningful opportunity to move beyond the pathologies and physiologies into the real world. What at first I believed was primarily an opportunity to apply the principal skills of medicine we learned in class over the past year – history taking physical examinations – was in fact an eye-opening and humbling lesson on both the extent and limit of theoretical knowledge in patient care. After all is said and done, the true measure of a good and satisfying visit was always the ease the patient was left in and the reassurance felt by the family members. Ultimately, the most gratifying skills I built were learning how to connect with the patient, exercising empathy and lending a compassionate ear to the patient’s concerns. Altogether, both my academic and personal lives were enriched through this experience.��

The Balsam program was a space for critical reflection on community service in medicine. The privilege of accessing the most vulnerable moments of human life is a reminder of the pledge we take to serve through betterment – the onus is on us to continue enhancing the healthcare system not only as future physicians but also as change-makers. I walked away every time with an invigorated re-commitment to the work I hope to dedicate my life to.” – Rham Abu Affan, 2nd year medical student

“The Balsam program at Khalifa University provided us with the opportunity to serve the Abu Dhabi community with the skills that we are learning within the MD program. During our second year of medical school, we had four different Balsam visits to patients’ homes, and each visit was a very different and enlightening experience. We were part of a diverse medical team and had the chance to apply the knowledge learned in class into the real world and make a difference in people’s lives; this was both a privilege and an honor. However, what stuck with me the most during these visits was the connection I was able to form with the patients. Listening and attending to their concerns reminds me of why I have decided to enter this field – to help people, the community, and the country. Overall, I believe the Balsam program is an excellent and integral part of the MD curriculum at Khalifa University, as it allows us to serve the community and to develop the interpersonal skills that are vital for a successful doctor.” – Mohamed AlHashmi, 2nd year medical student

Erica Solomon
Senior Publication Specialist
21 February 2022

The post Balsam – A Service Oriented Learning Approach That’s Preparing KU’s Medical Graduates to Address the Unique Needs of the Communities They Serve appeared first on Khalifa University.

Khalifa University’s Dr. Peter Corridon has advanced tissue engineering with the development of bioengineered scaffolds made from ‘decellularized’ mouse, rat, pig, camel and sheep tissue segments, such as blood vessels, trachea, esophagi, and whole organs like the kidney and eye that may be used as replacement tissues and organs . His research is among the first to evaluate the integrity of bioartificial blood vessels and whole organs under human physiological conditions, examining how they function over time and how they can be extended to make any decellularized architecture less susceptible to degradation and more viable for long-term transplants.

Read the Arabic story here:

Taking organs from animals and stripping the cells from the blood vessels could be the new solution to treating medical problems, including retinopathy, amputations, and kidney failure.

After this cleaning process, all that remains is a web of collagen and protein called the extracellular matrix, which gives the blood vessel its structure. This is tissue engineering, and it forms the basis of research from Khalifa University focused on designing scaffolds for tissue and organ regrowth in patients with diseases that lead to organ failure.

Dr. Peter Corridon, Assistant Professor of Physiology and Immunology at Khalifa University, investigated the integrity of vascular networks in decellularized tissues to support the development of blood vessels for kidneys. The results of this study, published in Scientific Reports, wil aid in implementing lifesaving treatments for conditions including diabetes-induced kidney failure. Indeed, to receive a bioengineered blood vessel implant was a patient with late-stage kidney disease in 2013. Earlier this month, a US man became the first person in the world to get a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, with about one-third of diabetic adults suffering. The kidneys function to filter wastes and water out of the blood, helping to control blood pressure and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts and minerals in the blood. Blood flows into the kidney through the renal artery, is filtered in the functional units of the kidney, called nephrons, by clusters of tiny blood vessels called glomeruli, and then flows out of the kidney through the renal vein. This occurs throughout the day, with kidneys filtering around 150 quarts of blood every day.

Over time, poorly controlled diabetes can cause damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys, eyes, legs, and feet leading to uncontrolled damage and high blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause further organ damage by increasing the pressure in the delicate capillary systems. Severe damage to these blood vessel clusters can lead to diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy and amputations.

“By the end of this year, it is expected that 30 percent of the adult population in the United Arab Emirates will be diabetic,” Dr. Corridon said. “Almost half of those with diabetes develop significant vascular complications, which can lead to chronic conditions and even end-stage organ failure. These are substantial public health problems, highlighting the need for safe, effective, and innovative ways to treat the underlying conditions of vascular dysfunction.”

For the kidney specifically, traditional methods of treating renal problems include dialysis and transplantation; while dialysis can replace lost filtration capacities, a kidney transplant is the only way to restore all kidney function. However, there is a severe global shortage of transplantable kidneys and other organs. This, coupled with the issue of organ rejection, accentuate the demand for alternative solutions.

“Recent findings suggest that one possible way of addressing this growing issue is to develop replacement blood vessels, which could be used to treat those needing surgical intervention within the UAE,” Dr. Corridon said.

Bioengineered scaffolds can be used to develop bioartificial blood vessels known as human acellular vessels. They are a scaffold for the body to incorporate and provide a platform for cell growth, tunable to each recipient. They also act immediately as blood vessels, allowing the flow of blood through the kidneys while the body’s own cells grow into the matrix.

However, there are circumstances that limit scaffold viability. Dr. Corridon investigated a simplified model to analyze conditions needed to prepare more durable scaffolds for long-term transplantation.

He is developing his scaffolds using decellularized large and small animals to achieve an accurate biomimetic vascular architecture and functionality.

Decellularization is the process of taking an existing natural organ, either from a human or a nonhuman animal donor, and sterilizing it to the extent that only the collage network base remains, forming a natural scaffold. The decellularized scaffold can then be repopulated with a patient’s own cells to produce a personalized tissue.

These porcine scaffolds were subjected to a continuous blood flow at normal human physiological rates through the arteries to examine any dynamic changes in flow through the vessels and to determine their structure.

“Few studies have evaluated the integrity and function of the decellularized vasculature in whole porcine kidneys under physiological conditions,” Dr. Corridon explained. “The majority of these studies have primarily focused on demonstrating the preservation of structure and patency after decellularization and implantation.”

Under normal conditions, the kidneys autoregulate blood flow to maintain blood pressure through the delicate smaller vessels in the glomeruli. Decellularized kidneys, and kidneys in vitro, however, are incapable of autoregulation – meaning, they would be damaged under higher flow rates.

In this study, rates of 500ml/minute and 650ml/minute were used to represent the amount of blood each kidney would receive during resting conditions. The decellularized kidneys suffered damage at these levels, presumably due to their inability to autoregulate, which suggests that the elastin and collagen fibers in the scaffold would be damaged. In comparison, native kidneys possessed ‘sufficient structural barriers’ that prevented comparable damage, even though they were affected by the continuous flow of unfiltered and unreplenished blood.

“What’s important is that the perfusion process, which is the process of bathing an organ or tissue with a fluid, damaged the internal structures of both native and decellularized organs,” Dr. Corridon said. “While a significant difference was observed between perfused and non-perfused native kidneys, no significant difference was detected between perfused native and decellularized organs when perfused at the same rate.”

These findings reveal that the decellularized organs Dr. Corridon developed behave similarly to the native organs in disease conditions.

Dr. Corridon’s study provides a means to investigate how these blood vessels function over time and can be extended to other platforms to identify ways to make any decellularized architecture less susceptible to degradation and more viable for long-term transplantation.

Decellularization technologies hold great promise for the bioartificial tissue and organ industry, and understanding the limitations of these scaffolds will provide insight into the biomechanical improvements needed to increase their quality and support their clinical utility.��

Jade Sterling
Science Writer
21 January 2022

The post Testing Bioartificial Organs for Diabetic Disease Treatments appeared first on Khalifa University.

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Khalifa University has announced 49 newly enrolled students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) to study the 4+4 American curriculum MD program��took their customary oath at a White Coat Ceremony, marking the start of their Fall 2021 classes.��

During the ceremony, the class of 2025 cohort wearing their white coats, were officially welcomed by Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, and Dr. John Rock, Dean, Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, after which they pledged their allegiance to the medical code of ethics.��

The White Coat Ceremony was streamed live on Khalifa University’s YouTube channel, with parents, friends and families participating virtually. Currently, a total of 113 students have enrolled across the first three years of the four-year postgraduate MD program at CMHS.��

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi said: “The Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences has made steady progress over the years, generating significant interest among the students and implementing community-focused collaborations and new initiatives. As we warmly welcome the third cohort of medical students to Khalifa University, we believe they will contribute to the UAE’s healthcare ecosystem, not only through patient care but also through cutting-edge scientific and medical research that will benefit the community in general.”��

Dr. John Rock said: “We are delighted to welcome our largest class to date with the time-honored tradition of donning their first medical white coat. This is an exciting time for them to be joining our new and developing MD degree program. Over the past year, we successfully forged partnerships that enable our students, under the guidance of faculty, to be fully immersed in the Abu Dhabi community, providing healthcare in hospitals, clinics, and homes.”��

Last year, the second cohort of medical students received white coats at the ceremony, which symbolized welcoming the first-year students to the practice of medicine, elevating the value of humanism as the core of health care. The white coat, which stands as a symbol of the medical profession, also represents a student’s transition to a scientific approach to medicine, while signifying the commitment to the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship.��

Over the years, the Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences has registered remarkable achievements, including publishing 110 research papers in respected international scientific and medical journals. Khalifa University CMHS PubMed-listed research papers address a wide array of biomedical topics of relevance to the UAE and beyond, ranging from the Arab genome to diabetes, nanoparticles to cardiovascular and medical education.��

Over the past year, the Khalifa University CMHS received approval from the UAE’s Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) for implementation of the Clinical Phase of the MD program. This significant milestone for the university enabled the first cohort of CMHS medical students to commence their clinical clerkships in April of this year.��

Khalifa University continues to offer pipeline programs to stimulate interest and enhance the qualifications of potential applicants to the CMHS MD degree program. A weeklong Summer Med-Camp provided learning and growth opportunities for UAE National high school students with an interest in pursuing careers in medicine and health sciences. Khalifa University’s unique Pre-Medicine Bridge (PMB) Program conducted a Research Symposium to provide the transitioning students an opportunity to showcase their research efforts.��

Embracing a social-accountability-focused mission that incorporates attention to the social determinants of health, and develop socially accountable future physicians, the CMHS offers the Balsam program, which emphasizes social accountability and inter-professional education while providing evidence-based, patient- and family-centered care.

Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
13 October 2021

The post Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences Organizes White Coat Ceremony for Third Cohort of 49 Students appeared first on Khalifa University.

By setting up the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) in 2019, Khalifa University of Science and Technology became the first institution to introduce US-style medical education in the UAE. Thus, our university implemented a unique way to support the UAE’s growing need for medical services as it strengthens its ability to attract, retain, and train medical professionals.

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Across each academic year, our students are engaged in various activities to enhance their chances to enter our Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program. Research is one such integral component. The Pre-Medicine Bridge (PMB) Program Research Symposium is a unique event that provides our transitioning students with an opportunity to showcase their research efforts.

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The Pre-Medicine Bridge Students were divided into 6 groups and each group was allocated a Research Advisor to mentor the students throughout their work on their research. The groups presented their research in the form of poster presentations on 15 July in a virtual research symposium event that was open to all KU Community.

The judges, Dr. Theodore Burkett, Senior Lecturer & Acting Director, Preparatory Program, and Dr. Okobi Ekpo, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, chose the two winners. The first place winner was the Renal Pathology group and the second place winner was the Medicinal Chemistry group.

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To view the winners’ posters and presentations and for more information about the PMBP Symposium, please visit: The Pre-Medicine Bridge Program Virtual Research Symposium 2021 – Khalifa University (ku.ac.ae)

Erica Solomon
Senior Publication Specialist
1 September 2021

The post Pre-Med Students Share Research Efforts at KU’s Virtual PMB Research Symposium appeared first on Khalifa University.

Camp Includes Special Activities and Capstone Projects to Generate Interest in Pursuing Careers in Medicine and Health Sciences ��

Khalifa University has announced that the College of Medicine and Health Sciences will organize the ‘Summer Med-Camp 2021’ to provide learning and growth opportunities for UAE National high school students with an interest in pursuing careers in medicine and health sciences.

The week-long Khalifa University CMHS Summer Med-Camp 2021 will run from 1–5 August, targeting Emirati high school students to socially connect and get more information on medicine. The camp will include capstone projects in radiology, anatomy and genetics, during which students will engage and learn with Khalifa University faculty and medical professionals. Fun activities, quiz programs, and presentations from guest speakers are also part of the agenda.

There will also be an activity focusing on Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE) that is generally designed to prepare medical students for the clinical and communication aspects of becoming a doctor or a medical professional. Additionally, participants will be able to tour the state-of-the-art facilities at Khalifa University CMHS, while taking part in health and wellness activities, presentations of projects, and awarding of the winners. Moreover, they will interact with current MD students at Khalifa University CMHS.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “The Summer Med-Camp 2021 by Khalifa University CMHS will help Emirati high school students learn many ways to competently apply professional skills and knowledge, thus providing a learning-pathway experience. This is part of our initiative to create an overall healthcare ecosystem that inspires high school students to explore various options in the medicine and health sciences sector, and encourages them to develop special skills required for medical professionals. We believe student participants will gain an adequate understanding of this crucial sector.”

Dr. John Rock, Founding Dean, Khalifa University CMHS, said: “The Summer Med-Camp 2021 will include elements such as the capstone projects that will help students improve their critical thinking capability, solve challenging issues, and develop skills such as oral communication, public speaking, research skills, media literacy, teamwork, planning, and become results-oriented. It will also encourage students to connect their projects to community-specific challenges, and to integrate outside-of-school learning experiences, through activities such as interviews, and scientific observations.”

The Khalifa University CMHS recently received approval from the UAE’s Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) for the implementation of the Clinical Phase of the MD program. The milestone achievement demonstrates Khalifa University CMHS’ clinical educational experience, which comprises the third and fourth years of the four-year professional MD degree program.

Since its launch, the Khalifa University CMHS has published 45 research papers in respected international scientific and medical journals, covering a wide array of biomedical topics, ranging from the Arab genome to diabetes, nanoparticles to cardiovascular and medical education.

Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
27 July 2021

The post Khalifa University CMHS to Organize Summer Med-Camp 2021 to Provide Learning Opportunities for Emirati High School Students appeared first on Khalifa University.

Research to Support Accurate Classification of Genome Variants for Development of Preventative Healthcare System

A team of scientists from Khalifa University of Science and Technology has completed a significant local genome study that will contribute to nationwide efforts to build a high-quality, comprehensive reference genome for the UAE population.

The first phase of the study — the description of the first whole genome sequences of UAE nationals — was completed in 2019. Subsequently, in 2020, the researchers completed the second phase which described the nature of the genetic diversity found among UAE nationals. This year, the researchers completed the third phase of the UAE reference genome, which supports a broader understanding of the genome composition of the nation.

Following advancements in DNA sequencing and analysis techniques since renowned scientist Craig Venter and his colleagues published the first whole human genome sequence at the turn of this century, the genome study has become part of a major area of research at Khalifa University.

The Khalifa University scientists recently published a report titled ‘A population-specific Major Allele Reference Genome from the United Arab Emirates population’ in the international journal, Frontiers in Genetics. The study was authored by Dr. Habiba Alsafar, Associate Professor, Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Dr. Andreas Henschel, Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, with Dr. Gihan Daw Elbait and Dr. Guan Tay, from the Center for Biotechnology.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “Our researchers have published the first whole genome of a UAE national and have followed it up with this reference genome.�� This will advance our understanding of the genomes of the UAE population, improving the ability of researchers and clinicians to identify genetic causes of diseases that are common in the UAE and the region. This is a stellar achievement in the field of medicine and healthcare, as this will become a fundamental tool that will advance genome and public health research in the UAE, and contribute to nationwide efforts, being led by the recently formed UAE Genomics Council to incorporate genomics into the healthcare ecosystem of the UAE.”��

The ethnic composition of the population of a nation contributes to its genetic uniqueness.�� Consequently, it is important to define national reference genomes of its people to avoid any confounding effects which are linked to the use of reference genomes from other national genome sequencing efforts. A total of 1,028 UAE nationals were recruited for this study, as part of the 1,000 UAE genome project that was conceived by the research team when the Center of Biotechnology was founded in 2015. Of these, 129 samples were selected as individuals that are most representative of the genetic diversity of the UAE for construction of the UAERG.

“Despite achieving this major milestone in a relatively short period of time, our work to improve our understanding of how genes contribute to health continues,” said Dr. Alsafar and added, “Our next challenge is to decode the genome data to identify genetic markers that better predict the likelihood of disease.”

Precision medicine has the potential to profoundly improve the practice of medicine. The goal is to enable clinicians to quickly, efficiently and accurately predict the most appropriate course of action for a patient; a pre-emptive strike to prevent or delay the onset of disease.�� However, the practice of precision medicine and personalized healthcare is a complex science as it is influenced by a range of factors such as the environment and the inherent characteristics within an individual. Genetics is an important contributor to this complexity and genome science will play a key role in the rollout of future national health programs.

Since the establishment of the Center for Biotechnology (BTC), its primary mission sought to address a gap in knowledge relating to the specific genomic features of the UAE population.�� In 2018, the BTC team outlined a vision for a National Arab Genome project for the UAE in the Journal of Human Genetics. The aim was to address the deficiency in genome data on the UAE population to improve our understanding of genome variants that are unique to the population of the nation.�� The team led by eminent geneticist Dr. Alsafar, proceeded with the bold ambition to sequence Emirati nationals to provide a reference upon which clinical decisions can be made.

In 2019, Dr. Alsafar led the team that described the first Whole Genomes Sequences (WGS) of two UAE nationals in Nature Publishing Group’s Scientific Report.�� “It was important to achieve this milestone, as the whole genome sequences provided a starting point for construction of a UAE reference panel which will lead to improvements in the delivery of precision medicine, which we hope will eventually lead to improvements in the quality of life of UAE nationals” said Dr Alsafar.

Despite reporting on the first genome of a UAE national, the Khalifa University team continued to sequence samples provided by UAE nationals for research. In mid-2020, the team followed up the report of the first UAE Whole Genome Sequence with two papers in Frontiers in Genetics. These studies showed that the contemporary population of the UAE arose from gradual admixture through complex and long term interactions between local communities of the area that is now the UAE and the people of neighbouring regions.

The seven emirates that formed the UAE in 1971 were once sheikhdoms that were homes of communities that existed for centuries. These communities lived on the southern routes of human migration within the Arabian Peninsula. Some of the inhabitants of the region encountered people who led a nomadic lifestyle, travelling widely into and out of neighbouring African, Asian and European states. As these nomadic communities passed through this region, traces of genetic impressions of the populations that they encountered in their travels were left behind.

As researchers continue to probe the secrets entwined in the genome of the UAE population, the construction of this reference genome is intended to drive the developing paradigm that is precision medicine, specifically clinical practice that embraces prevention rather than treating disease once it has taken hold.

Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
5 July 2021

The post Khalifa University Researchers Complete Reference Genome Study for the UAE appeared first on Khalifa University.

Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) has now received approval from the UAE’s Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) for implementation of the Clinical Phase of the MD program.

The CAA granted Initial Program Accreditation effective 19 December 2019. With this, Khalifa University CMHS has demonstrated that its clinical educational experience, which comprises the third and fourth years of the four-year professional MD degree program, meets the rigorous accreditation standards of the CAA.

The Khalifa University CNHS currently has a total of 60 medical students enrolled in its first two cohorts, with a third cohort matriculating in Fall 2021. The first cohort of 30 medical students began the Clinical Phase in March 2021 and will graduate in April/ May 2023. Re-accreditation will begin in December of 2024.��

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “The accreditation approval for the Clinical Phase of the MD Program at the Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences marks our status as a vital academic institution that contributes to strengthening the healthcare ecosystem in the UAE and the region. We believe the Khalifa University CMHS will continue to develop qualified and trained medical professionals through the MD program.”��

The Khalifa University CMHS is the first medical college in the UAE to be modeled after the American medical education system, offering a 4-year allopathic medical education program requiring a 4-year bachelor’s degree, prior to admission. With 20 academic departments, the Khalifa University CMHS, employs a variety of educational strategies, including problem-based learning and clinical experiences to enable students to gain all competencies needed for any physician. The program also prepares students for postgraduate study in any specialty, for licensure, and for future medical practice.��

Headed by Founding Dean Dr. John Rock, the Khalifa University CMHS is currently negotiating with several programs in Canada and the US to establish partnerships for residency training.��

Dr. John Rock said: “The CMHS is delighted to receive the accreditation from the CAA. Since establishment, we have published 45 research papers in respected international scientific and medical journals, covering a wide array of biomedical topics, ranging from the Arab genome to diabetes, nanoparticles to cardiovascular and medical education.”

The UAE’s CAA is a recognized accrediting agency by both the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER).

Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
26 April 2021

The post Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences Receives Approval for Implementation of Clinical Phase of MD Program appeared first on Khalifa University.

Abi Sayid Mohammed, Simulation Specialist of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, has earned the International Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist-Advanced (CHSOS-A) credential, given by the Society of Simulation in Healthcare, the largest healthcare simulation organization in the world with its purpose to serve a global community of practice to enhance the quality of healthcare.

The comprehensive CHSOS-A credential is a portfolio-based certification for those in healthcare simulation operations. It covers the design, delivery, and technological and operational simulation principles. It also covers the leadership and demonstrated impact of simulation professionals on the field to meet the needs of healthcare learners at all levels.��

Mohammed submitted a portfolio that validated his advanced performance as an operations specialist in the healthcare simulation field, which was peer-reviewed against established standards of performance.��

Since March 2021, only 25 individuals from four countries have earned the CHSOS-A credential. Mohammed now joins this elite group as the first and only candidate from the United Arab Emirates to achieve the title.

Mohammed said, “It is an honor to be recognized and to be in the company of other 24 distinguished simulation specialists from around the world.”

Dr. John Rock, Founding Dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, commented, “I congratulate Abi Sayid Mohammed on his earning the Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist-Advanced (CHSOS-A) credential. This is an important recognition of excellence in simulation operations.”

Ara Maj Cruz
Creative Writer
18 April 2021

The post CMHS Simulation Specialist is the First from the UAE to Receive CHSOS-A™ Title appeared first on Khalifa University.

Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences has launched new initiatives aimed at bolstering the UAE’s healthcare infrastructure to advance research and train highly skilled clinicians

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Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) has recently launched two initiatives designed to support the UAE’s goal of improving its healthcare research capabilities. The two initiatives together will strengthen the country’s healthcare infrastructure by providing a mechanism for conducting and collaborating on healthcare research, and for improving research skills in the country’s current and future healthcare workers.

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Research and Data Intelligence Support Center

The first initiative out of Khalifa University’s CMHS is the Research and Data Intelligence Support Center (RDISC), created to ramp up the UAE’s ability to conduct pioneering research in the field of healthcare.

The new RDISC was developed in response to the UAE’s efforts to support health research, which was explained in the report “Development of a National Research Strategy for the UAE,” presented in May 2020 by Monash University Australia on behalf of the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention.

The RDISC aims to train researchers in relevant areas of health research; to support these researchers with the methodological infrastructure required; and to provide high-end computing capabilities to prepare health data for sophisticated research.

In this way, the Center will help to close the gap in the UAE’s health sector by providing the required infrastructure and building the necessary competencies needed to leverage the vast and diverse range of health data available for research in the UAE.

The Center will also serve as the education, training and support hub for health research in the UAE, allowing its collaborators and partners to achieve health research excellence.

The RDISC will enable Khalifa University to engage in meaningful collaborative work locally, regionally and globally.

The KU Certificate in Clinical Research (KU-CCR) Training Program

The second initiative is a high-quality, comprehensive, and internationally competitive training program in clinical research designed to train medical doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and anyone interested in clinical research.

Most modern healthcare professionals are mandated to have the skills and competencies necessary to understand, interpret, discuss, and perform clinical research. However, most standard training programs do not provide these skills and competencies regularly, and the absence of these core abilities in healthcare providers has become a critical problem.

The KU Certificate in Clinical Research (KU-CCR) training program is designed specifically to develop these clinical research skills and competencies and meet the need for such training.

The KU-CCR program will specifically provide graduate medical students, also known as residents, with the building blocks needed to perform clinical research. It will do this by giving students a real-world research problem to solve.��The aim is to give students the competencies to do research as lead investigators or co-lead investigators for complex projects.

In its first iteration, the program will train residents of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), which will in turn allow SEHA to receive accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The training will elevate SEHA’s residents to an unparalleled level regionally and globally.

Through these initiatives, Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences is carrying forwards its founding mission to enhance the healthcare ecosystem of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, while helping the country become a global leader in health research.

Erica Solomon
Publication��Senior Specialist
15 March 2021

The post Ramping up Health Research & Building Competencies in the UAE’s Healthcare Industry appeared first on Khalifa University.