Few have done more to influence the direction of genetic research in the Middle East than Professor Lihadh Al Ghazali. The Iraqi-born scientist has pioneered the study of inherited disorders in the Arab region, and particularly within the UAE.
In a region famed for its lack of medical data, Al Ghazali has identified 15 recessive genes, mapped seven genes and has helped to establish the clinical and molecular delineation of several recessive disorders in the Arab population.
Al Ghazali fronted the launch of the UAE’s first registry for birth defects, which went on to be the first database in an Arab country to secure membership of the International Clearinghouse of Birth Defects in Rome.
She was also a driving force behind the introduction of a national clinical genetics service, which offers counselling, education and support for affected families — a vital tool in a region that leads the world in terms of inherited disorders prevalence.
Elsewhere, Al Ghazali helped found the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies in Dubai.
In 2003, she received the ‘Distinguished Performance Award in Research and Clinical Services’ from UAE University for her contribution to clinical genetics and research.
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