President’s Memo │ August 2021│ Issue 59

Aug 2021

59

UNIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENTS & UPDATES

KHALIFA UNIVERSITY TOPS IN UAE AND RANKED SECOND IN ARAB WORLD IN NATURE INDEX 2021 RANKING FOR RESEARCH

22 PAPERS PUBLISHED BY KHALIFA UNIVERSITY INDICATE HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH IN CHEMISTRY, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Khalifa University has announced it is ranked top in the UAE and second among Arab institutions in terms of research output by the latest Nature Index 2021 Ranking. With a total of 22 research papers, and a ‘share’ of (6.53), Khalifa University remains ahead of all other contenders in the UAE. Among the Arab institutions, Khalifa University jumped seven places to become the second in the Nature Index 2021 ranking for research.

Khalifa University has a total of 11 research papers in Earth and Environmental Sciences, 9 in Physical Sciences and 4 in Chemistry, for the 1 May 2020 - 1 April 2021 assessment period. The UAE, as a country, had a total of 122 research papers from 10 institutions.

The Nature Index is a database of author affiliations and institutional relationships. It is an indicator of high-quality research in the Natural and Physical Sciences, including Chemistry, Life Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Physical Sciences. The Index tracks contributions to research articles published in 82 high-quality natural-science journals, chosen by an independent group of researchers. The latest rankings were based on the Nature Index data from 1 May 2020 - 1 April 2021.

READ MORE HERE

UNIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENTS & UPDATES

KHALIFA UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS COMPLETE REFERENCE GENOME STUDY FOR THE UAE

RESEARCH TO SUPPORT ACCURATE CLASSIFICATION OF GENOME VARIANTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF PREVENTATIVE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Dr. Habiba Alsafar, Associate Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Dr. Andreas Henschel, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, with Dr. Gihan Daw Elbait and Dr. Guan Tay, from the Center for Biotechnology, recently authored a report titled ‘A population-specific Major Allele Reference Genome from the United Arab Emirates population’ in the international journal Frontiers in Genetics.

The report described a significant local genome study that will contribute to nationwide efforts to build a high-quality, comprehensive reference genome for the UAE population.

The first phase of the study — the description of the first whole genome sequences of UAE nationals — was completed in 2019.

Subsequently, in 2020, the researchers completed the second phase which described the nature of the genetic diversity found among UAE nationals. This year, the researchers completed the third phase of the UAE reference genome, which supports a broader understanding of the genome composition of the nation.

Following advancements in DNA sequencing and analysis techniques since renowned scientist Craig Venter and his colleagues published the first whole human genome sequence at the turn of this century, the genome study has become part of a major area of research at Khalifa University.

READ MORE HERE

UNIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENTS & UPDATES

WORLD’S FIRST SOLAR/THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE-POWERED PROJECT TO EXTRACT WATER FROM AIR AT MASDAR CITY The world’s first project to produce commercial volumes of an uninterrupted water supply from a sustainable source launched last month in Masdar City.

The innovative pilot project will be run by USbased water technologies company, AQUOVUM, in partnership with Masdar and Khalifa University, as part of a three-party research and development agreement, according to a joint press release issued on Sunday.

The project will evaluate the performance of AQUOVUM’s large format Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology, which extracts water from the atmosphere using a renewable energy source, in combination with a renewable energy source, and its ability to be included in current and/or future sustainable water projects.

The renewable energy will be provided by KU’s Masdar Institute Solar Platform (MISP).

KU’s Dr. Nicolas Calvet, Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering and Principal Investigator of the project, said, “Previously, we have focused on concentrated solar power and thermal energy storage, and we are diversifying our R&D activity at the Masdar Institute Solar Platform with clean production of fresh water.

Indeed, solar and water should be the main pillars of research and development in the UAE and this project will run for 12 months and provide valuable performance data for a full year’s weather cycle.”

READ MORE HERE

UNIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENTS & UPDATES

FALL 2021 ORIENTATIONS WELCOMED NEW UNDERGRADUATE, POST-GRADUATE AND MEDICAL STUDENTS

Khalifa University successfully organized a fourday undergraduate and postgraduate Fall 2021 orientation program for the newly enrolled students for the 2021-2022 academic year, acclimatizing them with the learning process at the university.

From Fall 2021, Khalifa University is offering new bachelor’s programs in Cell and Molecular Biology, and Earth and Planetary Sciences, as well as a new Master’s program in Aerospace Engineering.

In doctoral programs, Khalifa University now additionally offers a PhD in Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics.

The Fall 2021 Undergraduate Student Orientation was held from 16-17 August, and the Fall 2021 PostGraduate Student Orientation from 18-19 August.

Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Senior Vice-President, Academic and Student Services, Khalifa University, said: “Reflecting our status as a consistently topranked university in the UAE, the undergraduate and postgraduate orientation program for Fall 2021 is designed to welcome and facilitate a smooth transition of students into the Khalifa University community.

The event provides an opportunity for the students and their families to understand the worldclass learning environment we offer at Khalifa University, and we are delighted to welcome them into this vibrant community. We look forward to their fresh ideas and the energy they bring to our campus, because it is they who make us what we are.”

READ MORE HERE

UNIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENTS & UPDATES

KHALIFA UNIVERSITY 2021 SUMMER COMMUNITY WEBINAR SERIES TO OFFER DEEPER INSIGHTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, MEDICINE, AND BUSINESS START-UPS STRING OF EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS BACK FOR THE SECOND SUMMER EDITION WITH MORE INTERESTING TOPICS RELEVANT TO A WIDER AUDIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY

scenarios, lessons from coronavirus and science and technology, to tips on how to better understand one’s personality, build leadership skills, and create a sustainable lifestyle.

Khalifa University of Science and Technology has announced the Summer Community Webinar series is back for the second year in 2021, offering more interesting topics and discussions in science, technology, medicine, and business start-ups that are relevant to a greater audience in the community.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive VicePresident, Khalifa University, said: “The 2021 Khalifa University Summer Community Webinar series reflects our commitment to spread knowledge and increase awareness in science, technology, medicine, and business start-ups as well as personal and professional development areas.

These webinars are designed by our faculty experts to offer special insights in subjects that are relevant to everyone in the community. We believe this intellectual exchange will meet with the success similar to the previous summer and winter editions of the Webinar series.”

The 2021 Summer Community Webinar series targets everyone – from high school and university students, to parents, professionals and those keen to broaden their skill set and knowledge.

The free seminars are part of Khalifa University’s active commitment to sharing knowledge and resources, offering additional insights to the local and international community of learners on various subjects. The topics range from post-pandemic

READ MORE HERE

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS

The International Distinguished Service Award is in recognition of Dr. Belhaj’s 38 years of combined petroleum industrial and academic experience with key qualifications and achievements in reservoir engineering, reservoir simulation, modeling fractured reservoirs, EOR, sand control, unconventional reservoirs and decarbonized fossil fuels. Geographically, his experience is spread over North America, Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle-East.

Dr. Belhaj was also a previous recipient of the 2013

TWO FACULTY MEMBERS RECOGNIZED IN 2021 SPE INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL AWARDS

and 2020 SPE Regional Distinguished Achievement for Petroleum Engineering Faculty Award and the 2019 SPE Regional Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award.

Dr. Emad Al Shalabi, Assistant Professor of Petroleum Engineering, is the recipient

The Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE)

of the SPE Regional

recognized two Khalifa University faculty

Reservoir Description and

members in its International and Regional Awards

Dynamic Award for the

in recognition of their exceptional service and

Middle East and North

leadership within the SPE.

Africa Region. The award is one of the Technical Awards Dr. Hadi Belhaj,

given by SPE to members

Associate Professor

for their exceptional

of Petroleum

contribution and expertise on the regional level. The

Engineering, was

Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award recognizes

honored with

outstanding achievements in or contributions to the

the 2021 SPE

advancement of petroleum engineering, specifically in

International

the area of reservoir description and dynamics.

Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Al Shalabi has remarkable contributions in the

for his significant

fields of reservoir simulation, modeling, and enhanced/

professional contributions not only to the

improved oil recovery (EOR/IOR) techniques, which are

petroleum engineering profession but to the

critical to the oil and gas industry.

worldwide oil and gas industry as well. The award recognizes contributions to the Society that exhibit

His achievements in the area of EOR and specifically

such exceptional devotion of time, effort, thought,

in low salinity water flooding for carbonate reservoirs

and action as to set them apart from other

promise greatly improved extraction and use of the

contributions.

world’s natural resources.

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS

He has made great progress in elucidating the uncertainties associated with low salinity water injection through in-depth, critical analysis of the experimental works of other researchers as well as his own simulation and modeling works.

“I am extremely humbled and honored to receive such a prestigious award that reflects my significant contribution to the oil and gas industry. In the Middle East and North Africa region, carbonate rocks provide great challenges to successful oil and gas production. Hence, we need to apply innovative and cost effective EOR techniques to further enhance their production where my research activities are focused,” Dr. Al Shalabi commented.

Prior to receiving the 2021 Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award, Dr. Al Shalabi has also received the 2020 SPE Regional Public Service Award, 2020 SPE Regional Service Award, and 2020 SPE Regional Young Member Outstanding Service Award for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region.

KU SCIENTIST TO LEAD CLIMATE DATA AND MODELING CLUSTER OF NEWLY ESTABLISHED UAE CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH NETWORK Climate change and its impact

ENGEOS Lab, has been

has been a growing concern

appointed Lead of the Climate

worldwide. To continue and

Data and Modeling Cluster in

further enhance the UAE’s

which there are more than

efforts in addressing the issue

30 scientists spread over

of climate change, the Ministry

the different universities

of Climate Change and the

and institutions in the UAE.

Environment (MOCCAE) has

This cluster focuses on the

established the UAE Climate

local and regional climatic

Change Research Network

conditions, trends, and

(CCRN). The Network brings

projections. These include

together a group of committed

temperature, precipitation, sea

climate change scientists and

level, and extreme weather

researchers from universities,

events such as heatwaves,

the government, and other

flooding, storms, etc.

research entities to promote Dr. Al Shalabi was also recently appointed as a technical program committee member for SPE’s International Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) Conference. The IOR Conference is scheduled to run from 25 -29 April 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA).

collaborations among scientists

As cluster lead, Dr. Diana

in the region working on the

will be responsible for

different challenges imposed by

coordinating agenda-setting,

climate change.

project design, and research

With the theme “IOR: Thrive in a Low Carbon Economy”, the 2022 conference will focus on how today’s energy industry is working diligently to reduce emissions and waste across all oil and gas industry sectors.

activities within the cluster, The Network is organized into

as well as organizing cluster

4 clusters spanning different

discussions, engaging other

topics of concern with the

cluster members, and

members identified based

ensuring the delivery projects.

on their expertise. Khalifa University’s very own Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the

READ MORE HERE

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS

CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR JOINS RSC CRYSTENGCOMM JOURNAL ADVISORY BOARD Dr. Sharmarke Mohamed, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, has been appointed as a member of the advisory board of CrystEngComm, a Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) journal that focuses on the design and understanding of crystalline materials.

This new appointment highlights Dr. Mohamed’s expertise as well as the progress of research in materials science in the UAE. “I am excited to join the advisory board of the RSC journal, CrystEngComm. The journal has established itself as the home of crystal engineering research and continues to publish the spectrum of research in this field, ranging from the purely theoretical to the purely experimental. I am currently one of only two professors from the UAE who have been appointed to the board of the journal. I plan to use my new role to bring better visibility to materials science research in the UAE,” Dr. Mohamed commented.

Dr. Mohamed was also recently recognized as a 2021 Emerging Investigators by the American Chemical Society journal Crystal Growth and Design in the area of crystal growth and design.

One of 24 researchers from nine countries, Dr. Mohamed has received international recognition for his research achievements and growing reputation in his field.

“I am grateful for the academic freedoms and support that the KU leadership has provided during my time here. Our greatest strength as a university is our diversity. This diversity is reflected in our students and faculty which hail from all corners of the world. But this diversity is also reflected in the quality of the scientific research we are producing,” Dr. Mohamed noted.

READ MORE HERE

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS

EBTIC’S SPL TEAM WINS TWO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING AWARDS IN UK EBTIC AND BT TEAM WIN INTERNATIONAL AWARDS BASED ON INNOVATION, RELEVANCE AND EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS, FOR THEIR SPL SOLUTION AND TRIAL The SPL team led by Salwa Alzahmi, a senior researcher at KU’s Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC), has won two awards in two categories at the prestigious 2021 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Awards in the UK. The awards won by EBTIC’s SPL were in the categories of Best Cloud Automation Tool and Best Use of Automation. An elite panel of 12 judges selected the SPL entries as winners based on the evidence of three factors – innovation, relevance, and achieved success.

More specifically, the Best Cloud Automation Tool award was given to EBTIC and BT for the tool’s innovative and fully featured automation solution that is designed to ease the burden of application migration to the Cloud. In their citation, the judges mentioned that the SPL Tool ‘has the opportunity to hugely reduce code complexity, thus improving security and reducing the cost of cloud migration’.

Dr. Nawaf I. Almoosa, Acting Director, Head of Smart Infrastructure Research, EBTIC, and Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering

and Computer Science, Khalifa University, said: “Achieving this success in the 2021 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Awards across two categories strongly indicates the extent of cutting-edge technological innovation being produced by the EBTIC’s SPL team productive partnership with BT to accurately target the future requirements of the industry in these areas.

Our team members have demonstrated their talent in another prestigious international competition, and we hope to continue exploring innovation through working on new projects in AI and ML-related areas.”

READ MORE HERE

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

KHALIFA UNIVERSITY STUDENT TEAM WINS TOP SPOT IN VERBAL PRESENTATION AT 2021 SAE COLLEGIATE DESIGN SERIES SUPERMILEAGE COMPETITION A 21-member student team led by Sultan Al Hassanieh has won the top spot in verbal presentation for the first time during the Knowledge Event at the 42nd Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Collegiate Design Series Supermileage Competition for 2021.

The team also retained 6th spot overall in the Design Event, the same position it won last year in Michigan, US. The verbal design report demonstrates the Khalifa University team’s understanding and application of the engineering principles that support their design of the one-person, singlecylinder engine vehicle, capable of achieving fantastic fuel economy during a 6-lap attempt around an approximately 1.6-mile-long, banked, oval track.

Since the traditional validation event at the 42nd SAE Collegiate Design Series Supermileage Competition was cancelled due to the pandemic this year, the organizers opted to score teams based on two major criteria – the submitted design report that details the design and fabrication of the vehicle, and a verbal presentation on Zoom in which team members present their design process and final outcome to a panel of judges. The student team was then critically questioned, and the Khalifa University students proved their mettle to reach the top spot. They were also assessed on team participation, program knowledge and technical knowledge.

READ MORE HERE

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

RESEARCH ON SUSTAINABLE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM NABS 2ND PLACE WIN AT THE 8TH UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH COMPETITION The Undergraduate Research Competition (URC) is one of the largest competitions in the GCC that promotes scientific research among undergraduate students and supports the UAE government’s initiative of fostering innovation and empowering the youth to prepare them for the future. The Chemical Engineering senior project of Khalifa University students Muna Al Jasmi, Anfal Abloushi, Shamma Thani, Reem Saeed Salem, and Ali Ahmed Algallaf, supervised by Prof. Lourdes Vega and Dr. Daniel Bahamon, won second place in the Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Category of the competition, with the project titled “Design an Adsorption Air-Conditioning System Using Low Global Warming Potential (GWP) Refrigerants.”

Cooling systems are an essential technology in our life, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, like the UAE. The design the team came up with can be used here in the UAE and other countries with similar weather conditions.

Dr. Fawzi Banat, Professor and Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department, commented, “In the Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021, which is dedicated to academic institutions for teaching and research, the Department of Chemical Engineering is ranked among the top 76-100. To achieve this ranking, the department achieved high scores on all of the analyzed indicators, which include articles indexed in Web of Science, total number of citations, citations per article, articles published in the top 25% of scientific journals, and international interaction developed through collaborations with foreign institutions.”

“The department is dedicated to research and teaching excellence and currently offers doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees,” Dr. Banat added.

READ MORE HERE

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

IISE STUDENT CHAPTER HONORED WITH GOLD AWARD

FROM LEFT: MOHAMMED ALAMERI, MAJID SALAH, AND KHALID ALHOSANI Khalifa University’s student chapter of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) was recently honored with the institute’s Gold Award – for the first time. The award is the highest honor in the professional organization’s University Chapter Recognition Program.

This award recognizes the chapter’s excellence in various areas such as student support, training events, field trips, public engagement and community service activities during the 2020-2021 academic year. The mission of the IISE student chapter at Khalifa University is to represent the industrial and systems engineering profession responsibly and ethically. Further, it aims to enhance the capabilities of all of its members and develop the next generation of industrial and systems engineers.

READ MORE HERE

FIVE-MEMBER KHALIFA UNIVERSITY TEAM WINS INJAZ UAE’S COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD 2021 FOR ITS SUBSCRIPTION BOX COMPANY ‘ULBATI’ FOR EVERY ULBATI BOX A CHILD RECEIVES, 10% GOES TO EMIRATES RED CRESCENT TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD A five-member team of Chemical Engineering graduates won the ‘Company of The Year Award 2021 – University track’ for its subscription box company Ulbati, under INJAZ UAE’s flagship Company Program.

The KU team – Reem Almaskari, Fatema Alzaabi, Beshara Saad, Maha Al Seiari and Mariam Ahmed – won the award for Ulbati, the concept for a subscription box company. Created for kids, it is filled with activities themed around Emirati culture and achievements, as well as Islamic values. For every Ulbati box a child receives, 10% of the revenue is donated to Emirates Red Crescent to support students around the world.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive VicePresident, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “The winning award for Khalifa

University under INJAZ UAE’s flagship Company Program strongly illustrates that our students not only excel in research and scientific exploration, but also in entrepreneurial initiatives that aim to help the community through charity organizations.

The Ulbati concept indicates the extent of our students’ commitment to sharing and giving back to the community, which is in line with the university’s mandate to build a diverse community of service-oriented, ambitious and talented individuals, through an environment that encourages and nurtures creative inquiry, critical thinking, and human values. We are delighted with the creative and commercial spirit of our students and we believe this award will encourage more students to explore entrepreneurship as an avenue to translate their knowledge into business ventures, offering valuable products and services.”

READ MORE HERE

PUBLISHED PAPERS

Published Papers in Q1 Journals

To view the link to the published article, PLEASE CLICK HERE

Title

The Humeral Head: A Review of the Blood Supply and Possible Link to Osteonecrosis Following Rotator Cuff Repair

Journal

Journal of Anatomy

KU Authors

Dr. Natalie Keough, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Dr. Dietrich Lorke, Professor and Chair of the Anatomy and Cellular Biology Department

Title

Multiomic Analysis of the Arabian Camel (Camelus Dromedarius) Kidney Reveals a Role for Cholesterol in Water Conservation

Journal

Communications Biology

KU Authors

Dr. Abdu Adem, Professor of Pharmacology

Title

Climatology of the Heat Low and the Intertropical Discontinuity in the Arabian Peninsula

Journal

International Journal of Climatology

KU Authors

Dr. Ricardo Fonseca, Research Scientist, Engeos Lab; Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the ENGEOS Lab; and Dr. Narendra Nelli, Postdoctoral Fellow, Engeos Lab

Title

Improving Personalized Tumor Growth Predictions Using a Bayesian Combination of Mechanistic Modeling and Machine Learning

Journal

Communications Medicine

KU Authors

Dr. Haralampos Hatzikirou, Associate Professor of Mathematics

PUBLISHED PAPERS

Title

BIO-LGCA: A Cellular Automaton Modeling Class for Analysing Collective Cell Migration

Journal

PLOS Computational Biology

KU Authors Dr. Haralampos Hatzikirou, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Title

Upregulation of Oxidative Stress Gene Markers During SARS-COV-2 Viral Infection

Journal

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

KU Authors Dr. Habiba Al Safar, Director of the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology and Associate Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology

Title

Systems Immunology Analysis Reveals the Contribution of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tissues to the Immunopathogenesis of Severe COVID-19 Patients

Journal

Frontiers in Immunology

KU Authors Dr. Habiba Al Safar, Director of the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology and Associate Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology

Title

Neuroprotective Activities of Crossyne flava Bulbs and Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease

Journal

Molecules

KU Authors Dr. Okobi E. Ekpo, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology

Title

Factors Associated with Medication Non-Adherence in Patients with Dyslipidemia

Journal

Healthcare

KU Authors Dr. Eman Alefishat, Associate Professor of Pharmacology

PUBLISHED PAPERS

Title

Short Stature with Low Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Availability Due to PregnancyAssociated Plasma Protein A2 Deficiency in a Saudi Family

Journal

Clinical Genetics

KU Authors Dr. Asma Deeb, Adjunct Clinical Professor

Title

Curcumin Potentiates α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and Alleviates Autistic-Like Social Deficits and Brain Oxidative Stress Status in Mice

Journal

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

KU Authors Dr. Dietrich Lorke, Professor and Chair of the Anatomy and Cellular Biology Department

Title

The Atmospheric Controls of Extreme Convective Events Over the Southern Arabian Peninsula During the Spring Season

Journal

Atmospheric Research

KU Authors Dr. Narendra Nelli, Postdoctoral Fellow, ENGEOS Lab; Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the ENGEOS Lab; Dr. Ricardo Fonseca, Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab; Dr. Rachid Abida, ENGEOS Lab Research Scientist; Michael Weston, ENGEOS Lab Research Engineer; and Youssef Wehbe, Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering Graduate Student

Title

Noscapine Prevents Rotenone-Induced Neurotoxicity: Involvement of Oxidative Stress, Neuroinflammation and Autophagy Pathways

Journal

Molecules

KU Authors Dr. Abdu Adem, Professor of Pharmacology