HMS and DHC announce Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research

The Foundation will be headquartered at the Harvard Medical School - Dubai Centre, which has its premises at the Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC).

Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research has been created to support biomedical research and academic programmes that will advance leading-edge scientific knowledge and create a community of leaders in science and medicine in the region. Programmes will be implemented through the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC), which will also develop collaborative scientific and medical research between regional laboratories and Harvard Medical School.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, Chairman of Dubai Healthcare City, said that: "Launching the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research reflects the strategy of the Dubai Healthcare City which aims at establishing a unique centre in the region to provide the highest standards of medical education, life science studies and healthcare.

"The Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research will feature some of the world's top experts in medicine and life sciences whose contributions will surely benefit humanity. Medical schools' graduates from all over the region, who will train at HMSDC, will gain from the Foundation as it will help them acquire solid knowledge and experience through interactions with renowned physicians, experts and researchers," Al Muntafiq added.

"The Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research has been designed as an enduring vehicle for attracting, educating, and supporting the Middle East's most pre-eminent and most promising life sciences researchers," said Joseph B. Martin, MD, PhD, and Dean of Harvard Medical School. "It is our hope that research funded through the Foundation will help to drive a resurgence in scientific inquiry and discovery in the Middle East, and lead to innovations that will address the region's most pressing health problems."

Global Expertise

The Foundation will be administered through an endowment fund designed to support the work of HMSDC as well as collaborative research in the region and around the world. The Dubai Harvard Foundation's Board of Trustees has representation from the United Arab Emirates and Harvard Medical School, and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and ratification of all programmes. In addition, the Foundation will draw upon the expertise of internationally renowned scientists and researchers who will serve on the Foundation's Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. The Foundation's funds and the endowment returns will be managed by the Harvard Management Company.

The Foundation Council is currently in the process of being formed. Its members will shape and support the major academic programs at HMSDC.

"The establishment of the Foundation, coupled with the launch last year of the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center, has positioned Dubai at the forefront of regional efforts to advance health care delivery, medical education, and research," said Robert Thurer, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Chief Academic Officer of the HMSDC.