SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Genomics and artificial intelligence are rapidly transforming healthcare in the UAE, driving advancements in disease prevention, personalised treatments, and clinical efficiency, experts told Aletihad.
With large-scale genomic sequencing and AI-powered tools being integrated into healthcare systems, the country is positioning itself at the forefront of cutting-edge medical research, said Paul Jones, CEO of the Omics Centre of Excellence.
"We have the opportunity to implement a large-scale sequencing programme that could offer valuable genomic data for improving healthcare outcomes," he told Aletihad, adding how this approach could shape the future of personalised medicine.
Jones also touched on the importance of tailoring treatments to individual genetic profiles, positioning the UAE as a leader in genomic research.
He noted the integration of artificial intelligence in drug development, which he described as a key factor in streamlining the identification of drug targets and accelerating the clinical development process.
"AI can refine target identification and speed up clinical development," he explained.
Acknowledging the challenges in scaling precision medicine, Jones praised the UAE's progress in overcoming obstacles and called for faster translation of research into clinical practice.
"Typically, it takes upwards of 20 years for research to make its way into clinics. The UAE has made significant strides to bridge this gap," he said.
He also shared his optimistic vision for the future of genomics, saying, "We will continue to sequence the local population, capturing its diversity to further our understanding of health and disease."
Dr. Maaz Shaikh, Vice President of Product Management at M42, explored the role of AI in revolutionising healthcare, particularly through enhanced diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.
He discussed M42's collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) to develop Med42, a clinical large language model (LLM) aimed at improving patient outcomes.
The tool, integrated with electronic medical record (EMR) systems, offers clinicians quick access to patient data and summarises it for more effective diagnosis and treatment planning.
"Medical diagnosis has become complicated because of the increasing volume of patient data. Clinicians are spending more and more time actually looking for this information in electronic medical records," Dr. Maaz explained.
"Med 42 summarises medical records and brings out a summary so that doctors are able to view a complete picture of the patient," he added.
He also highlighted how AI is transforming the field of pharmacogenomics - understanding how genetic variations affect medication responses.
Another field where AI can help is automating administrative tasks, freeing up time for clinicians to focus more on patient care.
"AI can enable us to automate these tasks… when they have more time, they are able to focus on their patients better. It is a rare combination... to improve efficiency while improving experience and quality," he said.