Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research to host conference for top young Gulf scientists

The event, entitled 'Young Investigators Conference: Strategy for Science,' is being held under the auspices of the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research, which was launched in March with the goal of developing scientific leaders who will help build a life sciences infrastructure in the Gulf Region.

The Foundation was established through the collaboration between Harvard Medical School, Harvard Medical International, and Dubai Healthcare City, a member of Tatweer. Its focus is to create the infrastructure to enable biomedical research of a world standard, and to support new generations of scientists and healthcare professionals as they pursue potentially groundbreaking research. The Foundation was launched with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, U.A.E. Vice-President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.

The conference has been initiated by DHFMR and Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) Institute for Postgraduate Education and Research. The conference will assist attendees identify challenges and opportunities in scientific research in the Gulf Region. The conference attendees will include postgraduate scientists as well as academic leaders from regional medical schools.

Dr. Muhadditha Al Hashimi, CEO of Dubai Healthcare City, said:

'Conferences of this stature play a key role in driving research in medical care in the region. They also serve to prepare and mentor an upcoming generation of specialized researchers.'

Assuring Dubai Healthcare City's commitment to ensure the success of the conference, Dr. Al Hashimi said its outcomes will have far reaching impacts on the local and regional healthcare sector.

His Excellency Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qutami, UAE Minister of Health, will attend the conference and will address the audience with some opening remarks. Also attending the conference will be Sehamuddin Galadari, MD, Associate Professor at the United Arab Emirates University College of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Galadari serves as a member of the Dubai Harvard Foundation's Scientific Advisory Committee.

Robert L. Thurer, MD, Executive Director of the Foundation, and Chief Academic Officer of HMSDC said: 'This conference is an opportunity to begin a conversation that will continue all over the Gulf Region and have a tremendous impact on the development of scientific research.'

He added: 'Bringing the region's most promising scientists together will allow us to focus the Foundation's efforts, identify regional laboratories that could potentially host collaborative research programs, and spark collaborations between individual scientists, working here and abroad.'

Mohamed Sayegh, MD, Professor of Transplantation Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will be on hand to discuss the process of translating bench research into advances in clinical medicine. Sayegh was one of six Harvard Medical School faculty members who came to Dubai in March to participate in a scientific symposium commemorating the creation of the Foundation. 'This is a talent-rich region, and the Foundation is a powerful vehicle to help drive the efforts of these scientists,' said Sayegh.

Initially, the Foundation will provide opportunities for select Gulf Region scientists to participate in collaborative research programs abroad, at world-renowned institutions like Harvard Medical School. The ultimate goal is to put in place the infrastructure and resources to make these opportunities available in the Gulf Region. That process will take time, but investment in the region's intellectual capital-its home-grown talent-has already begun. Most of the scientists planning to attend the conference are currently doing research outside the Gulf Region, though the prospect of being able to pursue their work in their home communities has fueled interest in the Foundation's efforts.

The conference will be held on January 4th, 2007 at the Godolphin Ballroom in the Emirates Towers, Dubai.