Arab women shine in scientific research

Whether it is finding ways to make cancer treatment less painful or starting a registry to fight inherited diseases, Arab women shone in the field of scientific research at the L’Oreal–UNESCO Pan Arab Regional Fellowships for Women in Science 2013.

The programme which was launched in the region in 2010 by L’Oreal and UNESCO aims to promote women in the field of scientific research.

This year 10 Arab scientists and researchers from different countries in the region — including two from the UAE — were awarded €15,000 (Dh55,090) for their work in different fields.

Gulf News spoke to three of the winners to learn more about their research and future plans.

Emirati Fatima Al Jasmi, Metabolic Consultant at Tawam Hospital and Assistant Professor at UAE University, was awarded for her metabolic disorder registry which records cases of Emiratis who suffer from this inherited disorder.

So far Fatima has recorded the cases of 189 Emiratis and she found that in the UAE, for every 100,000 Emirati births 75 suffer from metabolic disorders. She also found 57 different types of diseases caused by this disorder.

“There are more than 100 diseases that can be caused by metabolic disorders; some are lethal while others can cause severe retardation. My dream is to establish genetic metabolic centres in the UAE on a research and clinical level. By documenting cases in the UAE and establishing a registry more cures can be found,” she added.

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Arab women shine in scientific research