Mohammed Abdulrahman AlNamazi (Ph.D. '17) is the acting director general and director of research and consulting at the Desalination Technologies Research Institute (DTRI). He chose KAUST for his Ph.D. due to the collaboration between SWCC and KAUST's Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC). AlNamazi highlights KAUST's environment, infrastructure, and faculty as key strengths, noting the impact on his research and network. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's role in developing local talent in critical sectors like desalination, aligning with Saudi Arabia's focus on sustainable technologies.
MBZUAI and Quris-AI have partnered to launch a Bio-AI center in Abu Dhabi during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The center will focus on developing personalized medications tailored to the MENA region's diverse populations, leveraging Quris-AI's 'patient-on-a-chip' technology and MBZUAI's AI expertise. Quris-AI is establishing a UAE subsidiary, Quris-UAE, in Abu Dhabi as part of this collaboration. Why it matters: This initiative positions Abu Dhabi as a hub for Bio-AI research and personalized medicine, potentially accelerating drug development and reducing clinical trial failures in the region.
A team from the Cryptography Research Center (CRC) secured 6th place out of 210 teams in the 'Donjon CTF 2021: Capture the Fortress' cybersecurity competition. The competition featured jeopardy-style challenges covering cryptography, reverse engineering, and hardware security. The CRC team participated to improve visibility and assess team capabilities, particularly in hardware security. Why it matters: The CRC team's strong performance highlights the growing cybersecurity expertise in the UAE and its attractiveness for talent in this field.
DERC's Aysha Al Neyadi won the Young Scientists Competition at the 14th International Conference Interaction of Radiation with Solids in Minsk, Belarus. Aysha co-authored a paper with researchers from Belarus State University and TII on the structure and phase composition stability of amorphous zirconium irradiated with helium ions. The paper examined amorphous alloy samples based on zirconium irradiated with Helium ions at 40 keV. Why it matters: This award recognizes contributions to materials science and highlights international research collaborations involving UAE institutions.
MBZUAI's inaugural class included eight Emirati master's graduates in computer vision and machine learning, making up 15% of the Class of 2022. All eight have secured employment or will pursue Ph.D. studies at MBZUAI, contributing to healthcare, technology, energy, transport, and government sectors in the UAE. Fatima Albreiki and Wafa Al Ghallabi will continue at MBZUAI for Ph.D. studies in Computer Vision. Why it matters: MBZUAI is nurturing local AI talent to support the UAE's national strategy and address global challenges in key sectors.
John Pantoja from the Directed Energy Research Center at TII presented a method to estimate the effects of high current impulses on electro-conductive textiles. The method uses specific action, a parameter to determine burst of exploding wires, and a new equivalent electrical circuit. The model estimates the current intensity needed to melt the conductive layer at contact areas between yarns, and is validated experimentally on ripstop woven fabrics. Why it matters: The research explores conductive fabrics for portable lightning protection shelters, potentially reducing lightning-related accidents in high-risk populations.
Mae AlMansoori, Principal Researcher at DERC, received the highest marks and an "Excellent" commendation for her PhD thesis and presentation from Helmut Schmidt University. Her thesis focused on applying modern engineering to optimize directed energy technologies, resulting in over 25 publications and a patent filing for RF jammer localization. AlMansoori is the first Emirati to significantly contribute to directed energy systems and detection technologies. Why it matters: This achievement highlights the UAE's growing expertise in advanced engineering fields and the role of Emirati researchers in developing cutting-edge technologies.