Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi University forge partnership on life sciences and innovation

During GITEX Global Week 2023, the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DoH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi University (ADU) to elevate joint collaboration in education, life sciences and clinical research. Under the deal, the two parties will exchange knowledge and expertise across the healthcare and academic fields to advance Abu Dhabi's healthtech ecosystem.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director, Research and Innovation Centre of DoH, and Professor Ghassan Aouad, Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University (ADU).

Why does it matter?

Through the MoU, DoH and ADU aim to foster an innovative healthcare ecosystem with a focus on supporting healthtech startups by providing access to health technology assessments and ecosystem partners. The MoU will also involve the mutual sharing of essential resources, such as cutting-edge laboratories, health data, expert networks, and active participation from both students and faculty in leading research projects.

As part of its efforts to nurture students with early in-depth knowledge of the healthcare sector, DoH will support ADU through participating in events focused on healthtech education. Furthermore, ADU will facilitate the integration of its students into the constantly evolving healthcare innovation ecosystem.

The collaboration will witness pioneering clinical trials, with a particular focus on early-phase investigations and innovative therapeutic approaches. Both parties will establish sustainable training programmes not limited to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines which are designed to empower healthcare research clinicians in emerging areas of clinical trials that leverage the power of AI, data science, and analytics. Training sessions on clinical trial ethics will be open for students and community members to raise awareness and encourage participation in the Emirate's ongoing clinical trials.

With the aim of upskilling healthcare professionals and students in genomic and precision medicine, DoH and ADU will work together to develop accredited genetic counseling educational courses. Based on this agreement, students from ADU's College of Health Sciences will have access to leading internship opportunities from within the Emirate's healthcare sector to obtain hands-on experience and exposure to cutting-edge practices in the field.

On the record

"The Department of Health - Abu Dhabi continues to forge partnerships with key stakeholders from across various fields to exchange knowledge and expertise and lead distinguished research which will ultimately contribute to the enhancement of healthcare outcomes," said Dr. Asma Al Mannaei. "Through this partnership, we reinforce our commitment to nurturing the next generation of healthcare leaders by providing students with early access to healthcare knowledge and real-world experience - empowering them to drive transformative change from the very beginning of their educational journey."

"We are honoured to collaborate with a prestigious partner such as the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi. We continue to work with our strategic partners to offer our students unique cross-learning experiences and equip them with the 21st century skills and resources they need to succeed in their future," added Professor Ghassan Aouad. "At ADU, we are committed to investing in scientific research opportunities that foster innovation and creative thinking among faculty and students. Through national and global strategic partnerships, we have advanced our research capabilities to commercialise innovations and startups."