The Biological and Life Sciences Division at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi is at the forefront of research at the intersection of Genomics, Multi-Omics, Personalized Medicine, Precision Therapeutics, Epidemiology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). A key initiative within the division is the Human Phenotype Project—a groundbreaking, large-scale longitudinal cohort and biobank designed to identify novel molecular markers with diagnostic, prognostic,…
and therapeutic value. This project involves deep profiling of participants through comprehensive data collection on medical history, lifestyle and nutritional habits, vitals, anthropometrics, blood tests, continuous glucose and sleep monitoring, and multi-omic molecular profiling, including genetics, transcriptomics, microbiomics, metabolomics, and immune system markers. The division leverages this data and advanced AI, medical, and computational models to generate insights into disease mechanisms, identifying novel biomarkers and developing state-of-the-art predictive models for disease onset and progression. These models are translated into personalized prevention strategies and innovative therapeutic interventions. Research areas of interest include, but not limited to:
- Computational and Systems Biology
- Medical and Health Informatics
- Personalized Medicine
- Foundation AI Models
- Multi-omics and Integrative Data Analysis
- Population-level Cohort and EHR Analysis
- Epidemiology
- Pandemics
- Biomedical Imaging
Faculty joining the division will have full access to unique datasets, including the Human Phenotype Project, enabling innovative research that pushes the boundaries of precision medicine. Another flagship project, the Emirati Genome Project (EGP), is a national initiative to map the UAE population’s genetic profile, enabling personalized and preventive healthcare through advanced genomic research.