Dubai, UAE:  Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, Supreme President of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, honoured the winners of the 2025 Medical Awards during an official ceremony organised by the Foundation at Etihad Museum in Dubai. The event was attended by senior healthcare leaders, policymakers, academics, and researchers from within the United Arab Emirates and abroad.

In his address, Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum emphasised that the medical sector constitutes a fundamental pillar of sustainable development and a core driver of quality of life and human empowerment. Sheikh Rashid noted that recognising distinguished achievers in this field reflects the Foundation’s steadfast commitment to promoting excellence grounded in scientific research, innovation, and professional integrity. Sheikh Rashid added that the Medical Awards represent a continuation of the scientific and humanitarian legacy of the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, whose belief in fostering excellence and supporting research contributed significantly to advancing diagnostic and treatment practices and to enhancing healthcare services and public health awareness.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Prevention, HE Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Under Secretary Assistant of Public Health Sector at  Ministry of Health and Prevention, stated: “As we honour the winners of the Medical Awards today, we celebrate excellence and innovation while reaffirming our commitment to advancing scientific research, strengthening knowledge partnerships, and embedding a culture of excellence as a sustainable institutional approach.”

For his part, H.E. Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, noted that the honouring ceremony represents the culmination of a rigorous process of scientific evaluation and specialised peer review. He explained that the winning works demonstrated a high level of research quality and applied impact, highlighting leading models in medical research, healthcare innovation, and professional practice that contribute to strengthening healthcare systems and enhancing their societal impact. H.E. Al Qatami added that the Medical Awards reflect the advanced standards of healthcare services and reveal elite competencies within this vital sector, underscoring alignment with the leadership’s commitment to supporting healthcare development in pursuit of strategic objectives toward a knowledgeable, health-conscious society capable of meeting the demands of sustainable development. He concluded by congratulating the winners and reaffirming the Foundation’s continued support for advancing medical excellence and promoting sustained quality in healthcare performance.

Winners

A total of ten (10) institutions, specialists, and researchers were honoured across regional and national award categories in the 2025 Medical Awards cycle. These included the Arab Award for Research in Healthcare, the Arab Award in Genetics, the Best Research in the Healthcare Award, the Innovation in Healthcare Award, and the Hamdan Award for Distinguished Personalities in the Healthcare Sector. The winning submissions reflected a high level of scientific rigor and applied relevance, reinforcing the role of the awards in highlighting excellence in medical research and professional healthcare practice.

The Arab Award in Genetics under the Arab World Awards category was granted to Prof. Majed bin Abdullah Al Fadhel, Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Chairman of Genetics and Precision Medicine department at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, and Deputy Executive Director of King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre (KAIMRC).

The Arab Award for Research in Healthcare was awarded to a study titled “Long-read sequencing enhances the discovery of pathogenic and novel variants in patients with rare diseases”. The research was submitted by a team from Dubai Health Genomic Medicine Center, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine & Health Science, and the Dubai Police's Genome Centre. The same award was also granted to another study titled “The role of dapagliflozin in relieving cellular stress and inflammation through modulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway in cardiomyocytes, aortic endothelial cells, and stem-cell-derived beta cells.” This study was prepared by a research team from the University of Sharjah, Mayo Clinic United States of America, United Arab Emirates University, Emirates Health Services, the Armed Forces College of Medicine Arab Republic of Egypt, and Mansoura University Arab Republic of Egypt.

Within the United Arab Emirates awards, Hamdan Award for Distinguished Personalities in the Healthcare Sector was presented to Dr. Arif Abdulla Alnooryani, Executive Director and Head of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Heart Center Al Qassimi Hospital, and Dr Wadeia Muhammad Sharif, Director of Medical Education and Research Department Dubai Health Authority.

The Best Research in the Healthcare Award recognized three studies. Among them was a study titled “Physical activity as a means of preventing eye diseases,” submitted by a research team from Gulf Medical University and Johns Hopkins University. Another winning study, titled “Impact of multicomponent clinical interventions, including optimal medication use and lifestyle improvement, on patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial between two patient groups,” was prepared by a research team from The Life Corner Pharmacies – PureHealth and Seha Clinics – PureHealth. The same award also went to a study titled “Hemostasis techniques in neurosurgery: development of a consensus-based classification and validation using retrospective analysis of neurosurgical operative videos,” submitted by a research team from University College London. The Innovation in Healthcare Award was granted to the program “Not Even One Day: A Radical Transformation Journey in Access to Autism Services” from Al Jalila Children’s Hospital – Dubai Health. An additional Innovation in Healthcare Award was also presented to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for the UAE’s first comprehensive Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) program for treating Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders, which has completed more than 100 AI-enabled smart implants equipped with advanced brain-sensing technologies that surpass global standards.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the winners affirmed that the Medical Awards of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation represent a key catalyst for fostering a culture of research and innovation and contribute to advancing the UAE’s vision of becoming a global hub for medical and scientific excellence.