All posts by Abdullah Zafar

Scholarship recipient serves the nation

Dr Anas Al Salami is 1 of 4 outstanding Al Jalila Foundation Scholarship recipients to graduate as part of the ‘Class of 2018’ from Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences (MBRU). In addition to earning a Masters of Paediatric Dentistry from MBRU, Dr Anas received the prestigious ‘Young Healthcare Professional Award’ by Dubai Healthcare City Authority. Dr Anas’ childhood dream was to become a dentist and through his academic career discovered his passion to serve as a Paediatric Dentist recognising that oral health and hygiene begins in infancy.

Dr Anas is highly recognised for breaking boundaries both locally and internationally by holding the highest score in the Tri-Collegiate Membership in Paediatric Dentistry Examination of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh (2017) and the highest rank in MSc Pediatric Dentistry Program at MBRU (2017). In recognition of his outstanding achievements Dr Anas has recently been appointed as Lecturer & Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry at MBRU.

The young healthcare professional is an example as an academic, professional, volunteer and humanitarian. His achievements include providing oral health protocol to the Ministry of Interior for all jail nurseries in the UAE, and participating in initiatives like the Oral Health Camp for GCC Unified Week for oral care; Hamdan Bin Mohammed Oral Hygiene Initiative for Workers; Smile for Life Campaign; and Al Ihsan Charity Association oral health screening program for school children in Dubai.

Al Jalila Foundation has already awarded 59 scholarships to outstanding medical students in its mission to bolster the medical workforce in the UAE.

Marwa’s heart is filled with promise

Marwa, 21, had undergone a heart transplant in Germany where she stayed for more than 3 years after surgery to receive essential post-operative care.

Upon returning to the UAE it was vital, as part of the treatment plan for a post heart transplant, she continue to do regular follow-ups, catheter and heart biopsy, to check if there is a rejection of the new heart.

Lack of medical insurance posed a great difficulty and with such a serious medical condition it was imperative that Marwa undergo the necessary catheter procedure right away.

With Al Jalila Foundation’s support the treatment was carried out at Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi with Dr Feras Bader who is the only doctor in the UAE able to perform this type of highly skilled specialist treatment.

Marwa expressed, “After many years of treatment away from home I was very physically and mentally tired and the support was everything I needed to continue to be strong and push through. I give great thanks and gratitude and the highest praise for the attention, care and help I received from Al Jalila Foundation and the medical team which is more than I can hope to repay.”

Read Marwa’s Story of Hope here.

Mohammed runs forward with hope

Mohammed Ayoub was one of our first A’awen patients, he was the face of 7EmiratesRun and the inspiration for Al Jalila Foundation’s iMcan program which provides prothesis to those in need.

6-year-old Mohammed was born with severe congenital limb deformities and over the years we have watched Mohammed blossom from a shy toddler into a confident young boy. He has since joined #TeamAlJalila at many events and even took part in the TECOM We Walk to inspire other children of determination.

Mohammed recently had the opportunity to be part of the Ottobock Running Clinic in Dubai run by Paralympic world champion and gold medalist, Heinrich Popow, and trialed a running prostheses for the first time. It has long been Mohammed’s wish to run and play football with his friends and siblings and when Mohammed put on the ‘running blade’ and was shown by Heinrich what he could do the thrill of being able to run freely was impossible to hide. Watching the Olympian and listening to his story of triumph and how he used his disability to the best of his ability, had Mohammed in awe and clearly made a lasting impression on the young boy. As the day came to an end Mohamed exclaimed “I want to run fast like Heinrich, I want to go to the Olympics”.

Since 1990 the UAE has been an avid champion for young children like Mohammed with sports being encouraged to all children of all abilities. In 2019 Abu Dhabi hosted the Special Olympics World Games and showed the world the UAE’s commitment to creating a more inclusive society and ensuring the happiness of people of determination so that children like Mohamed can realise their dreams. As we follow Mohammed’s journey he continues to inspire us with his childlike enthusiasm and ambition.

basma Campaign Spreads Smiles

July 2019

The vision of our founder His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is “to create hope, life and happiness for everyone in the UAE”. And, at Al Jalila Foundation we believe that health is the cornerstone to happiness and every child deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy, dream and realise their potential. We are delighted to share with you the success of the third annual basma Ramadan campaign which has become an established feature on the Ramadan calendar embodying the spirit of giving.

Al Jalila Foundation awards AED 5.4 million to advance biomedical research in the UAE

Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation dedicated to transforming lives through medical education and research, announced today that it has awarded AED 5.4 million in seed grants to 20 UAE-based medical researchers bringing the total investment to date to AED 25 million for 95 research projects. The seed grants focus on research in the field of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and mental health, Al Jalila Foundation’s five research priorities.

The grants were awarded to scientists from medical institutions across the UAE including Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, Gulf Medical University Ajman, Abu Dhabi University, Erada Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation and Zayed University. One Emirati medical student was also selected to pursue medical research elective fellowship training at Beaumont Hospital in Ireland.

Her Excellency Dr Raja Al Gurg, Member of the Board of Trustees of Al Jalila Foundation and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Al Jalila Foundation, commented: “Scientists around the world continue to search for answers into the causes, prevention and treatment of diseases affecting mankind. Our investment in medical research reaffirms our commitment to embed research and innovation in the fabric of the nation’s long-term healthcare strategy. Medical research has the potential to save lives and our efforts today will pave the way for a healthier world for future generations.”

“Advances in medical research are critical to the nation’s prosperity and our mission is to inspire medical advancements that will benefit future generations and support our vision to be at the forefront of global medical innovation. Today’s investments in medical research will go a long way to ensuring better treatment options for future generations.” Dr Raja added.

Out of 130 applications submitted for the seed grants in 2018, which represents over 141% increase in the number of applications since the inception of the program, 20 applications were selected following a competitive two-stage review process including international peer review with experts from the world’s most renowned medical institutions. The institutions include University of Oxford, King’s College London, University of Glasgow, Harvard Medical School, University of Pennsylvania, Mayo Clinic, University of Toronto, University of McMaster, University of Alberta, University of Lund, and University of Queensland. The reviewers were handpicked as leading experts in their specific field of research, in line with the commitment from Al Jalila Foundation to grow a biomedical research ecosystem in Dubai built on international best practice.

In its fifth cycle grants were awarded across all five themes with the highest number being for cancer which is representative of one of the most serious diseases this generation and leading cause of death. Twelve grants were awarded in the field of cancer, one in cardiovascular disease, three in diabetes, two in obesity, and two in mental health. The funded studies include 6 basic, 11 translational and 3 clinical research projects.

Prof. Sehamuddin Galadari, Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Cell Biology and Chair of Scientific Advisory Committee of Al Jalila Foundation, said: “We are very pleased to see a significant increase in the number and quality of the applications received. This year nearly all Emirates were represented and grants were awarded in all five research areas supported by Al Jalila Foundation. The successful recipients have been selected following an independent and rigorous competitive selection process engaging international peer review. It is our mission as we progress to bring local and international scientists together to conduct research in the UAE. Our ultimate goal is to elevate the quality and the quantity of research being conducted in the UAE. This is very important in building a knowledge based economy, and transforming the healthcare system to be more research oriented, and hence, improving people’s lives with better treatments.”

Two UAE-based researchers funded by Al Jalila Foundation were recently honoured during the third edition of Dubai Healthcare City Authority’s (DHCA) Excellence Awards 2019 presented by HE Humaid Al Qutami, Director-General of Dubai Health Authority.

The ‘Excellence in Healthcare Research Award’ recognizes efforts by scientists funded by DHCC-based organizations to advance research. The Basic Sciences Research Category award, was presented to Taleb H. Al-Tel, a professor from Sharjah University, for his research in the development of a unique 3D chemical molecule that has a significant role in developing lead drug candidates targeting cancer, hyperlipidemia and acting against multidrug-resistant pathogens. The Applied Sciences Research Category award was presented to Leontios Hadjilentiadis, Professor at Khalifa University, for his innovative method to detect depressive disorders through a smart phone application that records four parameters related to keystroke dynamics while the user interacts with the phone’s keyboard.

Al Jalila Foundation was established in 2012 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to position the UAE at the forefront of medical research and innovation. Over the last 5 years Al Jalila Foundation has invested AED 25 million to advance medical research and create a platform to support local scientists and researchers.

 

Summary of research projects funded by Al Jalila Foundation in 2018:

Professor Thomas E Adrian, from Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, to investigate novel drug combinations to treat cancer. (Cancer)

Professor Rabah Iratni, from United Arab Emirates University, investigates the anti-triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) activity of carnosol, a natural compound extracted from culinary plant, through the downregulation of the death-associated protein kinase. (Cancer)

Dr Rania Zaarour, from Gulf Medical University Ajman, aims to study the effects of smoking on remodeling the tumor microenvironment and shaping stemness and immunogenicity in lung cancer. (Cancer)

Dr Sausan Al Kawas, from the University of Sharjah, is evaluating the effects of Dokha smoking on health in the UAE population. (Cardiovascular Disease)

Professor Gulfaraz Khan, United Arab Emirates University, is investigating how the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) induces cell transformation and carcinogenesis with the aim to develop methods of prevention of EBV-associated malignancies. (Cancer)

Dr Jibran Sualeh Muhammad, from University of Sharjah, to address the question of whether estrogen signaling is capable of inducing epigenetic modifications in cancer cells. (Cancer)

Dr Hany Omar, from University of Sharjah, to investigate on metabolic reprogramming as a novel approach to sensitize cancer cells to immunotherapy.  (Cancer)

Dr Mohammed Ghazal, from Abu Dhabi University, to develop a novel software for the early diagnosis and optimal management of diabetic retinal diseases. (Diabetes)

Dr Teresa Arora, from Zayed University, to assess the feasibility and adherence of a sleep improvement intervention for weight loss and its maintenance in sleep impaired obese adults. (Obesity)

Dr Bashair Mohammed Mussa, from University of Sharjah, to investigate the role of FOS and BECLIN1-inducing autophagy in pathogenesis of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure in diabetes. (Diabetes)

Dr Mohammad Ameen Qasaimeh, from New York University Abu Dhabi, to propose a high-throughput technique that will enable researchers and clinicians with a rapid measurement platform to assess RBCs deformability in diabetic patients. (Diabetes)

Dr Mohamed Rahmani, from University of Sharjah, to study deciphering mechanisms of triple negative breast cancer resistance to PI3K inhibitors. (Cancer)

Dr Ibrahim Elfadel, from Khalifa University, aims to design a wearable system for reliable continuous weight monitoring. (Diabetes)

Dr Mazin Magzoub, from New York University Abu Dhabi, to develop a cancer drug delivery nanoplatform with improved stability, capacity, targeting specificity with superior imaging and real-time monitoring and simultaneous delivery of chemotherapeutics and photosensitizers for enhanced treatment efficacy. (Cancer)

Dr Kirsten Sadler Edepli, from New York University Abu Dhabi, to investigate the role of epigenetic regulator UHRF1 in hepatocyte senescence and liver tumorigenesis by taking Zebrafish as a model. (Cancer)

Dr Riyad Bendardaf, from University of Sharjah, to study the role and therapeutic implications of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 4 and 6 in colorectal cancer in the UAE. (Cancer)

Dr Saba Al Heialy, from Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, aims to identify genes involved in severe asthma and their correlation with the development of early lung cancer. (Cancer)

Dr M Emdadul Haque, from United Arab Emirates University, to deepen an understanding of Parkin and PINK1 in the process of regulating mitochondrial turnover. (Cancer and Mental Health)

Dr Tareq Qassem, from Erada Center for Treatment and Rehab, to evaluate the effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) on behavior of individuals with identified substance abuse disorder. (Mental Health)

Dr Zubaida Shebani, from United Arab Emirates University, aims to study whether or not the activation of the motor system is necessary for language procession. (Mental Health)