Gulf Today Report
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited the Zayed Center for Research in Rare Diseases in Children in London on the sidelines of his visit to the United Kingdom.
Upon his arrival at the Zayed Center for Research in Rare Diseases Mohamed was received by Sajid Javid, Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Nazim Al Zahawi, British Minister of Education, Matthew Shaw, CEO of Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Professor Rosalind Smith, Director of the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health at University College London.
During a meeting with the doctors, professors and researchers working at the center, Sheikh Mohamed was briefed about the center's research and innovative treatments it offers to save the lives of sick children in different countries of the world.
Sheikh Mohamed was briefed on the unique model of pediatrics adopted by the first of its kind in the world, which combines cutting-edge research with world-class medical care under one roof, helping to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases affecting children.
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed tours the centre.
Sheikh Mohamed toured the main laboratory, which includes 140 test benches that accommodate researchers to conduct studies and research and the genomics team laboratory.
He was briefed on the center's specialized facilities that played a vital role in the global response to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The unit for studying disease-causing genes had recorded the sequence of 15,500 genome samples that cause the Covid-19 virus, in order to inform scientists about the changing nature of the virus.
He also learned from those in charge of the Zayed Center for Research in Rare Diseases in Children the importance of specialized and advanced research rooms, which represent the largest academic unit for the development of gene therapy and cell therapy in the UK and one of the largest facilities in the world for the production of materials used in pioneering gene therapy experiments.