The Ras Al Khaimah-born Manal Alblooshi works at NYU Abu Dhabi’s Public Health Research Center (PHRC) where she is heavily involved in the UAE Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS).
She returned to the UAE from New Zealand with a bachelor’s in oral health, and master’s in public health, ready to make an impact on the health of fellow Emiratis in the UAE.
“The study is a long-term research aimed at understanding how genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors influence health among Emiratis,” explains Alblooshi who is concurrently pursuing a part-time PhD with Imperial College London, focused on the impact of tobacco use.
The UAE is confronting public health challenges in obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, and cardiovascular disease. But, unlike some nations, it doesn’t have all the data required to drive policy and treatments, reveals Alblooshi. “Most studies conducted into causes and risk factors were in western countries,” she adds.
Given the scarcity of comprehensive longitudinal data, this is the first study of its kind in the UAE to investigate causes and risk factors using a longitudinal design. We follow people to see if they develop a disease, and then go back to the baseline and compare risk factors.
We have limited data, so this is the first study of its kind to investigate causes and risk factors, but in a longitudinal design so we follow people to see if they develop a disease, and then go back to the baseline and compare risk factors.”
Alblooshi, is using collected UAE data, and the study, to explore patterns of tobacco use, and also to evaluate the effectiveness of health policy around tobacco in the country. “Having data specific to the UAE will help us develop tailored prevention and intervention programs and improve health policies and outcomes.”
Alblooshi describes the UAEHFS as “close to her heart”, both as her first research opportunity on home soil, and as a unique opportunity to contribute to the study’s growth. “Moving from the initial recruitment phase to data quality and data management and now doing data analysis through my PhD, I have learned it takes a lot to build a foundational study that could help or could serve the UAE for years to come,” says Alblooshi.
She witnessed the effectiveness of research in her role at NYUAD’s COVID-19 response research program, where she helped develop an accurate and cost-effective detection method for the virus. The team collected more than 5,000 samples following stringent study protocol and used them to build a comprehensive screening project on campus to monitor potential spread of the virus, she adds.
Alblooshi is excited to be using data collected from the UAE to create an impact for the nation in the future. “Being exposed to different areas of public health while doing my bachelor’s opened my eyes to something which might have a bigger impact, which is why I switched to public health.”
Alblooshi describes it as an interdisciplinary field “where you never get bored” as familiar issues can be examined from different perspectives. She chose NYUAD for her research so she could apply her learning while gaining experience in the UAE.
Alblooshi says juggling her current responsibilities can be challenging - living in Abu Dhabi, visiting family in Ras Al Khaimah, and travelling to London several times a year for her PhD. But she has strong motivation.
With Emirati Women’s Day approaching, Alblooshi hopes her journey can galvanize other UAE women considering an academic career.
“I come from a very supportive family where education is valued. My mother used to be a teacher, so she would encourage everyone to continue pursuing education, and I have a sister who is a doctor… I would love to be an inspiration to someone who would like to pursue something similar,” she adds.
Alblooshi continues: “Emirati Women’s Day is a celebration of all our achievements, our ambition, and a reminder for everyone that we’re not just part of the future, we are active participants in shaping it.”
“We’re very lucky to have leadership that empowers women and encourages women to take the opportunities - but at the end, it's our personal initiative that makes all the difference.”
