DUBAI — Seven research projects spanning biomedical science, medical education and health policy have been selected for the inaugural Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Health Research Grant, following a competition that attracted 361 eligible applications.
The grants, announced by the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, will support research teams from universities and healthcare institutions across the UAE.
Three of the selected projects focus on biomedical research, while two each address medical education and health policy.
The biomedical projects cover diabetic kidney disease, prostate cancer diagnosis and recurrent implantation failure. A team led by Professor Mohamed A. Saleh of the University of Sharjah will investigate why the diabetes treatments tirzepatide and retatrutide may differ in their protective effects on the kidneys.
At NYU Abu Dhabi, Professor Mohammad A. Qasaimeh’s team will combine atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, microRNA analysis and machine learning in an effort to improve the classification of prostate cancer.
The third biomedical project, led by Dr. Yasmin Sajjad of Fakih IVF Centre in Abu Dhabi, will conduct a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examining the potential use of thymosin-α1 in cases of recurrent implantation failure following the transfer of a PGT-A-tested embryo.
The two medical education projects bring artificial intelligence into the classroom and scientific publishing.
Dr. Fayez Alshamsi of United Arab Emirates University will lead research into an AI-based intervention aimed at addressing bias and improving equity in medical education and scientific publishing in the UAE and wider MENA region.
Another UAE University team, led by Dr. Adnan Agha, will develop and validate an AI clinical reasoning tutor designed for Gulf medical education, with particular attention to the linguistic characteristics of the region.
The two health policy projects focus on obesity and physical activity.
At Khalifa University, Dr. Dian Kusuma will use Abu Dhabi’s Malaffi electronic health records to examine weight-management trajectories among people with obesity and the likelihood of achieving normal body weight.
The second project, led by Dr. Ashokan Arumugam of the University of Sharjah, will work towards developing evidence-based UAE national guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
The Foundation said the projects were selected after the evaluation process was completed in August, with the inaugural competition designed to support research at an early stage and help promising ideas develop into projects with practical applications.
“What distinguishes the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Health Research Grant is its focus on supporting promising research questions at a stage when scientific funding can make a meaningful difference to their development,” said H.E. Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of the Foundation.
He said the seven projects represented a broad range of work across biomedical research, medical education and health policy.
The Foundation said the grant forms part of its wider efforts to strengthen research capacity and encourage the generation of scientific knowledge with potential applications in healthcare practice, policy and education.
With the first seven projects now selected, the programme’s longer-term significance will depend on the evidence and knowledge generated by the research and how effectively those findings can move from academic studies into healthcare and policy settings.
