Two Emirati students join advanced research programme at Mayo Clinic
10 June 2025 00:15
HALA AL KHAYAT (ABU DHABI)Reaffirming the UAE's championing of scientific excellence, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Work has announced its support for two Emirati female students to join a research training programme at the Mayo Clinic in the US.The move enables Emirati students Moza Al Alili and Hessa Mohammed Saeed Al Mansouri to gain in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience at the Mayo Clinic and enrich the UAE's healthcare system on their return.Scholarship programmes are a key pillar of the UAE's strategy to build a new generation of scientists, doctors, and researchers capable of keeping pace with rapid developments in medicine, science, and technology.The wise leadership of the UAE has placed educational scholarships at the forefront of its priorities, directing efforts to expand academic partnerships with world-renowned universities and research centres.As part of this vision, the Mayo Clinic - ranked among the top research hospitals in the world - has become a favoured destination for Emirati students, offering rare opportunities to engage with advanced applied research and world-class laboratories.
Pioneering Research OpportunitiesAs part of the President's Scholarship for Outstanding Physicians, the foundation continues to offer advanced research opportunities for Emirati students at prestigious global institutions such as the Mayo Clinic. The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Work emphasised that such support lays the foundation for refining national competencies in vital areas like medicine, science, and technology, empowering them to actively contribute to the UAE's research and innovation landscape - aligned with the nation's ambitions for a knowledge-based economy.These initiatives, the foundation noted, are not merely investments in individuals, but in the future of the nation. Every scholarship student returns equipped with the power of knowledge, helping to elevate the UAE's standing in the global medical and research arenas.
Moza Al Alili: Emirati Researcher Charting Path in GeneticsEmirati student Moza Mohammed Al Alili, a third-year PhD student at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at UAE University, specialises in Biomedical Sciences. She began her academic journey with a bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Sharjah, graduating with honours. Throughout her studies, she focused closely on genetic disorders related to mitochondrial DNA. After graduation, she worked for three years as a Medical Laboratory Scientist at Khalifa Medical City in Ajman before fully committing to research.Al Alili pursued her master's degree in Medical Sciences – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the UAE University. Her thesis explored RNA analysis in type 2 diabetes and its relation to bone health.Today, Al Alili is working on her PhD dissertation, which investigates genetic changes in type 2 diabetes associated with obesity, focusing on how the condition affects bone and the mechanisms of osteocyte (bone cell) communication under disease conditions."My research aims to understand the 'language' of cells through extracellular vesicles - highly specialised communication tools - which could open new doors to more precise and effective treatments," Al Alili said.Al Alili is the first PhD student at the UAE University to have her research included in the field of extracellular vesicle extraction, a speciality not yet available at the university.Thanks to a research grant from the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Work, under the President's Scholarship for Distinguished Physicians, Al Alili has been given a unique opportunity to train in the Mayo Clinic laboratories.She began her training in early June, in a programme lasting from three months up to a year, under the supervision of Dr. Naureen Javed, an expert in physiology and biomedical engineering.Al Alili said that this technique helps identify the "language" of cells through biological receptors released in vesicles, aiding in the understanding of healing mechanisms and the development of molecular-level therapies.Al Alili emphasised that her achievements would not have been possible without the strong support of the UAE's wise leadership and national institutions - chief among them the Khalifa Bin Zayed Foundation, which opens doors to world-class research and training opportunities."The UAE gives every citizen the chance to grow and supports highly specialised fields that meet the needs of our era," she said.She adds that her goal is to bring this advanced knowledge back home and contribute to developing treatments that reinforce the UAE's leadership in the health and research sectors.
Hessa Al Mansouri: Sustainable Health Solutions Come from the LabA graduate student at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at UAE University, Hessa Mohammed Al Mansouri, believes that scientific research is not just an academic choice but a vital necessity for advancing medicine in the UAE and achieving local scientific self-sufficiency. Al Mansouri is currently pursuing her postgraduate studies at the UAE University's medical college. She was nominated by the university and the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Work to apply for the Visiting Research Trainee Programme at the Mayo Clinic lab.The lab focuses on extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by beta cells, aiming to understand subtle changes in their content and how these impact cellular communication during the progression of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes."This kind of research directly touches the future of healthcare, as it paves the way for discovering biomarkers that aid in more accurate diabetes diagnosis and in using them as targets for genetic or cellular therapy. The research we conduct today may make a difference in the lives of millions of patients in the future," Al Mansouri said.Her passion for scientific research began during her undergraduate years, where she realised the importance of deeply understanding the biological mechanisms of chronic diseases-especially diabetes, which remains one of the region's most significant health challenges."The deeper I dive into understanding the disease from a research perspective, the more I'm convinced that sustainable solutions come from the lab, and that a physician-researcher is the one truly capable of changing patients' lives," Al Mansouri said.She sees her experience at the Mayo Clinic as a rare opportunity to acquire advanced research skills in a rigorous scientific environment - skills she hopes to use to help develop local research programmes led by Emirati talent."I aspire to be part of a fully integrated Emirati research ecosystem, one that contributes to innovative treatment solutions for chronic diseases and places the UAE at the forefront of global medical innovation," she said.After completing her experience at Mayo Clinic, Al Mansouri hopes to transfer the knowledge gained back to the UAE by helping establish specialised research centres in diagnostic medicine and gene therapy, and by participating in the development of academic programmes that support a new generation of physician-researchers."In the UAE, we have the will, the resources, and supportive leadership. What we need now, as young people, is to take responsibility for turning these opportunities into scientific achievements that serve humanity," Al Mansouri said.She also expressed her deep gratitude to the UAE's wise leadership for their commitment and care towards students, and their belief in the role of youth in national development by providing them with exceptional educational and research opportunities.Al Mansouri extended special thanks to the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Work for its continuous support and pioneering efforts in offering academic, practical, and research development opportunities at prestigious international institutions.
She noted that this support is not just a show of trust - it's a true investment in the nation's future and a firm belief in the capabilities of Emirati youth to excel and contribute meaningfully to the development journey.
Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
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