*** RCSI Bahrain’s Research Day | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

RCSI Bahrain’s Research Day

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain) has cemented its commitment to furthering the field of medical research in the Kingdom at its annual Research Day, where Prof. Riyadh Hamzah, Secretary General of the Higher Education Council (HEC), introduced the recently launched National Research Strategy. 

RCSI Bahrain’s President Prof. Sameer Otoom, Osama Al Khajah, Founder and President of Ebtikar Association for Innovation Development, Dr Hala Mohamed Sanad, Assistant Professor, College of Health Sciences, University of Bahrain, and Prof. Ronan Conroy, Professor of Health Research Methods, visiting from RCSI Dublin, attended the programme.

The RCSI Bahrain is a constituent of University of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RSCI), which was established in 1784.

Like its Irish counterpart, RCSI Bahrain is a not-for-profit  health sciences institution focused on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide.

RCSI Bahrain has a student body of 1300 across its Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and in 2012 a third school of Research and Postgraduate Studies was opened, currently headed by Prof. Davinder Sandhu, a Urological surgeon and former Postgraduate Dean of Severn Deanery Medical Education in the UK.

On the occasion, Prof. Sandhu said: “Ultimately our aim is to positively affect patient care through contributing as much knowledge as we can to the research field in Bahrain. Collaboration for research is the way forward, through such initiatives as the joint research fund between RCSI Bahrain and Arabian Gulf University, and with SBI Pharma Japan to fund research into treatment of diabetes and colorectal cancer.”

“I am also hugely proud of our Dilmun Scholarship Programme for our three students, who are currently engaged in their initial research year with our colleagues in RCSI Dublin,” he added.

Prof. Sameer Otoom remarked: “The fact that we have visiting Professors and healthcare professionals of such note supporting our efforts is testament to the importance of research in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is through such endeavours that breakthroughs are made in disease prevention and cure.”

During the day-long event, 16 research paper abstracts were presented. Prizes were awarded for the best three abstracts, along with 24 posters presented.

RCSI Bahrain also established a Medical Research Committee in 2012 with the aims of raising awareness and promoting research opportunities at the University and abroad.