On March 5, 2022, Prof. Sherief Khalifa, Vice Chancellor for Quality & Global Engagement and Dean, College of Pharmacy represented Gulf Medical University in an event organized and sponsored by Sanofi. The event was attended by government representatives from Dubai Health Authority & Department of Health in Abu Dhabi, representatives from academia, the business sector as well as health care practitioners.
Dr. Khalifa joined a panel discussion and spoke on the role of academia in UAE as a major contributer to drug discovery research and how Gulf Medical University as part of its mission is inculcating the culture of research in young minds starting from high school students joining its innovative “Future Scientists of UAE” internship program. GMU undergraduate students in the different health professions programs engage in research projects and present their research projects in scientific conferences and the GMU annual research day.
Among the numerous postgraduate programs offered by GMU, the university offers unique postgraduate programs that are nontraditional with focus on drug discovery and translational research:
- Master of Science in Drug Discovery & Development, College of Pharmacy in collaboration with University of Arizona, USA and University of Bradford, UK.
- PhD Program in Precision medicine, College of Medicine. This is a dual degree program with University of Paris Saclay, France.
Prof. Khalifa commented: “Thank you to Sanofi for organizing and sponsoring such an event that joins all stakeholders of medical research in one room to discuss what is best for the patients of UAE and how to work together to produce new knowledge that will have a positive impact on the citizens and residents of the country while contributing to a better economy for the UAE”.