‘This is my home and we love it here’
Palestinian
Associate dean of graduate affairs and research at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) Interests: Biomedical research for cancer treatment
When Khaleej Times broke the news of his 10-year residence visa to the distinguished scholar, he was floored: “I had no idea that I was being considered for the visa. What an honour!”
Dr Husseini and his family expressed their delight at their new visa status. “I’ve been here since 2004. My wife is here, my kids grew up here. It’s my home, we love it here, this is awesome. Life has been good to me,” he reflected.
A woman from the office of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinguishment had recently contacted the professor for a list of papers and documents which she had vaguely claimed was for their “records”. He, of course, thought nothing of it at the time and forgot about the entire matter.
Dr Husseini expressed his gratitude to the UAE leaders for their dedication to scientific advancement. “I want to see the UAE be a top tier country, a pioneer in scientific research. I believe the UAE is doing it the right way. I want to thank my parents and my family — my sisters, and my wife — who’s been very patient with long hours at the lab and at work — and my kids. I would like to thank the AUS for giving me the opportunity, for funding me, for supporting me when I needed it. I cannot forget about the amazing students at the AUS and having the chance to work with them and facilitate this research.”
Dr Husseini elaborated on the journey which began with his specialisation in biomedical engineering and graduating with a PhD from Brigham Young University in 2011.
“I started in the UAE as a fresh little assistant professor of chemical engineering at the American University in 2004. But I’ve always wanted to get my own lab and improve the lives of cancer patients worldwide. Slowly, we began to get funding for our research, first with the Provost Challenge Faculty Research Grant, and then later on with Al Jalila Foundation, Al Qasimi Foundation, and most recently with the Technology Innovation Pioneers Healthcare Award.”
Thanks to his efforts, the AUS established Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering (MSBME), the first programme of its kind in the GCC.