On Monday, June 22nd, 2026, Hadil Rabaah, a student in the Master of Science in Drug Discovery and Development (MDD) program at the College of Pharmacy, successfully defended her Master’s thesis titled “Evaluation of the Possible Neuroprotective Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Agonist on Dementia-Like Symptoms Experimentally Induced in Rats.” The thesis was supervised by Prof. Mohamed Abdullatif, Professor of Pharmacology and Assistant Dean for Assessment at the College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, and co-supervised by Dr. Areeg Anwer Ali, Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology at RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
Hadil’s research focused on investigating the potential of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, agents traditionally associated with diabetes management, as a therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative conditions. By utilizing an experimentally induced rat model, her study evaluated the neuroprotective effects of these compounds against dementia-like symptoms. This work contributes valuable insights into repurposing existing pharmacological pathways to combat cognitive decline and highlights potential new avenues for the management of dementia.
The thesis examination committee included Prof. Yin Chen (External Examiner), Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Associate Professor at the BIO5 Institute, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, USA, and Dr. Yasmin Aboul-Ela (Internal Examiner), Associate Professor of Pharmacology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University.
During the public oral defense examination held in Lecture Hall 1, Hadil was able to effectively present her research findings and defend her conclusions, demonstrating a deep understanding of neuropharmacology and her area of study. The examination committee commended her on the thoroughness and significance of her experimental work, concluding that she had successfully completed her thesis.
This achievement is a significant milestone for Hadil Rabaah. We congratulate her on her hard work and dedication to her studies and wish her continued success in her future endeavors in the field of drug discovery and development.
Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG 3: Good Health and Well Being; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
