250513P - INITIATIVE OF MENTORING FUTURE LEADING RESEARCHERS

Presented at the College of Medicine Research Day held at the Research Center Auditorium on May 13, 2025. By Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Chairman of IRB and Senior Research Scientist at the Health and Natural Sciences Research Center (HNSRC)

 

1.0 AMBITIOUS INITIATIVE:

►This initiative, based at HNSRC, recruited 67 medical and pharmacy students into 13 programs of cutting-edge competitive research aligned with the priorities of SNIH and RDIA.

►It will open to more students once several projects are proceeding well. Due to the long duration of research projects, students today will likely remain in the research team even after working in various parts of the kingdom.

►Focus on breakthrough research that can be funded and published.

►Students are guided and mentored to develop their ideas. Faculty will provide the technical details.

 

2.0 ROLE OF THE STUDENTS:

►Students meeting with the mentor on Zoom are guided to develop a research topic and publish a comprehensive review.

►They are then joined by faculty members to write a research proposal submittable to SNIH and RDIA.

►They are then joined by laboratory technologists in the implementation.

►The students will take an active role in the laboratory analyses, write up of the manuscript, and publication.

 

3.0 FIRST SERIES OF STUDENT RESEARCH GROUPS GROUP 3:

►FIRST SERIES OF STUDENT RESEARCH GROUP MEETINGS. GROUP #3 at 9:00 – 9:55 pm held on January 5, 2025.

 

3.1 Agenda:

► Know one another: self-introductions - 5 minutes.

► The way forward - 5 minutes.

► Presentation of the proposed research program - 5 minutes.

► Q&A and open discussion - 30 minutes.

 

3.2 Way Forward:

►Vision: Publish at least 2 papers; the first a review within 6 months and the second based on laboratory or data analysis within 1-3 years.

►First step: We shall start by brainstorming about the assigned topic, then the group will review the literature to narrow down the topic and develop keywords.

►Second step: Systematic literature review within the group and a 1-hour presentation to Prof Omar once a week or once every two weeks.

►Third step: Familiarization with available laboratory equipment and procedures to prepare one or more research proposals from each group. Faculty will be appointed as supervisors or principal investigators. Students will be co-authors.

►Some of the research will be new and innovative. Some of it will be attempts at validating research carried out outside the Kingdom.

 

3.3 Research Program: Phase 4 Clinical Trials Follow-Up of KAAUH Patients on Various Commonly Prescribed Medications for Efficacy & Adverse Events in Preparation for New Phase 2 & Phase 3 Clinical Trials - 1:

►This program will study the efficacy and safety of commonly used licensed drugs and vaccines by phase 4 clinical trials after licensing the drug for use.

►These are studies of long-term (> 2 years) safety and effectiveness (efficacy and effectiveness, adverse events, toxicity, teratogenicity, and outcomes), the roles of lifestyle and genetic factors, and interactions with food and other drugs.

►Phase 4 clinical trials at KAAUH will provide a long-term ‘real world’ experience of drug performance (efficacy and safety) outside the artificial environment of the phase 3 clinical trials.

►The results of these studies, even in the interim, will help change the treatment protocols and, even more importantly, will suggest new phase 3 studies with innovative treatment approaches.

 

Groups’ Schedules:

Time	Sunday Jan 5, 2025	Monday Jan 6, 2025	Tuesday Jan 7, 2025	Wednesday Jan 8, 2025	Thursday Jan 9, 2025
7.00pm –  7.55pm	Group 1	Group 4	Group 7	Group 10	Group 13
8.00pm –  8.55pm	Group 2	Group 5	Group 8	Group 11
9.00pm –  9.55pm	Group 3	Group 6	Group 9	Group 12

 

4.0 THIRTEEN RESEARCH PROGRAMS:

 

 

4.1 Evolution Foundation Interested in Research on Ageing:

1. Research Program on Mechanisms and Factors Modulating Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) Ageing.
2. Research Program on Osteocyte Senescence.

 

4.2 Saudi NIH Interested in A Wide Range of Research Topics:

3. Phase 4 Clinical Trials Follow Up of KAAUH Patients on Various Commonly Prescribed Medications for Efficacy and Adverse Events in Preparation for New Phase 2 And Phase 3 Clinical Trials. Current project: Comparative 4th phase trial based on KAAUH data, treating Multiple Sclerosis using ocrelizumab, rituximab, and ofatumumab.
4. Immunology and drug discovery involve the formulation and testing of new therapeutic agents. Current project: ‘Use of Myrrha from various parts of Saudi Arabia to treat bacteria-resistant UTI infections in adults in King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital.
5. Pandemic Surveillance and Control using Biotechnology/nanotechnology.
6. Large data technology to analyze national health databases: 4 proposals have been submitted:

 

4.3 RDIA:

7. Genetic mapping of selected common diseases in Saudi youths.
8. Potentially pathogenic chemicals in the food chains of urban residents. Current project on microplastics and colon cancer.
9. Genomics involves testing various hypotheses.

 

4.4 Saudi CDC (Public Health Authority):

10. Genetic Long-term Surveillance of potentially pathogenic mutations of respiratory viruses from hospital and central laboratory samples
11. Use of large data technology to analyze COVID-19 data in the Tawakalna database to generate and test hypotheses on viral diseases of public health importance
12. Analyze KAAUH databases of physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation procedures for long-term outcomes relating to health and wellness
13. Research program to analyze the Weqaya database for long-term immunity profiles following COVID-19 and Influenza infection/vaccination.

 

5.0 RESEARCH PROGRAM 6: Large Data Analysis - Tawuniya/SNIH/RDIA:

►Construction and validation of quality audit criteria for insurance operational performance at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital.

►Defining quality KPIs for PHM Monitoring: Developing Measurable Metrics Using Tawuniya & KAAUH Data.

►SmartMap-SBS: A Public Health Approach to Mapping Internal Hospital Codes to the Saudi Billing System.

►DRISE: A Public Health Framework – Dynamic Risk Stratification & Targeted Chronic Care in Saudi Arabia.

 

6.0 RESEARCH PROGRAM 8 - Microplastics:

► Proposal title in Arabic:

• دِراسَةٌ تَعرِضُ مَرضى سَرَطانِ القَولونِ لِلْبِلاسْتيكِ وَتَطْوِيرُ طُرُقٍ حَديثَةٍ لِلكَشْفِ عَنِ البِلاسْتيكِ وَإِزالَتِهِ مِنْ ماءِ الشُّرْبِ وَالطَّهْيِ.

►  Proposal title in English:

• A case control study of plastic exposure in colorectal cancer patients and the development of new kits for detecting and eliminating plastic from drinking and cooking water.

 

7.0 STAGES OF THE MICROPLASTICS PROJECT:

1. The first stage will be the development of methods of identifying, detecting, and classifying plastics as well as adsorbing, filtering, or absorbing them.
2. The second stage will be an analysis of cancer tissues from the Noura University biobank to compare plastic content among various types of cancer and non-cancer tissues. A distinction will be made between the presence of carrier plastics and the biological interaction of plastics with the tissues. Among the biological interactions investigated will be oxidative stress, DNA damage, and inflammatory changes (7).
3. The third stage of the research will be an epidemiological case-control study that will aim to establish an etiological relationship between plastics and cancer.
4. The fourth stage will be the development of a kit that can be used by individuals to determine the level of plastic in their stool or urine.
5. The fifth stage will be the development of a kit that can be used to filter out or adsorb plastic from drinking or cooking water.

 

8.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE MICROPLASTICS PROJECT:

1. Objective 1: Detection and characterization of plastics.
2. Objective 2: Analysis of tissues from the biobank.
3. Objective 3: An Epidemiological case-control etiological study.
4. Objective 4: Develop and patent 2 kits (a) to detect and quantify plastic in stools and urine and (b) to filter plastic out of drinking and cooking water.
5. Objective 5: Recommend public health policies that can help decrease human exposure to plastics. A technical report will be submitted to the policymakers.

 

9.0 THE FUTURE:

1. Produce 5-7 proposals from each research program.
2. Open up more research programs.
3. Admit more students from science and health fields to the initiative.