Bio-Regional Biomedical Sciences Cooperation

The conference follows a high-level meeting in Dubai in February 2012 which examined the potential for EU – Gulf cooperation in establishing biobanking resources and capabilities for the region. The conference on October 30 - 31 will bring together biomedical science stakeholders (see above) to explore how a Gulf biobanking resource can be developed (thereby establishing a key resource for top biomedical research that will also lay the foundation for innovation and improved health care). In February, it was proposed that this should be modeled on the EU’s Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI). BBMRI collects and shares biological samples in association with standardised medical information on national populations. It is a long-term project with a focus on complex diseases, such as diabetes and cancer that are caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors, and can be understood only by studying large numbers of people.
For example, changes in eating habits and lifestyle in the Arabian Peninsula have led to an increase in the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders commonly observed in Western countries. Research cooperation in targeting these problems has benefits for the EU (who look to build their science capacity to international standards), but obvious ones for Gulf states too. Taking the example of UAE, whose principal medical problem is diabetes, membership would aid the country in tackling the disease (one of the government’s stated goals).
Some of the strongest sentiments of the February meeting focused on the intrinsic link between science and society. Making a commitment to the health of a region entails a dedication to high quality science. In this spirit, Prof Kurt Zatloukal, coordinator of BBMRI, remarked on the conference’s “win-win potential”. Answering the charge as to whether this was the perspective of the Gulf region, Prof Eyad Abed, Dean of the Faculty of IT at UAEU, responded: “There is interest, real interest. We are highly motivated. It’s the right time, the right place, and we’re the right people to do it”.