Issue 11 - APR 2021
KU Faculty Receives MSA Membrane Science Award for His Work on the Effects of Nanoscale Pollutants in Wastewater Treatment
Khalifa University Researchers Analyzing the Biology of COVID-19 Virus Imaging Organic Matter in 12,000 Year Old Fossils for the First Time
SCAD and Khalifa University Sign MoU to Boost Statistical Cooperation
Innovative Waste Collection System Wins KU Students First Place at 2021 IEOM Conference
Khalifa University Among Top 20 in THE Emerging Economies Rankings 2021
A team of Industrial and Systems
Khalifa University was ranked
Engineering students at Khalifa University
among the top 20 globally and
has won first place in the Industrial
top in the UAE in the Times
Engineering and Operations Management
Higher Education (THE) Emerging
(IEOM) Senior Design Project Competition.
Economies Rankings 2021.
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Khalifa University’s DhabiSat Set for Launch on 20 February from Aboard Cygnus
Celebrating Global Recycling Day
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Harnessing the Power of the Sun to Desalinate Brine Sustainably
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INNOVATION FORWARD
Cutting-edge research and breakthroughs
Khalifa University Researchers Analyzing the Biology of COVID-19 Virus Specifically, researchers within the multidisciplinary team are trying to understand the role of the immune system and whether differences in our ability to respond can explain the variation in disease severity seen in the population. Dr. Habiba Alsafar, Acting Associate Dean for Student Affairs, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Associate Professor at Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, and Director of Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology, is part of the team of researchers.
Khalifa University Researchers Analyzing the Biology of COVID-19 Virus RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN COLLABORATION WITH SEHA, DUBAI HEALTH AUTHORITY, UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH AND THE UAE UNIVERSITY
A joint team of scientists and clinicians from Khalifa University, UAE University, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the University of Sharjah are currently working to better understand how the COVID-19 virus spreads and its impact on society, to enable the country’s leaders develop and implement strategies that can reduce the undesirable effects of COVID-19 on the quality of life and the UAE’s economy. The scientists are working on a range of projects to understand why some humans respond with greater severity than others and how the virus infects its host. KU TIMES 4
Dr. Alsafar said: “On an average, it takes five-to-six days for symptoms to show and people with mild symptoms can generally take care of themselves at home. However, for patients with underlying health problems, the infection can prove fatal. Our team is trying to establish how other genes and proteins that explain the predisposition of certain patients go completely asymptomatic and those that respond poorly to the infection.” For this reason, researchers are looking at the RNA from the host patients while trying to identify potential biomarkers to see why some patients become infected but remain asymptomatic and others develop mild or moderate symptoms. Although a number of host factors play a role in progression of the disease, it does so in the context of viruses. For example, the ACE2 receptor of the host cells binds to the S-protein on the surface of the virus particle, interacting and contributing to the pathophysiology of the disease, necessitating the study of the genomes of both the host and the virus. The global effort to understand the interplay between the host and the virus is likely to advance disease management, vaccine development and identification of targets for therapeutic interventions. Information obtained from the viral genome can be used to determine how the virus spreads and from where it has originated. It also provides information about the evolving strains circulating in the population, which may be important for initiatives to control and suppress the spread of the virus.
INNOVATION FORWARD
Senior Design Project Develops Concept for Flying Cars of the Future
VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIRCRAFT, BETTER KNOWN AS FLYING CARS, COULD BE THE FUTURE OF THE TRANSPORT SECTOR BY ENABLING AERIAL TRAVEL SERVICES.
A classic in the realm of science fiction and the childhood dreams of many, flying cars continue to delight and challenge engineers around the world as the idea increasingly moves toward reality. Now, a team of four Emirati undergraduate students has designed, built and implemented a fully electric flying car prototype amidst all the difficulties and obstacles of the Covid-19 pandemic. The work was presented for their KU Senior Design Project. Muneera Alhammadi from the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department worked with Mahra Alblooshi and Khoulood Nabeel from the Mechanical Engineering Department and Omran Alhammadi from the Aerospace Engineering Department under the supervision of Dr. Reyad El Khazali, Dr. Bashar El Khasawneh, and Dr. Ashraf Al Khateeb. The transportation sector is faced with the challenge of meeting growing demand for convenient passenger mobility while reducing congestion and improving safety. While autonomous vehicles and electric cars may contribute to these goals, they cannot ease the congestion on existing roadways. Vertical take-off and landing aircraft, better known as flying cars, could overcome these limitations by enabling aerial travel services. “The flying car idea started in January 2020,” explained the team. “Our main focus was to design a flying car that can take off and land vertically, which gives the driver the ability
to smoothly transition between cruising and flying without a runway. We also wanted it to be fully electric to cut back on carbon emissions.” A practical flying car must be capable of safe, reliable and environmentally-friendly operation both on public roads and in the air. “We went through multiple phases, from researching to building and fabricating the small-scale prototype, to stability testing,” explained the team. “The stability tests were done to ensure stable maneuvering and flying.” The team’s prototype is a remotely controlled electric flying car that combines an electric car with a hex-copter drone. It uses GPS as a navigation system and can fly for 18 minutes. While a long way from an actual flying car, the prototype demonstrates the students’ understanding of the key design concepts behind such a vehicle. “The hex-copter is characterized by its six rotor arms. This provides a more stable flight and more power compared to quadcopters, which have four rotors, and octocopters, with eight rotors. It is more precisely controllable and has a higher payload, perfect for transporting people through the air. “This project represents the nuclei of the future of real flying cars developed and made in the United Arab Emirates,” said the team. 5 KU TIMES
INNOVATION FORWARD
Detecting Parkinson’s Disease using Deep Learning Techniques from Smart Phone Data
Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting more than one percent of the population above 60 years old. Often beginning as a barely noticeable hand tremor, over time, the disease interferes with movement, muscle control, and balance. Fine motor impairment (FMI) is progressively expressed in early Parkinson’s Disease patients but clinical techniques for detecting it may not be robust enough. A team of researchers at KU including Dr. Leontios Hadjileontiadis, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, has developed a tool that can screen for early motor Parkinson’s symptoms and alert individuals accordingly via their smartphones.
IDENTIFYING PARKINSON’S DISEASE EARLY IS CRUCIAL FOR SLOWING THE DISEASE PROGRESSION AND A NEW TOOL DEVELOPED BY KHALIFA UNIVERSITY CAN NOW DETECT THE DISEASE USING SENSORS ON THE AVERAGE SMARTPHONE. KU TIMES 6
In collaboration with researchers from Greece, Germany and the United Kingdom, Dr. Hadjileontiadis introduced a deep learning framework that analyzes data captured passively and discretely during normal smartphone use and published the results in Scientific Reports.
INNOVATION FORWARD
“Remote unsupervised screening via mobile devices can raise awareness for medical care, with daily data assisting diagnosis,” explained Dr. Hadjileontiadis. “User interaction with smartphones can unveil dense and multi-modal data to reveal patterns that can be connected with both motor and cognitive function. In particular, Hold Time, the time interval between the press and release of a key, offers insights to the probability of a subject suffering from Parkinson’s.” The rate at which a person presses down and then releases a finger on a key indicates how quickly the brain can control the muscles. When the body needs to start moving, the brain’s motor cortex sends signals to the spinal neurons to activate the muscles. Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters involved that ignites a chain of events resulting in a movement, a feeling or an action. For Parkinson’s Disease patients, dopamine-producing cells in the brain become inactive and the loss of dopamine leads to issues with movement. Symptoms of the disease become increasingly more apparent and the patient develops tremors, difficulty walking, and other issues with movement. “Detecting these smaller tremors at the start of the disease can lead to earlier diagnosis and allow us to implement management strategies earlier,” explained Dr. Hadjileontiadis. “The standard medical practice in diagnosing Parkinson’s Disease requires years of expertise. Using a smartphone provides an unobtrusive way of capturing data as we link keystroke typing with an enriched feature vector to describe the keystroke variables.” Additionally, acceleration values from the smartphone’s Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor are used to monitor for hand tremors. This also is a source of data captured passively and unobtrusively as users perform common actions with their phone, from placing calls to typing messages. When combined with deep learning, these data could provide a novel tool for effectively remotely screening the subtle fine motor impairments indicative of early onset of Parkinson’s Disease. Deep learning has been previously shown to be highly effective in extracting useful representations from high dimensional information like images, and the research team showed that deep learning can be leveraged to quantify touchscreen typing based information that is strongly correlated with FMI clinical scores.
In screening for Parkinson’s, deep learning algorithms can detect the disease from MRI scans, tremors recorded on accelerometers and voice degradation from voice signals. Now, typing on a smartphone can monitor keystroke dynamics in everyday activities. “We tried to detect Parkinson’s Disease using a multisymptom approach that merges passively-captured data from two different smartphone sensors via a novel deep learning framework,” explained Dr. Hadjileontiadis. “Our method is inspired by the typical workflow of a neurologist, in the sense that it outputs a score for tremor and FMI, two of the most common motor symptoms, as well as a score for Parkinson’s Disease.” Automated Parkinson’s Disease detection is not a new idea. Many sensors have been tested to capture specific aspects of different symptoms, such as IMU sensors for gait alterations, microphones for speech impairment, keyboards for rigidity, and writing equipment for fine motor impairment. The common denominator in these studies is that they attempt to infer Parkinson’s Disease from single symptom cues. This is inherently problematic as Parkinson’s manifests differently in different subjects, meaning any system that can reliably detect the disease needs to cover multiple symptoms. The research from Dr. Hadjileontiadis is multi-modal in this way, capturing data unobtrusively and ‘in-the-wild.’ Using deep learning techniques, the team achieved 92.8 percent sensitivity and 86.2 percent specificity for Parkinson’s Disease detection. Not only is their proposed framework performing well, but it can also be extended to include additional data in the same architecture, including speech information, for example. “Performance-wise, our approach produced good classification results and this is the first work to address the problem of detecting Parkinson’s from multi-modal data,” said Dr. Hadjileontiadis. “This is a solid first step towards a high-performing remote Parkinson’s Disease detection system that can be used to discreetly monitor subjects and urge them to visit a doctor signs of the disease are detected.” 7 KU TIMES
INNOVATION FORWARD RESPONDING TO COVID-19
Building Bridges: Opportunities Ahead in UAE-Japan IndustryAcademia Collaboration on Hydrogen HYDROGEN IS IN HIGH DEMAND AS AN ENERGY SOURCE BUT PRODUCING IT CAN BE DIFFICULT. A UAE-JAPAN RESEARCH COLLABORATION IS LOOKING TO TACKLE THESE CHALLENGES AND SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD.
Hydrogen could help tackle – critical energy challenges in the modern world, with its ability to provide a sustainable energy source to meet the demands for quality of life and economic growth, while avoiding emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Hydrogen use is expected to increase significantly in the near future in line with efforts to compensate the declining fossil fuel reserves and as the world turns to cleaner sources of energy. Khalifa University’s Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen (RICH) is collaborating with the Institute of Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ) and Kyushu University on hydrogen projects in the UAE and Japan. Collaboration between the UAE and Japan in the area of hydrogen began in 2017 with several bilateral meetings between academia, companies and government. In 2019, the first UAE-Japan Workshop on Hydrogen was held in Abu Dhabi with participants from UAE and Japanese industry and academia enjoying presentations, roundtable discussions, poster sessions and the exhibition of the Toyota Mirai Hydrogen FC Electric Vehicle. In 2020, a steering committee was created to define a roadmap and specific objectives and projects between IEEJ, Khalifa University, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy. The low density of hydrogen made it a natural choice for one of KU TIMES 8
its first practical uses—filling balloons and airships, but now, hydrogen can be used as a means of decarbonizing heavy industry; used as a zero-emission fuel for transportation, including trains, buses, trucks, and ships; provide a source of energy and heat for buildings; and store energy produced from renewable sources. And there’s plenty of it. Hydrogen is found in the sun and most of the stars, and the planet Jupiter is composed mostly of hydrogen. On Earth, hydrogen is found in the greatest quantities as water. While it is present in the atmosphere, only tiny amounts of pure hydrogen persist since any hydrogen that does enter the atmosphere quickly escapes the Earth’s gravity into outer space. Despite being the most abundant chemical substance in the universe, producing hydrogen is the tricky part. Most of the hydrogen produced today is from steam methane reforming, where natural gas is heated with steam to form syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide), which is then separated to produce pure hydrogen. However, this process is energy intensive and comes with a large carbon footprint. Considerable efforts have been made in recent years to find cleaner methods, mainly by water splitting using renewable sources of energy or by capturing the carbon dioxide produced by steam methane reforming. Around 75 million tons of pure hydrogen are produced today, with 76 percent of that from natural gas and 23 percent from coal. Transitioning into low carbon energy with hydrogen is on the horizon.
INNOVATION FORWARD
Hydrogen-derived synthetic fuels offer real potential for combining hydrogen with carbon dioxide to produce cleaner fuels for those traditionally ‘hard-to-reach’ sectors such as aviation and shipping, which have so far proved hard to convert to green energy. Water splitting via electrolysis is expected to increase as surplus energy from renewables offers a low-cost way of providing the electricity needed. However, if all current dedicated hydrogen production were produced through water electrolysis, this would require more electricity than the annual generation of the European Union. It’s clear there are still several challenges to be solved. There are various projects underway at RICH to meet these challenges. Solardriven hydrogen production by water and hydrogen sulphide – a by-product of natural gas and oil processing – splitting is one such project. Research shows that using 20 percent of the UAE’s land surface for solar plants producing green hydrogen for export would match the country’s current oil and gas revenue. Concurrently, using hydrogen to turn ammonia – another abundantly available resource – into a carbon-less fuel is also a focus for researchers in the center. Storing, processing, transporting and ultimately using these fuels requires an integrated infrastructure, which the researchers are also investigating via a systematic approach for optimal design and operation of a UAE hydrogen, carbon dioxide network.
Holographic Food Could Soon Hit Shelves as Khalifa University Researcher Develops Method to Decorate Foods
HOLOGRAMS ON FOOD COULD BE USED TO REDUCE PACKAGING NEEDS OR SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOOD ITEM.
A team of researchers, including Khalifa University’s Dr. Haider Butt, have developed a way to print edible holograms onto food using lasers and corn syrup. Their work was published in American Chemical Society Nano and funded by Khalifa University, Sandooq Al Watan, Aldar Properties and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Shiny and beautiful, holographic chocolate is a common sight among chocolatiers wanting to make an impact. But beyond aesthetics, holograms on food—specifically, edible holograms—could be used to reduce packaging needs, for example, as information about nutritional content or labels could be printed directly onto the food item. Most holograms are imprinted onto metal surfaces with lasers to give the metal that shiny rainbow effect, but the volume of metal required for food would render the food inedible. Holographic chocolate works by moulding edible holograms onto the surface of the chocolate, imprinting patterns that cause light to diffract into the classic rainbow pattern. However, this process only works for certain types of chocolate, with the researchers wanting to find a safe, fast and versatile way to print edible holograms on all kinds of foods.
With IEEJ, ADNOC, the Department of Energy, and Kyushu University, RICH is working to define a hydrogen smart town in Abu Dhabi in close relation to a more valuable oil and gas industry, while also developing a roadmap for research and development collaborations in low carbon hydrogen and hydrogen transportation.
The researchers developed a method involving a thin film of dried corn syrup, vanilla and water, which they then coated with a layer of black dye. Most of this black dye was etched off using lasers, leaving behind raised lines of the black dye on the film. When struck by light, these lines diffracted the light into the rainbow pattern, with different colors appearing at different angles. The team found they could control the intensity and range of colors by varying the pattern etched into the dye or by changing the sugar content of the corn syrup film.
As further opportunities in hydrogen production and use become apparent, the floor is open between the UAE and Japan to materialize them.
The research team will now adapt the method to a food-grade dye that could replace the black dye used in these experiments so that holographic food can become a staple on the shelves. 9 KU TIMES
INNOVATION FORWARD
Khalifa University Researchers Share Knowledge at 2021 International Rain Enhancement Forum
and their potential for cold cloud seeding. Cloud seeding is the process where substances are put into clouds to stimulate the formation of rain drops. Natural cold cloud rainfall occurs when ice crystals from clouds high in the atmosphere fall into clouds lower down. The ice crystals act like seeds to start the formation of larger crystals which leads to raindrop formation. Dr. Zou uses nanotechnology to create materials called ice nucleating particles (INPs), which act in the same way as natural ice crystals, forming supercooled water droplets at temperatures lower than -38° Celsius. Cold cloud seeding works in the area of warm surface temperature, allowing ice nucleation at temperatures around -8° Celsius, making cloud seeding relatively easier.
AT THE FIRST VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL RAIN ENHANCEMENT FORUM (IREF), RESEARCHERS FROM KHALIFA UNIVERSITY SHARED THEIR INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGIES AND NEW INSIGHTS TO ENHANCING RAINFALL ACROSS THE UAE.
The International Rain Enhancement Forum (IREF) is a global platform that brings together leading international and national experts, researchers, scientists and stakeholders to tackle pressing water and sustainability issues worldwide. In the 2021 forum, three Khalifa University researchers shared presentations on their innovative research and advancements in materials and methods applicable to rain enhancement. After the presentations, the researchers were joined by Dr. Steve Griffiths, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at KU, to further discuss their work in a panel discussion. Topics included the application of nanotechnology for developing novel cloud seeding materials, the study of the effects of electrical charges on cloud droplet formation, algorithms for determining suitable cloud seeding conditions, and the integration of multiple modelling efforts and novel data to create a unified weather forecasting model. POROUS NANOPARTICLES FOR COLD CLOUD SEEDING Dr. Linda Zou, Professor of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering, introduced porous nanoparticles KU TIMES 10
But cloud seeding isn’t just used for enhancing precipitation; it can also be used to evaporate fog and clouds. If the fog is very cold, adding large quantities of INPs causes the fog to dissipate as all the liquid turns to ice—a useful technique in areas that see a lot of winter fog, such as the UAE. However, for this to work, the fog needs to be very cold, and desert temperatures rarely drop to the required temperature. This is where cloud seeding techniques can be used. Cloud seeding can also suppress the formation of hail as the artificial and natural ice particles compete with each other for the available liquid water, with seeding accelerating the development of rain drops, transforming the clouds from dangerous to benign. Dr. Zou applies nanotechnology to conventional cloud seeding materials, engineering particles with optimal properties to ensure the maximum amount of ice nucleation. Reduced graphene oxide serves as the template for ice crystal growth due to a similar hexagonal lattice structure while the addition of silicon oxide nanoparticles enhances the overall water molecule adsorption capabilities of the composite particle. The silicon oxide nanoparticles create pores in the final product and play an essential role in ice nucleation as liquid water collects in the pores. Dr. Zou’s experiments showed that the particles caused ice nucleation in temperatures of around -8° Celsius, with these results indicating how cold cloud seeding can be used in actual operations, including hailstorm suppression and fog reduction.
INNOVATION FORWARD
ACCURATELY MODELING THE WEATHER Following this presentation on rainfall generation using porous nanoparticles, Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Scientist and Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (ENGEOS) Lab Head, covered her lab’s efforts to develop a unified multi-component atmospheric model for rain enhancement applications in the UAE. While the UAE is known for being hot and dry, rain does fall during the winter months. However, perhaps surprisingly, the UAE also possesses unique weather systems that can develop during the summer months, occasionally providing water to rain-starved areas and relief from the excessive heat. These systems are known as mesoscale convective systems (MCS) and Dr. Francis wants to be able to predict them. Numerical models are a powerful tool to improve our understanding of the processes in the atmosphere and help predict weather patterns and their impact. Dr. Francis’ team has been assessing and validating the components of their unified model with two investigations on dust and climate and summertime rainfall. An MCS is a cluster of storms that moves as a single system and for one to develop in a hyper arid environment like the UAE, a combination of factors ranging from local to regional scale is needed, including a steep temperature gradient on the ground between the land and the surrounding seas. If cold air from the sea meets hot air from the desert, there is potential for an MCS to form. Dr. Francis found that MCS formation and its impacts on the atmospheric state are not accounted for in many simulations of weather over the UAE, notably underestimating the observed cloud cover. This has important implications for the use of the current state-of-theart models for climate projects in arid regions. It is therefore important to develop comprehensive numerical models and assess their capability in accurately representing the regional environment. Dust emissions from the Arabian Peninsula also play a critical role in the weather over the UAE. Dust cover induces a significant net warming effect at the surface and in the atmosphere during the night, modifying the atmosphere at lower levels. Dr. Francis explained that dust needs to be considered when predicting, designing and conducting cloudseeding operations in the UAE because of the impact on circulation and the development of clouds. The role dust plays in the climate system of the Arabian Peninsula needs to be considered in weather forecast systems to achieve improved accuracy.
As desert regions are expected to expand in the future and are sensitive to climate change, regional models need to be further developed to better represent the UAE environment and the atmospheric processes and interactions. Discrepancies in any model may result in inefficient cloud-seeding operations, highlighting the need for accurate models and forecasting systems, particularly as summertime clouds offer the best chances for cloud seeding. CONVECTION OVER THE UAE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CLOUD SEEDING OPERATIONS Part of developing an effective model is understanding the processes involved. Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Ricardo Fonseca detailed how convection over the UAE happens and its implications for cloud-seeding operations. The vast majority of precipitation occurs between December and March but rainfall at isolated spots in the summer season is not uncommon, with accurate model forecasts crucial for any intended cloud seeding operations to take advantage of this cloud formation. Dr. Fonseca explained that two atmospheric features play an important role in triggering summertime convection in the UAE: The Arabian Heat Low (AHL) and Intertropical Discontinuity (ITD). The AHL is a weather system that develops inland as a result of strong surface heating by the sun while the ITD is the boundary between the hot and dry winds from the desert and the cooler and moister winds from the Arabian Sea. Using a rainfall event that occurred in 2017 over the Al Hajar mountains to the east of the UAE, Dr. Fonseca used various models to simulate the event. The results indicate that, of the models tested, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model does a reasonable job of simulating the convective event over the Al Hajar mountains in September 2017, despite certain deficiencies in the model. Dr. Fonseca suggests that WRF predictions can be used for guidance into cloud seeding activities in the UAE and any modelling work needs to consider the important circulation features in the atmosphere over the Arabian Peninsula in the summer. The KU panellists emphasized the important role research into rain enhancement innovations, including cloud seeding technologies and accurate weather modelling systems, will have on the UAE’s future water and food security goals, and revealed the critical work underway at Khalifa University aimed at turning this research into practical applications. 11 KU TIMES
INNOVATION FORWARD
The Role of Tech-Building Resilience through Smart Cities and Cybersecurity
AN AGENDA FOR ESTABLISHING SECURE AND RESILIENT SMART CITIES
THE RISE OF SMART CITIES Today more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and by 2050 this percentage is expected to rise to nearly 70 percent. In parallel to rapid growth in urbanization, technological progress has led to the mass proliferation of digital information about people, places, and things that can be rapidly transmitted and analyzed with increasingly powerful networking technologies and analytical tools. This digital proliferation is synonymous with the internet-of-things, or IoT, and has converged with urbanization to create the paradigm of “smart” cities. A smart city is not just technologically advanced; it is a platform for the sustainable and inclusive enhancement of nearly all aspects of society. However, achieving such positive outcomes as smart cities evolve is not a simple task. THE EVOLUTION OF SMART CITIES While urbanization and technology have laid the foundation for smart cities, the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in 2020 may ultimately shape long-term implementations. KU TIMES 12
As a result of social distancing mandates implemented to mitigate disease spread, smart city technologies and services for healthcare, work, education, retail, finance, security, entertainment, food services, mobility, and essentially any other activity requiring human interaction have undergone both acceleration and transformation. Although the fundamental architecture of smart cities remains centered around an IoT foundation upon which applications are built for defined use cases, the use cases themselves have both evolved and accelerated in their implementation. In healthcare alone, activities such as telemedicine, contact tracing, public health messaging, mobility pattern analysis, and robotic patient care have emerged and begun to transform the notion of healthcare delivery from one of in-person interaction to one of digital engagement. Likewise, urban transportation is seeing significant changes due to changing
BY DR. STEVE GRIFFITHS
social practices resulting from the pandemic and government policies being implemented for pandemic recovery. Digital technologies will play a key role in these changes as efforts to reestablish demand for public transportation increasingly focus on flexible transit scheduling and planning and the development of multimodal digital platforms that integrate public transportation with bikes, scooters, ride-hailing, and other mobility modes. In short, even the most established smart cities face the innovation challenge of re-imagining city operations for a new era of heightened concerns for health and resiliency, the latter of which additionally factors into climate change considerations. Similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change is now generally recognized as a globally disruptive and destructive issue that must be mitigated through increased government efforts that include the design, implementation, and operation of smart cities.
INNOVATION FORWARD
While the noted trend towards increased city intelligence through digitalization affords many opportunities for improving the lives of citizens, it also creates a number of security concerns. The rapid growth in digital information collection, storage, and use has opened up multiple new attack surfaces for cyber-terrorism, cyber-warfare, and cyber-crime. While cyber-terrorism and cyber-warfare often have social and political motivations, cyber-crime is tied largely to commercial and economic interests and can impart significant financial costs on victims. Indeed, the financial impact of cyber-crimes is expected to amount to as much as US$6 trillion in 2021 considering damage and destruction of data, stolen money, lost productivity, theft of intellectual property, theft of personal and financial data, embezzlement, fraud, post-attack disruption to business operations, forensic investigation, restoration and deletion of hacked data and systems and/ or reputational harm. This considerable cost is expected to rise to as much as US$10.5 trillion by 2025 as the storage of digital data rises in the coming years. The accumulation of digital data has only hastened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as the extent of consumer online interactions has been accelerated by three to four years and the extent of business product and service digitalization has been accelerated by six to ten years. The rapid, and now accelerated, pace of digital activity places a great burden on smart city infrastructure as operational technologies (OT) and information technologies (IT) converge to offer new services and capabilities. Legacy OT systems that are not secure combined with the proliferation of novel, but insecure, digital devices combine to make cybersecurity and cyber resilience urgent for smart cities. Preservation of the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information in cyberspace coupled with the capacity for rapid recovery from cyber incidents must sit at the top of cyber
secure and cyber resilient smart city agendas. A FORWARD-LOOKING AGENDA FOR SMART CITIES The sharing of international expertise, technologies, and best practices can play an important role in achieving cyber secure and cyber resilient smart cities. The United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Israel are three highly urbanized countries that are aligned in their ambitions for innovation and security in the urban context. While each country scores highly in international innovation rankings, Singapore is particularly advanced in smart city technology innovation while Israel is a global leader in cyber security innovation. The UAE has rapidly built smart city visibility, particularly related to developments in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and has visible initiatives to ensure that these cities are cyber secure and resilient, including the 2020 formation of a Cybersecurity Council headed by a recently appointed government Head of Cyber Security. Among emirate level initiatives, Dubai has established a Cyber Security Strategy and in Abu Dhabi, the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) was formed in 2020 and has set forth a research and development strategy that clearly puts cybersecurity at the forefront by including cryptography, digital security, and secure systems as three of seven top priority research areas for the emirate. An agenda for smart city collaboration among the UAE, Singapore and Israel would certainly involve the exchange of best practices regarding legal and regulatory frameworks as well as engagement in technology investment and trade. However, ecosystem development is what underpins long-term
sustainability and hence international collaboration should further entail targeted initiatives addressing human capital, R&D, and innovation. Human capital development is very important given the growing shortage of skilled cyber security manpower. R&D supports the development of human capital and further brings value to the development of cutting-edge approaches to smart city services, security, and resiliency. R&D topics of particular merit within the cyber security context include the protection of edge devices, application of artificial intelligence techniques, application of blockchain, and in the coming years, the implementation of quantum technologies. Innovation further builds on human capital and R&D advances to establish commercially viable new technologies tailored to applications. On this latter point, R&D and innovation collaboration may focus on specific smart city sectors of common interest and growing importance. Given that both healthcare and transportation are being re-imagined as a result of COVID-19, focused initial collaboration efforts in these domains, for instance, could lead to large rewards for all involved. Urbanization and technological trends make the rise of smart cities inevitable. As discussed in this paper, however, smart cities will inherently face threats and challenges. Collaboration among countries that have common interests in securing a successful future for their smart cities can help mitigate these threats. The UAE, Singapore, and Israel are three such countries that can reap the benefits of collaboration through a holistic partnership that addresses human capital, R&D, and innovation while taking into consideration applications with both near and long-term importance.
DR. STEVE GRIFFITHS IS THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE AT KHALIFA UNIVERSITY 13 KU TIMES
INNOVATION FORWARD
Understanding Humans’ Tendency to Make ‘Random’ Choices Could Help Program Machines That Are Better at Mimicking Human Decision Making ARE YOU MORE ADVENTUROUS OR PREDICTABLE IN YOUR DECISION MAKING? The explore-exploit dilemma exists in all areas of life. When you open a streaming service to choose a film to watch, you might start exploring different shows to find an enjoyable one to watch, or you might exploit one you’ve already seen and know you’ll enjoy again. Another example is choosing to go to a favorite restaurant over trying a new one that could be better—or worse. One way to decide is to weigh the benefits of a known option (I know this restaurant does this dish well and I will enjoy it) against the information available for sampling something new (I have never been to this restaurant but the reviews look good). The other way to decide is much more random, say with the toss of a coin. This first example is a ‘directed exploration’ approach, while the second is a ‘random exploration’ approach. CHOOSING AT RANDOM Random exploration in human behavior has been studied in less detail than directed exploration. But in a new study conducted by Khalifa University’s Dr. Samuel Feng, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, in collaboration with the Neuroscience of Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making Lab led by Dr. Robert Wilson at the University of Arizona in the United States, researchers are investigating the dynamics of random exploration in humans, and ask questions about how and why the brain makes choices seemingly randomly at times.
decisions, and understanding what controls random exploration can help decision making in all aspects of life, from dinner to business. In this research, Dr. Feng and colleagues shed light on the mystery of how to design machines and algorithms that mimic human decision making for the challenging class of explore-exploit decisions. In their words: “When choosing a class in college, should you exploit the math class you are sure to ace, or explore the photography class you know nothing about? Exploiting math may be the way to a better grade, but exploring photography—and finding that it scratches an itch you never knew you had—could be the path to a better life. As with all such ‘explore-exploit’ decisions, picking the optimal class is hard—explore too much and you’ll never finish your degree. Exploit too much, and like us, you will do math for the rest of your life.”
Their study was published recently in Nature’s Scientific Reports, and has consequences in connection to reinforcement learning, a rapidly growing paradigm of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The explore-exploit trade-off has a rich history in computational neuroscience research. It involves choosing between a familiar option with a known reward value and an unfamiliar option with an unknown or uncertain reward value. Exploitation maximizes rewards in the near-term, while the information obtained during exploration can be used to maximize rewards in the long-term.
Deciding when to explore more and when to stop and exploit what is available is a key factor in many
But exploration is labor-intensive and time-consuming. How long should we explore? When should we start
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exploiting? In other words, in an uncertain and changing environment, where values of all potential options are unknown or the values of these options change over time, maintaining efficient performance requires flexibly alternating between exploration and exploitation. “From a computational perspective, the difficulty of explore-exploit decisions arises due to uncertainty about the outcome of each choice (will I like photography?) and the long time horizon over which the consequences of a choice can play out (if I like photography, should I change my major?),” the researchers question in their paper. “To make an ‘optimal decision’ that maximizes our expected future reward, we need to average overall possible futures out to some time horizon. However, this requires us to mentally simulate all possible futures and that is surely beyond what any human brain can perform.” MODELLING DECISION MAKING Dr. Feng and the research team used mathematical models to break down the problem: “Mathematical modelling of these decisions provides quantitative assessment of underlying behavioral mechanisms. Inspired by research in machine learning, recent findings in psychology suggest that humans use two strategies to make explore-exploit decisions: an explicit bias for information (‘directed exploration’) and the randomization of choice (‘random exploration’). Despite differences in implementation, both strategies are driven by the same goal: increasing reward in the long run.” They developed a model of explore-exploit behavior to investigate how random exploration could be controlled, assuming that the decision between exploitation and exploration is accomplished by accumulating evidence over time. In this context, behavioral variability when making choices can be controlled by three different parameters. Current experimental data, however, cannot distinguish which of these parameters is behind the selected choice. Instead, they show that these explore-exploit decisions are likely driven by a ‘signal-to-noise’ mechanism within the brain. “In directed exploration, a decision is made by comparing the expected values of exploring and exploiting,” explained Dr. Feng. “These expected values combine the predicted
short-term payoff from picking an option once, the ‘expected reward,’ with an estimate of the long-term value of the information obtained from choosing that option, the ‘information bonus,’ also known as the future expected value. The information bonus increases the value of exploratory options such that a directed explorer will find exploration more appealing. In contrast, in random exploration, the tendency to exploit the option with the highest short-term expected reward is countered by ‘noise’ in the decision process. This noise introduces random variability to the decision, which leads to exploration by chance.” GETTING THROUGH THE NOISE Noise is inevitable in human decision making because humans are unreliable decision makers, strongly influenced by irrelevant factors such as their current mood, hunger, and even the weather. Some decisions are noise-free as they follow strict rules that limit subjective judgement. Other decisions are ‘a matter of judgement.’ A key feature of both types of exploration is that they appear to be subject to cognitive control: when it is more valuable to explore, people exhibit more information seeking (directed) and more variability in their behavior (random). Exactly how the brain achieves this control of directed and random exploration is unknown, and the signal-to-noise mechanism suggested by this study sheds some light on how the brain processes these types of decisions. “When it is valuable to explore, the representation of reward cues—or at least, the extent to which these cues are incorporated into the decision—is reduced, leading to more random exploration overall,” explained Dr. Feng. These findings are useful for programming machines that mimic human decision making. “In reinforcement learning, an agent tries to maximize their reward by choosing beneficial actions within some environment. It is a growing paradigm driving many AI applications including gaming (computers playing chess/ go), robotics, advertising, and computational chemistry,” explained Dr. Feng. “In such applications, our goal is not only to maximize numeric performance but also to design machines and algorithms that learn and decide like humans.” 15 KU TIMES
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Imaging Organic Matter in 12,000 Year Old Fossils for the First Time This silica is thought to protect any organic matter in the fossilized diatom, which could be investigated to understand and reconstruct the conditions of the oceans at the time the diatom was alive. “Scientists believe that nitrogen encased in the diatom frustule is protected from any alteration, presenting a more robust insight to the conditions of that time period,” explained Dr. Das. However, the location of this organic matter within the frustule has proved challenging to identify—until now. Using high spatial resolution imaging techniques, the research team identified where the organic material is retained in the fossil. They developed and applied nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS imaging), which allows imaging of elements down to 50 nanometres.
DIATOMS SHOWN UNDER A MICROSCOPE.
A team of researchers have discovered a new way to see organic matter inside of fossilized ‘diatoms’ – a type of microalgae – using powerful microscopy imaging techniques, which could help scientists better understand the conditions and climate of the Earth thousands of years ago. Diatoms are one of the most prolific microscopic sea organisms that serve as food for many animals. Beyond that though, diatoms – which include around 16,000 species – can be preserved in the sediment record, offering clues into what life was like on Earth in the past.
To validate their findings, they used microRaman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to probe further into the fossil and identify the molecular structure of samples. While the TEM technique did not have the sensitivity to image the organic material, the nanoSIMS and Raman techniques imaged the presence of organic matter in fossil frustules for the first time, highlighting exactly where the organic matter can be found. Diatoms build intricate hard but porous frustules, which are highly patterned with a variety of pores, spines, ridges and elevations. The samples used for the research team’s investigation came from a core of sediment that was 12,450 years old.
The extensive fossil record of diatoms in this sediment record is extremely useful to researchers looking at changes in ecological conditions over long periods of time.
“Our findings suggest that organic signals were present throughout the frustule but in higher concentrations at the pore walls,” said Dr. Das.
The research team includes Dr. Gobind Das, Associate Professor of Physics at Khalifa University, Dr. Shaun Akse, Dr. Lubos Polerecky and Dr. Jack Middelburg from the Department of Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, Dr.Susana Agusti from the Red Sea Research Center and Core Labs at King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, and Dr. Laetitia Pichevin from the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh. Their findings were recently published in Marine Chemistry.
“As the first result of its kind, our study shows that the organic material embedded in the silica matrix of fossil frustules can be imaged, but the nanoSIMS analysis should be combined with additional high spatial resolution chemical mapping techniques to confirm and better understand the distribution of organics within the frustule of fossil diatoms.”
Diatoms’ unique anatomy features a cell wall made of hydrated silicon dioxide, or amorphous silica, called a frustule. Fossil evidence suggests that certain fossil diatoms originated during or before the early Jurassic period, which was about 150 to 200 million years ago.
Finding the organic material in these fossils allows further and more accurate investigation into its composition, which will help researchers understand more about the atmospheric and oceanic conditions of life on Earth more than 12,000 years ago.
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KU Researcher Explains What Makes the UAE So Foggy in the Winter DESPITE BEING A DESERT COUNTRY, THE UAE HAS ALL THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS FOR FOG, SEEING UP TO 50 FOGGY NIGHTS PER YEAR. Winter in the UAE brings respite from the scorching summer temperatures for which this region is famed. It also brings foggy mornings, enveloping the country from the skyscrapers in Dubai to the dunes in Liwa. Despite being a desert country, the UAE has all the necessary ingredients for fog, seeing up to 50 foggy nights per year. Dry desert conditions exist next to the warm seas of the Gulf, with moist air carried inland by the afternoon sea breeze cooled by the night desert surface. “The fog that forms over the UAE is known as radiation fog and is caused by the rapid cooling of the desert surface at night during the winter,” explained Dr. Diana Francis, Head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (ENGEOS) Lab at Khalifa University. “This cooling leads to cool air in the lower layers of the atmosphere, which condenses the water vapor present there. The UAE has an atmosphere rich in water vapor since it’s surrounded by water bodies, where sea breeze circulation brings large amounts of water vapor inland during the day, which is trapped and forms fog during the night.” Fog can be considered as a low-lying cloud; it’s a visible aerosol of miniscule water droplets hovering above the ground. About 95 percent of the fog seen in the UAE is radiation fog, which is why it is so prevalent in the winter and not the summer. The other 5 percent is advection fog, meaning it forms over the surrounding seas and moves over the UAE. Regardless of the type of fog, when the sun rises and warms the country in the morning, the fog dissipates. The desert part of the country also plays a vital role in the weather over the UAE. When the winds over the country are calm, the moist air blown in from the sea earlier in the day mixes with the dust and sand in the air from the desert. This dust acts as the catalyst for fog development.
“Dust is the main component in the aerosol load present in the atmosphere over the UAE,” explained Dr. Francis. “Aerosols act as condensation nuclei for water vapor, causing the water to condense around the dust particles in the air. This is the same principle that leads to the condensation of water vapor on the mirror when you shower—the mirror is the aerosol particle. Given how much of the atmosphere is sand from the desert and the large capacity of the desert to cool down quickly at night, it makes sense that two of the hot spots for fog formation in the UAE are the Sweihan desert and the South West of Abu Dhabi. Both are desert areas, with fog forming over these places, expanding, and then merging together, particularly over Abu Dhabi airport.” ENGEOS lab research work shows that Abu Dhabi airport experiences more low visibility events than Dubai or Al Ain due to the fog that starts nearby. The fog is most frequent between 20 and 100 kilometers inland but can extend up to 200 kilometers inland over the desert, and tends to occur the most in December and January, even though the fog season lasts between September and March. “At ENGEOS we perform now-casting of fog formation, spatial cover and duration using satellite observations and artificial intelligence techniques,” said Dr. Francis. “We also forecast fog formation, time of occurrence, intensity and duration one day in advance using modelling. We found that fog can occur any time between 7pm and 11am local time, but the highest number of events occur between 3am and 7am. This information is critical for operations at Abu Dhabi airport and the transport sector in general to reduce the risks related to fog and low visibility.” 17 KU TIMES
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Searching for Suitable Materials and Refrigerants for AC Units That Also Store Heat for Energy
AS GLOBAL ENERGY DEMAND FROM AIR CONDITIONERS CONTINUES TO RISE, FINDING A WAY TO REPLACE ENERGYINTENSIVE SYSTEMS IS PARAMOUNT.
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As the mercury rises in the UAE, Dr. Lourdes Vega, Director of the Khalifa University Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and hydrogen (RICH), and KU Research Scientists Dr. Edder Garcia and Dr. Daniel Bahamon are turning their attention to finding efficient and environmentally-friendly forms of air conditioning systems. “Due to global warming and a boost of wealth in tropical regions, the demand for refrigeration and airconditioning is likely to increase in the coming years,” explained Dr. Vega. “This process already accounts for around 10 percent of the global electricity consumption, so finding green alternatives is of utmost importance.” Global energy demand from air conditioners is expected to triple by 2050, and supplying power to these AC units comes with large costs and environmental implications.
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Dr. Vega and her team are investigating a cleaner cooling process known as ‘absorption refrigeration,’ which could replace conventional energy-intensive vapor compression refrigeration, and could even be used as a way to store solar energy. Conventional AC systems rely on vapor-compression cycles and a mechanical compressor. This is how it works: Refrigerant flows through a compressor, where it gets pressurized. Then the refrigerant flows through a condenser, where it condenses from vapor form to liquid form, giving off heat in the process. From the condenser, the refrigerant goes through an expansion valve and its pressure drops. Finally, the refrigerant travels to the evaporator, where it draws heat from the air around it (the air that needs to be cooled), which causes the refrigerant to vaporize. The vaporized refrigerant then goes back to the compressor to restart the cycle. In addition to the electricity consumption associated with air conditioning, in current vapour-compression cycles the refrigerant is usually a fluorinated gas (F-gas) with high global warming potential, making the phase out of such gases an urgent environmental need. An adsorption-based refrigeration system is much simpler. It has two main components: a tank, where the liquid refrigerant is stored, and a bed filled with a solid material known as an ‘adsorbent.’ The refrigerant molecules ‘adsorb’, or attach, onto the surface of this material instead of dissolving into a liquid, creating a film on the surface where refrigerant vapor accumulates. The adsorbent is a highly porous material with a large internal surface, full of holes that collect the refrigerant vapor. These systems transform energy into cooling power without any moving parts, making them low maintenance and more durable than conventional vapor-compression refrigeration systems. Importantly, adsorption refrigeration can be powered by renewable energy sources, like the sun.
“When the refrigerant adsorbs onto the solid surface adsorbent, energy is released,” explained Dr. Vega. “Therefore, the adsorbent can be used as a thermal energy storage unit. Energy is stored during the removal of the refrigerant from the adsorbent material. The stored energy is recovered during the adsorption step and can be used as a low-temperature energy source. In this way, we can make a unit that both cools the air and stores energy.” Developing such a unit however requires finding the perfect adsorbent-refrigerant pair. Currently, the most common refrigerants for domestic and automobile air conditioning and for vapour-compression cycles are hydrofluorocarbons, but these have tremendous global warming potential and are being phased out globally. Using computational simulations, Dr. Vega and her team are trying to find the best adsorbent-refrigerant pair, and they are specifically looking for the ideal pairing with compounds known as metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, combined with low global warming potential refrigerants including hydrofluoroolefins (HFO). They published their results in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. “Several criteria can be used to select an adsorbent-refrigerant working pair,” said Dr. Vega. “The energy density that can be stored by adsorbent per unit of volume is an important indicator of performance. The difference in the adsorbed amount of refrigerant between adsorption and desorption— the working capacity—can also be considered. However, given the large number of potential materials that could be utilized, experimental evaluation is an expensive, time-consuming and tedious endeavor.” Rather than individually test each pairing, the research team conducted simulations to guide selection of MOFs for thermalstorage applications. A total of 40 MOFs were studied using three refrigerants based on HFO, which has much lower global warming potential than the traditional hydrofluorocarbons.
During energy production peaks, such as during the middle of the day for solar power supplies, heat is transferred to the adsorbent, causing the refrigerant to vaporize and desorb from the solid adsorbent. It detaches from the pores in the adsorbent and is condensed into a liquid for storage in the tank.
The research team established a relationship between the adsorptive capacity and the properties of the materials, finding that MOFs with open metal sites interact strongly with the refrigerants, making them more suitable for thermal energy storage applications.
When it is time to cool down the air outside the unit, the liquid refrigerant is released to the evaporator, removing a heat from the surrounding area.
For cold thermal energy storage, MOFs with larger pore sizes showed a considerably higher energy density than the materials currently used commercially. 19 KU TIMES
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Harnessing the Power of the Sun to Desalinate Brine Sustainably THE TEAM’S ‘SOLAR CRYSTALLIZER’ USES SOLAR ENERGY AS THE MAIN ENERGY SOURCE TO HEAT AND EVAPORATE THE BRINE
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Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt in water and is a by-product of many industrial processes, including desalination. The simplest way to dispose of brine is to return it to the ocean, but high localized brine concentrations raise seawater salinity and alkalinity to the point that an environmental risk is created.
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Another common way to dispose of brine is to use evaporation ponds, where the water is evaporated and the salt is collected for use in other processes. Unfortunately, neither method is a fully environmentally-friendly approach, and untreated brine can be corrosive and toxic if disposed of improperly. A team of researchers, including Khalifa University’s Dr.Tiejun Zhang and Dr. Hongxia Li from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has designed a new, sustainable way to treat brine without disposing of any water, using the energy from the sun. Dr. Zhang and Dr. Li published their work in Nature Communications with Chenlin Zhang and Prof. Peng Wang’s group from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia. The collaborative research team led by Prof. Wang designed a ‘solar crystallizer’ that uses solar energy as the main energy source to heat and evaporate the brine. “Proper disposal of industrial brine is a critical environmental challenge,” explained Dr. Zhang. “The volumes of brine produced by modern industries range from hundreds of liters to tens of thousands of liters. Conventional methods of disposing brine are detrimental to aquatic ecosystems and land vegetation systems. Concentrating the brine to near saturation and then evaporating the water in a contained system can remove all residual water from the brine to produce solid salts in a zero liquid discharge process.” Typically, a zero liquid discharge process concentrates the original source brine to near saturation and uses a process known as ‘crystallization’ to remove all the salts from the solution. Brine crystallizers are sometimes used to separate the salt from the water,
but they require electricity to heat the brine for water evaporation, resulting in high energy consumption. “Solar-driven water evaporation is gaining popularity as an environmentally friendly way to produce water vapor for clean water production via solar distillation,” explained Dr. Zhang. “In such a process, solar energy is harvested and converted to heat using a photothermal material, producing water vapor from various source waters in a solar still. Then, the condensate from the water vapor is collected as fresh water.” Sounds simple, but the amount of salt in the water can affect the light absorption of the photothermal materials, water transport and evaporation in wicking materials. To solve this, the research team designed a new 3D solar crystallizer device in which the water evaporation surface and the light absorption surface are physically separated by an aluminum sheet with high thermal conductivity. The bottom and inner walls act as the sunlight absorbing component, absorbing 99 percent of the light that hits it, while the outer wall surface serves as the water evaporation surface and salt crystallization surface. “The high thermal conductivity of the aluminum separator conducts the heat generated at the bottom of the device to its wall for water evaporation,” explained Dr. Li. “This results in a high solar-to-vapor performance, meaning this simple but promising strategy can provide a low-cost and sustainable solution, especially for small to medium-sized industrial brine treatment.” Dr. Zhang has teamed up with Dr. Faisal Al Marzooqi to develop more advanced solutions at Khalifa University for sustainable solar brine treatment with anti-fouling and anti-scaling performance.
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Through Rose-tinted Contact Lenses: Gold Nanocomposites Help the Color-Blind See the World Differently USING RED-TINTED GLASSES CAN MAKE COLORS MORE PROMINENT, BUT ACHIEVING THIS CORRECTION IN A COMFORTABLE MANNER IS MORE CHALLENGING.
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A collaborative team of researchers from Khalifa University and Imperial College London has developed a new contact lens that could help people with color blindness. Rather than the conventional approach, using dyes to tint lenses, the research team uses gold nanoparticles to filter red and green light, creating a safer way to see colors.
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The research team includes Dr. Haider Butt, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Mohamed Elsherif, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Fahad Alam, Postdoctoral Fellow, and recent MSc graduate Ahmed Salih, all from Khalifa University, along with Dr. Alil Yetisen, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. They published their work last month in ACS Nano.
Conventional color-correcting lenses are made with certain minerals to absorb and filter out some of the wavelengths between green and red that confuse the photoreceptors. With less color overlap, the brain gets a clearer signal to help distinguish between the problem colors, but this does reduce the amount of light getting into the eye.
Problems with distinguishing red from green restrict people from working in fields where color recognition is critical, but can also have everyday ramifications as simple as deciding whether a banana is ripe or selecting matching clothes.
Gold, on the other hand, has been used for hundreds of years in cranberry glass, where red glass is made by adding gold salts to molten glass. Gold nanocomposites are non-toxic and scatter light in such a way as to create this red glass look. The researchers believed this scattering quality could be leveraged and incorporated into contact lens material to improve the red-green contrast safely and effectively.
The retina of the eye has three types of cones: one perceives blue light, another green, and the third red. These cones work together to allow people to see the whole spectrum of colors, except when one doesn’t work properly. “Color vision deficiency (CVD), more commonly known as color blindness, is an inherited ocular disorder that limits the sufferer’s ability to distinguish between specific colors,” explained Dr. Butt. “Red-green color blindness is the most prevalent form of CVD, with most sufferers relying on wearables to manage the difficulties in day-to-day tasks. The most common wearable is a form of tinted glass.” Deuteranomaly, which occurs mostly in men, is a condition in which the photoreceptor responsible for detecting green light responds to light associated with red. This can be improved using red-tinted glasses, which make the colors more prominent, but achieving this correction in a comfortable manner is more challenging. Glasses based on this approach are commercially and readily available, but they are bulky and can be uncomfortable. Contact lenses do exist, but their reported effectiveness varies among tested patients and the stability of the dyes within the contact lenses is insufficient for daily use. “Research on CVD management techniques has shown that dyed contact lenses are expensive and have leaching and toxicity problems,” explained Dr. Butt. “We used gold nanoparticles instead. Noble metal nanoparticles, particularly gold and silver, have excellent electrical and optical properties, making them suitable for various biomedical applications, while they also display excellent light absorption and scattering properties.”
Dr. Butt and colleagues put their theory to test and designed a contact lens with embedded gold nanoparticles that successfully filtered out the range of optical wavelengths at which CVD patients have difficulty distinguishing between specific colors. The gold nanoparticles were embedded into a hydrogel polymer, which was shaped into the contact lenses, producing rose-tinted gels that filtered the light where red and green overlap. Importantly, the lenses were also studied for the effect of the nanoparticles on the water content and hydration for the eyes. The researchers found that the gold did not have an appreciable effect on the water content of the gel, meaning it can be used in contact lens applications without any undesirable side effects. When compared with commercially available glasses and dyed lenses, the team’s lenses were just as effective, with comparable water content. Now, the team aims to investigate the oxygen permeability of the hydrogel used in their lenses, before they can be deployed and help people with CVD to see the world differently. The research is jointly funded by Sandooq Al Watan, Aldar Properties and Khalifa University.
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Getting More Clean Energy with New Materials Understanding Phonon Dynamics of Copper Pseudohalides A team consisting of Dr. Singh, Dr. Dalaver Anjum, Assistant Professor, Dr. Gobind Das, Associate Professor, Dr. Issam Qattan, Associate Professor, and Dr. Shashikant Patole, Assistant Professor, all from Khalifa University’s Department of Physics, and Dr. Muhammad Sajjad (currently working at Khalifa University) from Luleå University of Technology, Sweden investigated the phonon dynamics of two copper compounds to determine how effective they are in conducting the heat. Their study was published in the journal ACS Omega.
RESEARCH INTO ADVANCED MATERIALS AT KHALIFA UNIVERSITY IS UNLOCKING A NUMBER OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN BE USED TO GENERATE AND STORE RENEWABLE ENERGY MORE EFFICIENTLY.
Dr. Nirpendra Singh, Assistant Professor of Physics at Khalifa University, and colleagues recently published three papers that investigate the development of materials with a number of applications for renewable energy. These papers explore new materials that could help improve the performance of thermoelectric materials capable of converting heat into electricity more efficiently, and sulphur-based batteries with high energy densities that could replace traditional lithium-ion batteries.
DR. NIRPENDRA SINGH, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS, (LEFT) AND DR. MUHAMMAD SAJJAD, POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW. KU TIMES 24
Phonon transport of materials plays a significant role in determining their thermoelectric performance. Dr. Singh’s team investigated two copper-based compounds – copper thiocyanate (CuSCN) and copper selenocyanate (CuSeCN) – which are candidates for inexpensive largearea photovoltaic use, but until now, have not been deeply studied for phonon transport. The research team comprehensively determines phonon thermal transport with the most sophisticated computational approach available to date. The electron localization function profile is used to explain phonon softening, which was found to be the leading cause of low in-plane lattice thermal conductivity. The high phonon scattering rates in CuSeCN give rise to lower lattice thermal conductivity than CuSCN, suggesting its better thermoelectric performance, Dr. Singh explained.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c03696
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LEAD-FREE DOUBLE PEROVSKITE CS2PTI6: A PROMISING THERMOELECTRIC MATERIAL While transparent materials are vital for renewable energy harvesting, thermoelectric materials are crucial for turning heat – either heat from the sun or waste heat from power plants and cars – into renewable energy. One promising thermoelectric material is double perovskite Cs2Ptl6, a leadfree hybrid material containing cesium and platinum.
Alkali metal-sulfur batteries have emerged as a promising option, especially in applications requiring high energy storage capacity. However, one issue with metal-sulfur batteries is the so-called ‘shuttle effect.’ In the shuttle effect, metal particles called polysulphides dissolve into the battery’s electrolyte and are transported from the sulfur cathode to the metal anode. This results in a reduction in capacity and charging performance of the battery.
Dr. Singh, Dr. Muhammad Sajjad, and Dr. J. Andreas Larsson from the Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, report the electronic and phonon transport properties of Cs2Ptl6 in work recently published in the journal ACS Applied Energy Materials.
Finding a way to suppress the shuttle effect is crucial to metal-sulfur battery performance and lifetime. Dr. Singh. Dr.Muhammad Sajjad and Dr. J. Andreas Larsson from Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, and Dr. Tanveer Hussain from the University of Queensland investigated the use of different 2D materials that could ‘anchor’ the metal particles and prevent them from shuttling.. They published their findings in the journal Langmuir.
The researchers found that the Cs2Ptl6 shows high thermoelectric performance at and above room temperature and is therefore worth exploring for thermoelectric applications. Cs2PtI6 has a lattice thermal conductivity that is 8-fold smaller than that of the commercial thermoelectric material Bi2Te3. Nanostructuring and alloying of Cs2Ptl6 can lead to further improvement in thermoelectric performance, possibly making it useful for conventional thermoelectric generators. For future energy needs, finding alternative and better thermoelectric materials is critically needed, Dr.Singh said.
The 2D materials the team investigated were nitrogenated holey graphene (C2N) and nonpolar polyaniline (C3N). Both C2N and C3N are 2D nanostructures, which can help to anchor the metal polysulphides to the sulfur cathode and improve the electric conduction of the sulphur cathode in metal-sulfur batteries. The researchers found that C2N was a stronger anchor than C3N, paving the way for a cost-effective C2N nanosheet as an anchoring material for the high-energy and high-capacity batteries needed for large-scale photovoltaic energy storage. As energy consumption continues to rise, finding new materials that can make renewable solar energy generation and storage cleaner and more efficient will be key to meeting the world’s growing energy demands sustainably.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.0c02236 POLAR C2N SHEET: A POTENTIAL ELECTRODE ENHANCER IN SODIUM–SULFUR BATTERIES With clean renewable energy production comes the need for energy storage since renewable energy supply is intermittent. Currently, metal-ion batteries are used, but low energy density and relatively high cost limit their viability for large-scale usage.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02616 25 KU TIMES
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Student & faculty achievements, and campus activities
Innovative Waste Collection System Wins KU Students First Place at 2021 IEOM Conference A team of Industrial and Systems Engineering students at Khalifa University has won first place in the Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IEOM) Senior Design Project Competition. The team, who beat out over 100 other student projects, won for their innovative project that describes a streamlined waste collection system. The team includes Shamma Al-Ali, Khadija Alhmoudi, Rawdha Alawadhi and Khalid Alhosani, and was supervised by Dr. Ali Bouabid, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Dr. Andrei Sleptchenko, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Their paper, titled “Improving Waste Collection & Transportation System,” describes their Senior Design Project, which is an innovative system they designed to improve the waste collection and transportation system in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with Tadweer (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center). “Leveraging industrial and systems engineering principles, the students proposed a simulation-based approach to streamline the waste collection process as part of the future strategic vision for waste management in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” explained Dr. Bouabid. Team member Khalid Alhosani said, “As industrial & systems engineers, we are committed to delivering our expertise in a way that will help our society. Directly aligned with the UAE’s 2021 vision, our proposed solutions express a genuine desire to deliver positive, real-world change in the UAE. We hope that our work will contribute to the success of the UAE in increasing the percentage of treated waste.” The KU team successfully demonstrated problem solving, creative thinking, innovation, project planning, and teamwork through a challenging design and build project. KU TIMES 26
PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: RAWDHA ALATTAR, SHAMMA AL-ALI, KHALID ALHOSANI, KHADIJA ALHMOUDI
They presented their poster and paper at the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IEOM), and were awarded at the 2021 IEOM 11th Annual Conference Awards Ceremony on 11 March 2021. “Our Senior Design Project series have been purposefully designed to showcase our students abilities and skills in real-world applications and industries, with direct benefits to the local community of service providers and supply chain enterprises. This is the second year in a row that our SDP students are recognized in international awards, which is testament to their work’s international impact as well,” said Dr. Mohammed Omar, Professor and Department Chair of Industrial and Systems Engineering. The IEOM Society International is a non-profit organization that provides academics, researchers, scientists, and practitioners a platform and forum to exchange ideas and provide insights on the latest developments and advancements in the fields of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. The IEOM conference was held in Singapore this year and welcomed competitors from more than 60 different nationalities. With a number of waste management projects underway like this one at Masdar Institute, Khalifa University’s sustainability focused research institute, KU is helping to drive the technological and industrial innovation required to meet the UAE’s strategic sustainability goals.
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Celebrating Global Recycling Day Plastic waste coupled with old pictures and cultural heritage have inspired our KU students to produce a piece of art that decorates our University even long after they graduate. This year on Global Recycling Day, which was on 18 March, KU reminded everyone how we must recycle in order to protect and preserve all lives! This project was in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Tourism and Culture.
New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Installed at both Campuses Earlier this year, we unveiled eight electric vehicle charging stations across both campuses. Making sustainable transportation more accessible to the campus community is just one of the many ways we are demonstrating our commitment to a more sustainable, cleaner nation. KU is proud to support the UAE’s efforts to reduce the country’s carbon footprint.
WATCH VIDEO
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Khalifa University Hosts Three-Day Virtual Spring 2021 Orientation for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Pre-Med Students
NEWLY-ENROLLED STUDENTS NOW PART OF UAE’S TOP UNIVERSITY RENOWNED FOR RESEARCH INNOVATION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Khalifa University organized a three-day virtual Spring 2021 Orientation program to welcome the newly enrolled undergraduate, postgraduate and Pre-Medicine Bridge program students, so they could smoothly transition into the academic and research environment at the university . The two-pronged program – a day-long schedule for undergraduates and a two-day agenda for the postgraduates and Pre-Medicine Bridge program (PMB) aspirants – helped to ensure a smooth and positive onboarding and transition, academically and socially. For the post-graduate and the Pre-Medicine Bridge program students, the event was specifically designed for their research-intensive lives and medicine-related programs respectively. Almost 500 undergraduate, and post-graduate students, as well as accepted students in the Pre-Medicine Bridge program (PMB) attended the three-day virtual event to learn about various on-campus cutting-edge laboratory and research facilities as well as other academic services. Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “The three-day virtual Spring 2021 orientation program witnessed high engagement from our newly-enrolled students, emphasizing their ambitions and goals by KU TIMES 28
joining the most sought-after university that offers some of the highly relevant academic programs for today’s job market. Moreover, Khalifa University already tops in the UAE with 25% of the total 178 UAE faculty who featured in the Stanford University list of the world’s top 2% of scientists with the greatest citation impact in a single year in 2019. We believe this is a strong element that appeals to the new generation of students who are keen to hone their skills in science and technology, and we warmly welcome the newlyenrolled students to the Khalifa University community.” The first day’s sessions offered newly-enrolled undergraduate students and parents information on academics and services through interactions with panel members from academia, Registrar, IT, Student Services, Library and Finance. An exclusive web ‘landing page’ offered students downloadable presentations as well as reference on important resources. The post-graduate students were offered an overview of their programs, research facilities and other offices, while a live chat box provided them with an opportunity to interact with faculty and officials who could clarify enquiries. A dedicated ‘landing page’ was also available with downloadable presentations and resources. Students were introduced to the three research institutes, 18 specialized research centers, two sponsored labs as well as 228 laboratories, three research facilities and two research projects.
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Student Spotlight: KU Senior Highlights Research Experience at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre A Q&A with Ahmed AlHantoobi, BSc in Aerospace Engineering student at Khalifa University, about his Research Experience at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in UAE. Ahmed’s Research Experience at MBRSC was organized through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.
A Q&A with Ahmed AlHantoobi, BSc in Aerospace Engineering student at Khalifa University, about his Research Experience at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in UAE. Ahmed’s Research Experience at MBRSC was organized through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. 1. Why did you choose to apply to do your REU at MBRSC? MBRSC provided an exceptional experience in research alongside scientists who have been studying the field of space sciences for years. Considering my curiosity and interest in the field this was an opportunity I couldn’t miss as it’s rare to find such an experience. 2. What was the main focus of your REU? My internship focused on the magnetic anomalies on Mars and if we can explain the strong magnetic magnitude of those anomalies use the crustal mineralogy. 3. What skills did you gain during your REU? Throughout this experience I have heavily developed my MATLAB, reading and communications skills. The MATLAB skills developed mainly from the analysis I had to run whilst the reading and communication skills came through weekly meetings where we would read and discuss a specific scientific paper which increased my knowledge in the field. 4. You published a paper as a result of this REU in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. What was the paper describing? For many years the exceptionally strong magnetic anomalies of Mars have been clashing with models of Mars’ ancient global magnetic field as their magnitude isn’t explained. My research focused on attempting to
explain the strong magnetic anomalies on Mars using mineralogical composition of the uppermost crust. The findings of our research suggest that Mars’ ancient global magnetic field wasn’t of exceptional strength however the rocks in some regions on Mars are mineralogical enhanced making them exceptionally well at recording the magnetic field. 5. What is your favorite memory from your experience? The long nights I would be running the analysis and finally getting the result you were hoping for meant the world to me. 6. What was the most important lesson you learned? I used to feel that the space of sciences is extremely difficult and that you must be an exceptionally smart student to be able to perform in the field, this experience taught me that with hard work nothing is impossible and that anything could be achieved. 7. What do you plan to do after you graduate from KU? I am planning to enter graduate school in a field related to space sciences (not sure what yet) but the goal is to become an researcher in the field. 8. How does it feel to have studied the planet (Mars) that the UAE has successfully sent its first probe to? The arrival of the Hope Probe shows the commitment of the UAE to develop the field of science and technology in the region and it is a clear investment in us, the youth. As a student, I am very excited as this means that more data is available and a better understanding of Mars’ atmosphere will be possible and hopefully us students can drive and stimulate this growth in the field using the foundations hope has put into place. 29 KU TIMES
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KU Research Paper Wins IET 2020 Premium Award for Best Paper A team of students and researchers from Khalifa University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has been awarded the 2020 Premium Award for Best Paper in IET Networks for their paper Monetization of IoT data using smart contracts. According to the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Premium Awards recognize the best research papers published during the last two years. Ahmed Suliman, Zainab Husain, Menatallah Abououf, and Mansoor Alblooshi worked on the paper under the supervision of Dr. Khaled Salah, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
“This paper came out of research conducted during a graduate course on blockchain and the Internet of Things,” explained Dr. Salah. “In the era of the Internet of Things, smart connected devices have the ability to generate data that could be of interest to the public. This paves the way for an emerging market for monetized data exchanges, where IoT device owners can sell access to live data generated by their connected devices to interested users. Implementing a trusted, cost-efficient, automatic monetization solution of IoT data can be a challenging problem that blockchain and smart contracts could answer. Our paper presented a blockchain solution for monetizing IoT data on a secure and trusted platform.”
DR. KHALED SALAH
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“The IET Premium Award is a highly prestigious acknowledgement by the Institute of Engineering and Technology, making this achievement a true reflection of the researchers’ excellent contribution to the field,” said Dr. Bayan Sharif, Acting Provost of Khalifa University.
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KU Celebrated UAE Innovation Week with Series of Seminars on Innovation and Entrepreneurship WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE.
WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE.
WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE.
WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE.
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KU Students Interview HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during MBZ Majlis for Future Generations 13 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE JUBILEE LAB TO HELP SHAPE THE NEXT 50 YEARS IN THE UAE
Noura Alnuaimi, MSc in Cybersecurity student and KU Student Council President, and Eman Obaid Hableel, Class of 2014 MSc in Cybersecurity graduate and Head of Youth Council at MoFAIC, had the special honor to engage directly with His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation (MoFAIC), during the Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations (MBZMFG) 2021 on Sunday, 14 March. This year’s MBZMFG was held under the theme “Thriving in the Next Normal.” It brought together senior leaders and decision-makers from around the world, as well as a prominent group of experts in various fields and more than 3,000 university students from around the UAE to share and discuss ideal solutions for promoting and accelerating young people’s development in various fields in the country. The virtual event was live streamed on YouTube and can be viewed here.
CLICK TO VIEW THE VIRTUAL EVENT
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Noura and Eman asked HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan several questions that were raised by students across the UAE that they collected during the Jubilee Lab.
Noura Alnuaimi
The Jubilee Lab was a virtual event that took place in early February. It gathered 150 Emirati university students to discuss innovative solutions to help shape the next 50 years of the UAE. Thirteen students and alumni from KU participated in the Jubilee Lab, including:
• Aamer Alshehhi • Ali Alhaddad • Ayesha Alhammadi • Eman Hableel • Futoon Alshehhi • Khulood AlhosaniA • Maitha Alblooshi • Maryam Alraeese Rustam • Muath Alhashmi • Noura AlNuaimi • Azza Aljuwaied • Mohammed Alameri • Sulaiman Alaleeli
Two of the students, Mohammed Saeed Alamri, BSc in Aerospace Engineering, and Azza Abdalla Aljuwaied, BSc in Computer Engineering graduate who currently works at Microsoft, gave an interview about the findings from the Jubilee Lab on the local news program “Oloom Al Dar” on Emarat TV.
CLICK TO VIEW THE INTERVIEW
These students proudly represented Khalifa University and provided innovative ideas to help guide and develop the Future Plan of the UAE for the next 50 years. 33 KU TIMES
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CTL Offers Academic Writing Workshop Series
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) launched the Academic Writing Workshop Series designed for postgraduate students and postdocs. The Academic Writing Workshop Series took place over 7 weeks during the Spring 2021 semester to support postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows with their academic writing. The workshops focused on several modules, ranging from transversal engagement across skill-sets including critical thinking and data analysis, data organization and display, and writing planning, as well as vertical requirements with tips and examples towards literature review, experimental papers, grants and online writing. Aspects related to academic writer blocks, procrastination, and lack of focus are common to all writers— beginners and experts included—and this course aimed at providing toolsets and tips on how to minimize these aspects to successfully deliver a high quality of writing. The discussions were directed towards engaging the participants with core academic questions related to plagiarism, engagement with peers and reviewers/ editors, ways to respond to criticism and reviewers comments, as well as pathways towards successful grant writing. Lastly, consideration for research vulgarization and risks/benefits of online expression of researchers were also discussed to help the attendees improve their online presence efficiently and safely. Dr. Prasoon Raj, Postdoc, Nuclear and Radiation Science, one of the participants who completed the workshops, said: “The Academic Writing Series covered plenty of essential topics. Guidance on writing review papers, background of a peer-review process, grant writing tips, and communication through broader/ social media were some of the very useful elements for me. Individual experiences of course students gave perspectives for many publication-related issues which I am facing (or may face). It is seriously a must-do for early careers. Quite a good
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balance of contents, with ample scope for discussions.” Ahmed Khalid Mohamed Abdalla Alzaabi, a Master’s of Petroleum Engineering student, shares his experience from this program: “I had an engaging experience in learning how to tackle various academic challenges such as writing well-structured sentences based on importance, meaning, and purpose. Moreover, I learned how to present my results in a clear manner to deliver a clear massage and get various conclusions from it. My favorite part was how everyone in the course shared their experiences and lessons learned from the course assignments and their research topics. Overall, I highly recommend this course to graduate students starting their journey in research.” Yongjie Liu, a PhD student from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Center for Membrane & Advanced Water Technology (CMAT) also completed the workshop series: “The Academic Writing Series focused on Critical thinking, Development of research question/ rationale, Literature assessment and benchmarking, Data organization and ordering, Development of critical argument, and Data presentation and layout. I think the course outline is logical covering shallower topics and then delving into deeper topics. Dr. Ludo also gave feedback on our assignments without reservation. I feel better in starting to write an academic draft than before because Dr. Ludo taught me a great way to search for relevant references and how to organize data”. The course was very well received by the attendees and will be offered for a second round from April to May 2021 with a team of instructors to discuss specific writing challenges and provide tips towards more efficient writing and engagement. The lead faculty facilitator of the program is Dr. Ludovic Dumee, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering.
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Student Presents Thesis Findings at Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Roundtable
THE ROUNDTABLE AIMS TO SHARE AND DISCUSS THE PRACTICES AND POLICIES DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ARE UNDERTAKING TO FIGHT VIOLENT EXTREMISM. Mariam Zaal Al-Hemeiri, a student completing her MA in International and Civil Security, presented her preliminary thesis findings at the 4th Dialogue on Countering Violent Extremism in the Middle East.
MARIAM ZAAL AL-HEMEIRI
The dialogue was organized by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and included experts from different sectors, including universities, security agencies, government organizations, and private companies, most of whom are working in combating terrorism and extremism in their countries. Mariam was selected to represent the UAE, while the rest of the speakers were from Japan and other Middle Eastern countries. The theme of the roundtable focused on three topics: de-radicalization of terrorists and other practical issues, political Islam and extremism, and the role of women. The dialogue’s objective is to share knowledge on the practices and policies set in place by different countries to combat violent extremism.
Mariam’s research focuses on the operation of the UAE’s machinery of government in relation to countering terrorism, extremism, and subversion. A key early finding of her research is that the machinery is highly sophisticated and complex and that while there are few government entities whose sole responsibility is countering terrorism, extremism, and subversion, there are many more that have supporting roles. This requires a high level of intergovernmental coordination, and the coordination needs to be both between federal agencies as well as between federal and local agencies. Dr. Athol Yates, Acting Program Chair for the Institute of International and Civil Security, is Mariam’s supervisor. “Mariam’s work is groundbreaking as it identifies for the first time all of the institutions at the UAE at the Federal and emirate level which together fight terrorism, extremism, and subversion. What it reveals is a multi-faceted approach involving a large number of entities that range from the Ministry of Interior’s special forces to the Central Bank’s financial intelligence unit which supports the work to combat the financing of terrorism.”
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INNOVATION FORWARD
KU Team Wins 3rd Place in Imperial Barrel Award
A team of students from Khalifa University has won third place, at the Middle East Imperial Barrel Award Program 2021, a joint program of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the AAPG Foundation. It is an annual prospective basin evaluation competition for geoscience and engineering students from different universities around the world. This year, five KU students participated in the competition, including: • Noura Naji Alzaabi, BSc in Petroleum Geosciences student from the UAE • Omar Al Attas, BSc in Petroleum Geosciences student from the UAE • Ali Al Sabbagh, BSc in Petroleum Engineering student from the UAE • Sara Abd El-Samad Salem, MSc in Petroleum Geosciences student from Egypt • Alejandro Diaz Acosta, MSc in Petroleum Geosciences student from Mexico The team faculty advisor was Dr. Mohammad Alsuwaidi, Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences.
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INNOVATION FORWARD
The students underwent an eight-week intensive program where they worked as exploration geologists and analyzed a large dataset -- including geology, geophysics, land, production infrastructure, and other relevant materials -- in order to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of a prospective sedimentary basin. “The Imperial Barrel Award organized by the AAPG is a great opportunity for our students to use their skills in Petroleum Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering to work on an actual hydrocarbon exploration project. They were provided with geosciences data including seismic, well logs, production data and other data related to a hydrocarbon prospect. They spent eight weeks studying, analyzing, and integrating all data to present their recommendations to a panel of judges (who acted like investors) to develop the prospect. Such projects usually are conducted by experts in exploration teams in oil and gas companies over many months/years. This is a great opportunity for students to learn and understand how to evaluate and assess petroleum prospects,” explained Dr. Alsuwaidi. Alejandro Diaz Acosta reflected on his experience: “The AAPG Imperial Barrel Award competition was a tremendous amount of work that allowed me to broaden my industry network, develop my geological evaluation skills and collaborate with great people. I appreciate the ambition of everyone involved in this wonderful experience.” Ali Al Sabbagh expressed a similar sentiment: “It was a great experience working with a diverse team, with different backgrounds, majors and academic levels to achieve a single common goal. This competition helps students apply the theoretical knowledge into real life practical projects. Also, I believe it is important for students to not restrict themselves to a certain major or discipline, and this competition gave us an opportunity to learn a broader range of knowledge and skills.”
KU-Blockchain System for Digital Transcripts and Graduation Certificates The Registration Office announced in April that they launched the KU-Blockchain systems to generate official, digital transcripts and graduation certificates. Through the KU-Blockchain system, a student’s academic record is stored in a digital format, which can be retrieved easily by the student, faculty, or an interested third party, i.e. other universities or companies. Having records in a digital format allows the student to have an official record that cannot be changed, yet be publicly available for authorized viewers. This greatly benefits our students, the university, and any prospective employers as the process for requesting and verifying transcripts or graduation certificates will take significantly less time. Creating and storing records in this way also ensures the digital transcripts and certificate cannot be repudiated or altered in any way. Khalifa University students and alumni can now request their Blockchain official transcript and graduation certificate through the link which is available on the KU website under the Alumni menu. The link is: https://apps.kustar.ac.ae/eCertificate/ login?ReturnUrl=%2feCertificate The University extends its gratitude and appreciation to the Registration Office team and Ankabut, who contributed to the success of this initiative, which will significantly improve the KU student and alumni experience.
More information about the competition is available at https://iba.aapg.org/ 37 KU TIMES
LIBRARY CORNER
KU Library Celebrates UAE Month of Reading 2021
The National Month of Reading is a government Initiative designed to support and encourage the UAE community to read daily and to foster a culture of reading by making it a part of each person’s routine. Launched in 2016 by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, it occurs every year in the month of March. It aims to promote reading, both as an enjoyable lifestyle but also as a way to enhance the country’s intellectual output and cultural wealth, by providing its people with the tools they need to fulfill these goals.
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LIBRARY CORNER
This year’s motto is “My Family Reads,” which highlights the importance of parents’ role in supporting children by reading to them and encouraging them to read as well.
remarkable achievements until now. He expressed his belief that this history should be inspiring to today’s students as they carry on the legacy of their forefathers.
The Khalifa University Libraries promotes the Month of Reading annually with a set of events and initiatives.
The KU Libraries also invited authors of children’s literature to read their books online to children of the KU community. Dr. Nooreya Alobeidli, Student Counselor at Khalifa University, read her book “”اليعســوب القــوي. Noura Al Khoori read her book “”فربــوع, and author Norhan Noor read her book “The Kite.” In addition to the readings, the authors interacted with the children who listened and asked questions and shared their thoughts and reactions to what they had heard.
This year, the Library hosted two programs titled “Fly with Reading,” where participants interacted with the prominent literary figures in the UAE. Both events were moderated by Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Associate Professor and Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Khalifa University. Isobel Abulhoul, CEO & Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation, talked about books and the significance of reading. She urged her listeners to read for pleasure and reflected on how reading presents a window to the world, past, present and future. Nicholas Cochrane-Dyet, Chairman of the British Business Group in Abu Dhabi and the author of the book Early Days in the Emirates, also delivered a presentation during the Month of Reading, and he began his talk by expressing how impressed he is with Khalifa University, especially its high rank and its progress in a short period of time. Then he shed light on his book about the UAE’s past and its
The KU Libraries, in collaboration with Dr.Glenda El Gamal, Senior Lecturer from the English Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Kholoud Elayyan from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), organized the “Positivity Corner,” a monthlong interactive competition for students. During this activity, students shared photos and gave reviews of their favorite books or literary quotes via Instagram by using the hashtag #KU4reading that was created by KU Communications. The event proved very popular, with more than 500 posts. The panel judges selected 8 winners of prizes sponsored by McGrawHill and Magrudy’s bookstore.
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LIBRARY CORNER
Another activity during the Month of Reading was “A Survey of the Reading Habits” of Khalifa University students, faculty, and staff undertaken in March 2021. The survey findings revealed that the KU community has a considerable interest in news, and that science and technology are the most read type of news.
FIGURE 1: THE KU FAMILY’S LEVEL OF INTEREST IN NEWS
The survey was undertaken as part of the Month of Reading and led by Masters students of IICS603 Social Science Research Methods with Dr. Athol Yates and Dr. Li-Chen Sim of the Institute of International & Civil Security. Two hundred twenty responses were received through the survey which was sent out via email. An important finding was the level of interest in news. The study revealed that 40 percent of the KU family are extremely or very interested in news (Figure 1). This points to a well informed and engaged community. Another notable finding was that nearly 50 percent of the KU community accesses news more than twice a day (Figure 2). This indicates a desire and interest to be aware of the latest developments.
FIGURE 2: FREQUENCY OF ACCESSING NEWS
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LIBRARY CORNER
Figure 3 shows the KU community’s interest in different types of news. In terms of the category of being extremely interested, the most popular type of news was ‘science and technology’, followed by ‘news about the UAE’ and ‘international news’. The lowest was ‘sports news’. This would indicate that the KU students, staff and faculty seek ways to stay aware of both general news and the focus of KU University – science and technology.
FIGURE 3: INTEREST IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEWS
Statistical analysis supported two hypotheses. These were: The older the person, the more they are like to read political news, business and economic news 1. Males are likely to read ‘hard’ news more than females. The information from this project will be used to produce an academic paper written by students and their instructors. The KU Libraries also organized other events. A discussion of the book “27 ”خرافة شعبية عن القراءةwas hosted by the Literature Club. “An Hour with the Author” session saw Dr. Athol Yates interviewed by Dr. Glenda El Gamal regarding his UAE history books and his research approach. In the lecture “How I Became a Writer,” Ahmed Al Madloum, a KU alumnus, talked about his experience and his writings.
During “A book that touched me” session, Aisha Abushibs, a KU Alumna, talked about one of her favorite books “The things you can see only when you slow down” by Haemin Sunim, and how it inspired her. The KU Library staff hosted a session of “Library Olympics,” where participants enjoyed answering questions about libraries and literary history. Another development was the creation of the Newsletter on the Month of Reading by the KU Literature Club. It contains information about libraries in the UAE, reading tips and book recommendations. The month of Reading was a successful event for the KU Libraries and the wider community and provided a lively, interactive forum which encouraged community members to adopt the lifelong important skill of reading, and truly promoted the UAE government’s mandate to enhance the UAE’s cultural wealth.
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FROM THE NEWSROOM
Highlights of the latest important announcements, strategic initiatives, new partnerships, and VIP visits
Khalifa University Ranks 214th Internationally in ‘Engineering and Technology’ in 2021 QS World University Rankings by Subject Leaping 67 Notches
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FROM THE NEWSROOM
KU ALSO RANKS 21ST GLOBALLY IN ‘PETROLEUM ENGINEERING’ The milestone achievement comes as Khalifa University has been ranked 21st in Petroleum Engineering internationally, a jump of seven notches, in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive VicePresident, Khalifa University, said: “The international acknowledgement of Khalifa University’s academic status through the 2021 QS World University Rankings by Subject further consolidates our status as a topranked institution renowned for world-class quality education. In a year beset with a global pandemic that brought major challenges to academic institutions, Khalifa University has again vindicated its primary status globally, regionally and in the UAE, because of our expert and dedicated faculty members and the level of research produced at the University. We believe this milestone recognition will motivate us even further to reach bigger heights in the coming years.” Khalifa University has also performed better in other subjects with Civil and Structural Engineering ranked within the top-200 band globally, while Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering coming among the ‘top-250 band’ in the 2021 QS World University Rankings by Subject.
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL HH SHEIKH SAIF BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN
Khalifa University already ranks at #211 in the QS World University Rankings 2021, which features 1,029 of the most prestigious universities in the world. Lieutenant-General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, expressed expressed his wishes for Khalifa University Management and Petroleum Engineering Department on the great achievement for the Petroleum Engineering Department being ranked the 21st among Global Petroleum Engineering Departments according to the 2021 QS World University Rankings. Congratulations for the collective efforts of students, researchers, lab engineers, and faculty members at PE Department!
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FROM THE NEWSROOM
Khalifa University Among Top 20 in THE Emerging Economies Rankings 2021
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Khalifa University was ranked among the top 20 globally and top in the UAE in the Times Higher Education (THE) Emerging Economies Rankings 2021. Khalifa University is ranked 20th among 606 emerging economies universities from 48 countries and regions in the most recent THE rankings, the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core missions – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. Though the rankings use the same 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments, the weightings are specially recalibrated to reflect the characteristics of the emerging economy universities.
FROM THE NEWSROOM
Khalifa University’s DhabiSat Set for Launch on 20 February from Aboard Cygnus DHABISAT CUBESAT TO ENABLE STUDENTS TO DESIGN, IMPLEMENT, AND TEST SOFTWARE MODULES FOR ATTITUDE DETERMINATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
DhabiSat, the second CubeSat designed and developed by Khalifa University students with support from Al Yah Satellite Company (Yahsat) and Northrop Grumman, launched into space on 20 February from aboard the Cygnus spacecraft. The primary mission of the second CubeSat, previously known as MYSat-2, is to enable students to design, implement, and test software modules for attitude determination and control systems (ADCS). The work has been conducted at the Yahsat Space Lab, which is part of the Khalifa University Space Technology and Innovation Center (KUSTIC).
DhabiSat will assess the accuracy of various ADCS pointing control strategies and validate the same by taking images using a digital camera onboard pointed in specific directions. The new ADCS algorithms shall improve the pointing accuracy of the CubeSat and its response time to attitude changes as compared to conventional algorithms. In terms of system resources, DhabiSat will require less power to achieve the targeted pointings and if successful, the algorithms will gain flight heritage on board DhabiSat, which then can be used as a baseline in future CubeSat missions. DhabiSat took off from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, US, on
the Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, to the International Space Station (ISS) on 20 February 2021. It will then be deployed from the resupply spacecraft Cygnus NG15, following departure from the ISS approximately two to three months later. Khalifa University’s MYSat-1, the first mission that was conceptualized, designed, integrated, tested and operated as part of an academic program in the UAE, was deployed in February 2019. It carried an experimental coin cell battery, based on technology developed by Khalifa University students along with a VGA camera developed at the Yahsat Space Lab based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. 45 KU TIMES
FROM THE NEWSROOM
Khalifa University Signs a Co-funded Research Agreement with Aldar Properties and Sandooq Al Watan to Make Reusable Contact Lenses for Color Blindness
COLLABORATION ALSO INCLUDES RESEARCHERS FROM IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
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Khalifa University has signed a research agreement, which will be co-funded by Aldar properties and Sandooq Al Watan, to develop economical, reusable and disposable contact lenses for those suffering from colorblindness. The project team will include researchers from Khalifa University who are currently working in collaboration with researchers from Imperial College London. The sponsored research agreement was signed by His Excellency Ahmed Fikri, Acting Director General of Sandooq Al Watan, and Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive VicePresident, Khalifa University. The research team has already developed prototypes of the contact lenses, which will be refined for personal customization, and the grant from Sandooq Al Watan will support further development and commercialization of the product.
FROM THE NEWSROOM
The project aims to benefit numerous people who are suffering from color blindness, for which there is no cure at present. Though filtering glasses and special contact lenses are available, these glasses are often bulky and not compatible with vision-correcting glasses, while the lenses are expensive and do not benefit all users. Talal Al Dhiyebi, Chief Executive Officer of Aldar Properties, said: “As a responsible business, Aldar is constantly looking for innovative and impactful initiatives that support the community and promote social responsibility. We are immensely proud to be partnering with Khalifa University and Sandooq Al Watan on such a noble cause. This research driven initiative will truly change lives for the better, and reinforce the UAE’s position as leader in pushing medical and research advancement. We very much look forward to seeing the positive outcomes of this initiative.” Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi said: “We are glad to sign this agreement with Sandooq Al Watan and lead the project that will have broader economic, social and academic impact, globally. Our researchers have consistently worked for the benefit of the community and we see this smart contact lenses project as another example of their commitment to supporting the UAE’s healthcare objectives in line with the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision. We also foresee possible intellectual property benefits, and further commercial potentials including manufacturing of contact lenses in the UAE, which highlights Khalifa University’s scientific innovation drive in collaboration with partner institutions.” His Excellency Ahmed Fikri, Acting Director General of Sandooq Al Watan, said: “This agreement comes as an integral part of our vision to advance scientific research in the UAE through investing in researchers to develop their research into emerging projects that will
benefit the UAE society and the world; contributing towards strengthening the country’s position as a global leader in the field of healthcare. We are delighted with this agreement which marks an outstanding development in efforts made to provide cure to 300 million color blind patients around the world while supporting the UAE’s healthcare sector goals. We are confident of the positive results that the project team will achieve in the near future, especially with the involvement of Khalifa University’s elite researchers and the supportive environment offered at the institution to conduct cutting edge research that benefits humanity.” Dr. Haider Butt, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, is the Principal Investigator of the project and his team members include Dr. Kyriaki Polychronopoulou, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Fahad Almaskari, Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering; Dr. Sung Mun Lee, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering; Dr. Habiba Alsafar, Acting Associate Dean for Student Affairs, College of Medicine and Health Sciences; Associate Professor, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Director of Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology; Dr. Ali K. Yetisen, senior lecturer, Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London. Other members of the research team include Dr. Mohamed Ismail Ahmed Gabr Elsherif, Dr. Fahad Alam, and Ahmed Elfadil Salih. Currently, there are three groups of Emirati undergraduate students who are doing their Senior Design Projects in relation to this research project. The project partners aim to manufacture lenses with various optical filtering bands to cover several types of color blindness. The lenses will be made with optimized composition for daily disposable, extended wear, and reusable purposes. The partners will also engage with the Khalifa Innovation Center (KIC), through Khalifa University’s Office of Technology Management and Innovation, to explore the establishment of a startup company.
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Diplomacy between Italy and the UAE and sets the conditions for making Expo 2020 Dubai a milestone in the collaborative international model of innovation, which will guide and inspire the course of history after the pandemic.” Under the agreement, the partners commit themselves to scientific and cultural collaboration and plan joint activities, initiatives and projects during Expo 2020 Dubai.
Khalifa University Working with Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai to Promote International Scientific Cooperation MOU SIGNED IN ABU DHABI TO FOCUS ON PROMOTION OF PARTNERSHIP WITH ITALIAN UNIVERSITIES, RESEARCH CENTERS, COMPANIES AND START-UPS Khalifa University and the Commissioner General’s Office for Italy’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a view to setting up joint initiatives during the six-month period when the Universal Exposition will be taking place from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.
in Expo 2020 on collaboration activities for Expo 2020 Dubai. As a world-class research-intensive academic institution, Khalifa University’s research strengths in strategic economic sectors are widely acknowledged globally, and this MoU will further strengthen our resolve to reach out to more stakeholders in Italy and Europe for educational, research, and industrial collaboration.”
The MoU was signed by Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, Paolo Glisenti, Commissioner-General for Italy’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
“Khalifa University is already collaborating with Italian universities, research centers and companies and we believe this MoU will help further consolidate our status as the most preferred academic institution for expertise in advanced technologies, while highlighting the UAE’s profile as a knowledge-economy that welcomes innovation in emerging areas of science,” Dr.Al Hammadi added.
Dr. Al Hammadi said: “We are delighted to sign this MoU with the Commissioner General’s Office for Italy’s participation
Commissioner Glisenti said: “The partnership with Khalifa University opens a fundamental channel of Scientific
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Khalifa University and the Commissioner General’s Office for Italy’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai will promote exchange of know-how between the countries of the expanded Mediterranean and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, and in particular in the UAE, with scholarships, internships, exchange and cooperation programs between students, teachers, researchers and other support systems. The MoU also focuses on the development of new business models and the training of new skills and themes of Expo Dubai before and during the six-month period of the Universal Exhibition. The partners will collaborate to implement initiatives and partnerships between the network of Italian universities, research centers, companies and start-ups that participate in Expo 2020 Dubai with the Italian Pavilion and Khalifa University in strategic sectors of common interest including aerospace, biomedical, health, life science, materials science, human and social sciences, creative burns, sustainable energy, protection of biodiversity and the environment, nanosciences and biotechnologies, as well as information technologies. Khalifa University is already collaborating with several Italian partners including the University of Salerno, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, University of Milan, and the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, as well as the Ambienthesis Group.
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Khalifa University and G42 Healthcare Sign MoU on Research Collaboration PARTNERS FORESEE MULTIPLE PROJECTS FOR COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT THE UAE’S VISION, ESPECIALLY IN PRECISION MEDICINE AND ADVANCING RESEARCH ON GENOMICS AND PROTEOMICS Khalifa University and G42 Healthcare, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi-based technology company Group 42, have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in research and academic areas related to the healthcare sector and artificial intelligence. The MoU was signed by Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, and Ashish Koshy, CEO, G42 Healthcare, at a virtual ceremony in Abu Dhabi. According to the MoU, both partners will cooperate on research and the publication of research outcomes by faculty, scientists and researchers, as well as on academic programs. The two will also implement a student exchange program. Dr. Al Hammadi said: “Khalifa University is delighted to enter into this research collaboration MoU with G42 Healthcare and advance the healthcare vision of the
UAE. Our academic and research capabilities are acknowledged widely, as our collaborations expand into various areas including smart healthcare, genomics, bioinformatics, systems biology, diagnostic engineering, and cyber-physical systems, as well as advanced technology. We believe the synergy resulting from our joint activities, especially through our dedicated research centers, will inspire innovation that will benefit the wider community.” Mr. Ashish Koshy said: “We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Khalifa University, one of the leading academic institutions in the country, on collaborative research, publications, joint academic programs and student exchange programs. During this pandemic, we have all understood and witnessed how strategic collaboration between entities is critical for future proofing the health of our nations.” Both partners agree that there are multiple projects they can collaborate on, to support the UAE’s vision for the future, especially in introducing precision medicine and working closely with the pharma industry and advancing research on genomics and proteomics. More recently, G42 Healthcare and the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology conducted a SARSCoV-2 genome sequencing study that has identified the genomic source of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will help determine the spread and evolution patterns of the virus ever since the disease was first recorded in the UAE, while providing additional insights for sustainable screening of the SARS-CoV-2 dynamics and will help the country better prepare for future outbreaks. The entire study is
expected to be published soon. Dr. Habiba Al Safar, Director, Center for Biotechnology, and Associate Professor, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Khalifa University, has already been investigating the nuances of the Emirati genome, following a research published last year describing the sequence of the first complete Emirati genome. She and other researchers have since been investigating the specific genome variants that may point to risk factors for certain diseases and seeking to understand how these genetic variations can help develop more personalized treatment plans. Dr. Walid Zaher, Chief Research Officer, G42 Healthcare has been leading the viral genome sequencing and Emirati Genome Program, among other projects and commented, “Our collaboration spans an array of research projects that draw upon combined expertise in technology and innovation. The longitudinal viral genome sequencing study assesses the potential emergence of a more virulent subtype and its potential effect on the country’s infection control strategies and will in turn translate into improvements in diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity. Similarly, our Omics Centre of Excellence has analyzed more than 1,000 human genomes on NGS and TGS platforms to create a standard Emirati reference genome which sets the precursor for a wider scale roll out of the program”. At present, some of the Khalifa University research centers involved in healthcare-related research include the Center for Biotechnology (BTC), Healthcare Engineering Innovation Center (HEIC), Center for Cyber-Physical Systems (C2PS), and the Khalifa University – Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KU-KAIST) Joint Research Center. 49 KU TIMES
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SCAD and Khalifa University Sign MoU to Boost Statistical Cooperation STRATEGIC COOPERATION FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS IN THE PROVISION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA Khalifa University has signed an MoU with the Statistics Center – Abu Dhabi (SCAD) for statistical cooperation and the exchange of data. This partnership seeks to enhance collaboration, integration and sharing of knowledge and expertise in the fields of statistics, data and AI technology. Through the memorandum, SCAD’s Centre of Insights and Forecasting, and Khalifa University, will create a framework to develop joint initiatives and projects that are in line with rapid technological developments in data provision and analysis. This partnership will also aim to address the needs of decisionmakers, the business sector and the public through the provision of accurate and reliable statistical data. In this context, the partners will focus on developing areas of mutual cooperation to utilize administrative records and big data. They will also cooperate in national capacity building and the exchange of knowledge from local and international studies. The agreement was signed by H.E. Ahmed Mahmoud Fikri, Director General of SCAD, and Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, in the presence of several representatives virtually. KU TIMES 50
On the MoU signing, H.E. Ahmed Mahmoud Fikri, Director General of SCAD, said: “SCAD looks forward to exploring new development horizons with Khalifa University. We endeavour to cooperate with leading academic institutions to advance the field of statistics and data by investing in national cadres to pursue the fields of research and development, innovation and artificial intelligence “. H.E. Fikri said: “the Centre of Insights and Forecasting supports our mission to enable data-driven decisionmaking through actionable insights that are generated as a result of strong partnerships.” Dr. Al Hammadi said: “We are glad to enter into this partnership with Statistics Center – Abu Dhabi and consolidate our existing collaboration. The MoU will enable maximum utilization of each other’s strengths, contributing to the integration of plans for building comprehensive national statistical capabilities. We believe this partnership will lead to the creation of more advanced futuristic systems that will help government and private stakeholders.”
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Spring semester while six students, who have completed the Fall 2020 semester, are returning for a second semester. The high school students were selected in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, after they excelled in rigorous entrance tests and personal interviews. They are offered five courses to choose from, including calculus, physics and introduction to programming (C++ or MATLAB), so that they could complete one course per semester. Eight faculty members are involved in offering these courses.
Khalifa University’s Accelerated and Dual Credit Programs Gaining Wider Appeal among High School and Undergraduate Students 23 ELITE STUDENTS FROM GRADES 11 AND 12, AND SEVEN UNDERGRADUATES ENROLL FOR SPRING 2021 SEMESTER DUAL CREDIT AND ACCELERATED PROGRAMS Khalifa University’s Dual Credit and Accelerated Programs continue to gain wider appeal among students, with a total of 23 elite students from grades 11 and 12 currently enrolling under the High School–University Dual Credit program to earn credits that could be used for undergraduate admissions. Seven students are also benefiting from the 4+1 accelerated Bachelor’s and Master’s program at present. Launched in August 2020, the Khalifa University Dual Credit and accelerated educational program allows outstanding high school students to earn credit for Bachelor-level courses, and brilliant Bachelor’s students to earn credit for Master’s level courses. The program aims to bridge the gap between educational levels, providing an opportunity for exceptional students to obtain their degrees within a shorter duration. Of the 23, a total of 17 students are newly enrolled for the 2021
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “We are proud of these talented high school students who, through our Dual Credit and accelerated program, have now earned undergraduate and graduate credits that will be useful for further education. This fast-track program offers an excellent option for outstanding students to launch their academic pursuits and achieve their goals within a shorter time-period. The program is our initiative to integrate education into a seamless experience, especially between general and higher education. It also serves as our outreach effort to engage with the community to enroll talented students into science and engineering majors to provide local human capital to the thriving industries in the UAE.” Similarly, the Accelerated Master of Science Programs enable exceptional senior undergraduate students in the College of Engineering to start their Master’s studies even while pursuing their undergraduate education. Through the Accelerated MSc program option, a highly motivated student, with the help of her/his academic advisor, can finish undergraduate and Master’s degrees within a nominal period of five-years. The program targets students for whom a Master’s degree will provide the necessary preparation to achieve career goals, or for pursuing a doctorate degree. Computer Engineering student Saeed Ali Saleh Jumaan Alseiari, who has enrolled for the 2021 Spring semester, said the accelerated Master’s program especially at Khalifa University was an opportunity for him to further his education and get a PhD, which has been his objective. He hopes to use the knowledge he gains as a catalyst in artificial intelligence research domains. The students believe credits from the UAE’s top-ranked Khalifa University can be leveraged not only to shorten their time in pursuing their degrees, but also to improve upon their employment prospects as a career professional. 51 KU TIMES
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Khalifa University in Collaboration with the IEA Organizes The Region’s First-Ever 15th International Virtual Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference
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Khalifa University and the IEA
Vice-President, Khalifa University.
Greenhouse Gas R&D Program (IEAGHG) hosted the 15th
The four-day conference featured
International Virtual Greenhouse
presentations from Kelly
Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-15)
Thambimuthu, Chair, IEA Greenhouse
Conference, the biennial international
Gas (IEAGHG), Bob Dudley, Chairman,
gathering on greenhouse mitigation
Oil and Gas Climate Initiative – OGCI,
technologies, from 15 - 18 March.
Tony Espie, Chairman, CO2 Capture Project – CCP, Mechthild Wörsdörfer,
The GHGT conference highlighted
Director of Sustainability, Technology
the advantages of carbon capture
& Outlooks, IEA, Bjørn Otto Sverdrup,
and storage (CCS) technologies and
Chairman, Executive Committee,
discussed current status and future
OGCI, and Roy Vardheim, CEO (Acting),
directions for the CCS deployment.
Gassnova.
His Excellency Eng Awaidha
A total of 355 oral presentations in 71
Murshed Al Marar, Chairman, Abu
sessions, six panel discussions, and
Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE)
254 poster presentations took place
delivered the opening remarks,
at the GHGT-15. Khalifa University
followed by a welcome note delivered
had 11 presentations accepted in oral
by Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi,
sessions and 10 posters from faculty
Conference Co-Chair, and Executive
and students.
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His Excellency, Eng. Awaidah Musrshed
to explore how CCUS can help us
The GHGT-15 is significant because
Al Marar, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi
to take advantage of our vast oil
Abu Dhabi is already implementing
Department of Energy, delivered the
and gas resources while achieving
some of the major CCS projects.
opening keynote where he emphasized
large-scale CO2 reductions and cost
According to a Global CCS Institute
the emirate’s commitment to a
efficiencies.”
report, the next few years could feasibly see an unprecedented take-off
responsible energy transition and the importance of Carbon Capture
Dr. Al Hammadi said: “The line-
Utilization & Storage (known as CCUS)
up of renowned speakers and the
for the sustainability of the UAE and
myriad oral and poster presentations
the country’s efforts to find balanced
strongly indicate the large-scale
and inclusive solutions to the mixed challenges of energy and climate change. His Excellency said: “We are committed to developing and implementing cleaner, sustainable energy solutions that can protect our economy, our security and our environment for decades to come. We aim to enable a responsible energy transition that is built around reliability, affordability, security and reduced environmental
virtual participation of scientists, researchers and innovators in carbon capture technologies. We at Khalifa University are proud to bring
of CCS in the Middle East, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, perhaps to the point that the region could evolve to be a critical ‘global hotspot’ for CCS. The report adds that as regional interest in low-carbon hydrogen grows, with its vast underground storage potential, abundant natural gas resources and excess production
this high-level conference to the
capacity, the Middle East could use its
Middle East for the first time. GHGT
developing CCS expertise and location
conference witnesses the submission
to develop a clean hydrogen export
of 600 papers and highlights the
industry.
UAE’s active role as a key contributor to carbon mitigation and climate
A recent analysis by the International
change measures.”
Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that CCS deployment will require an
impact. These are fundamental
Tim Dixon, Conference Co-Chair,
investment of around US$9.7 trillion
pillars in our energy policy, and
said: “As the premier international
in order to achieve the Paris Climate
carbon capture and storage will be
conference on carbon capture and
an important component of our policy
storage, (CCS), staff at IEAGHG and
moving forward to ensure security
the team at Khalifa University have
of supply in a carbon-constrained
worked incredibly hard to adjust
environment.
the format to be able provide an engaging and successful platform
Agreement goals. Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra, conference Technical Co-Chair, explained that GHGT-15 will cover important topics including advances in capture technology development, CCS for
His Excellency added: “Carbon Capture
for this event. This mammoth feat
Utilization & Storage is gaining global
of bringing together and scheduling
momentum as a viable, safe and
nearly 600 presentations over
cost and system integration. Other
commercially proven technology to
the four-day period, will ensure
topics include CO2 Utilization for GHG
help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
the GHGT authors maintain their
mitigation, Demonstration projects
from large-scale operations such as
platform to share and deliver their
and major national and international
oil and gas and heavy industries. Abu
results that will provide crucial data
CCS research developments and
Dhabi is capitalizing on CCUS for CO2-
and information to the greenhouse
demonstration programs, as well as
enhanced oil recovery and events like
gas mitigation audience across the
Developments in other storage options
GHGT provide an excellent platform
globe.”
for CO2.
industrial sources and hydrogen, and CCS technology assessment,
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Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi Tourism and EURO Working Group on Metaheuristics Bring 8th Virtual International Conference on Variable Neighborhood Search to UAE
CONFERENCE TO HIGHLIGHT ABU DHABI’S ROLE IN PROMOTING RESEARCH IN VNS TECHNIQUE USED FOR MACHINE LEARNING APPLICATIONS, MANUFACTURING AND LOGISTICS
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Khalifa University and the EURO Working Group on Metaheuristics (EWG EU/ME) hosted the 8th International Conference on Variable Neighborhood Search (ICVNS 2021) virtually from 21-25 March 2021. The Abu Dhabi Culture and Tourism was a co-organizer. The Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) technique is widely used in many artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications. The VNS algorithms can facilitate integrated manufacturing and batch-delivery scheduling, which minimizes delays. VNS can be used for better coordination within a supply chain, especially among the raw-material providers, manufacturing facilities, whole-sale distributors and customers, in order to obtain global efficiency in logistics. Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive VicePresident, Khalifa University, was the Co-Chair of ICVNS 2021, while Dr. Pierre Hansen, HEC Montréal, Canada, will be the Honorary Chair. Dr. Nenad Mladenović, Visiting Professor, and Dr. Mohammed Omar, Department Head of Engineering Systems and Management, Khalifa University, were General co-Chairs, while Dr. Andrei Sleptchenko, Assistant Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering, was the Conference Chair. A total of 27 papers were presented at the 8th ICVNS virtual conference, providing a stimulating environment to researchers from various scientific fields to share their knowledge and expertise, and discuss ideas. A total of 14 papers were published in a SCOPUS-listed volume.
The papers from Khalifa University cited the works of Dr. Mladenovic, while the conference was fully dedicated to development and applications of the VNS technique proposed by him. Dr. Panos Pardalos, Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Florida, Dr. Yury Kochetov, Professor, Laboratory Mathematical Models of Decision Making, Sobolev Institute of Mathematics, Novosibirsk, Russia, and Dr. Bassem Jarboui, Professor, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi, were the plenary speakers. The ICVNS 2021 covered topics including ‘mixed integer programming’, ‘graphs, communication networks’, ‘clustering, data mining, location, and healthcare’, ‘Inventory, routing, supply chains’, ‘packing and covering’, ‘discovery sciences’, ‘berth allocation and quay crane scheduling’, as well as ‘public transport scheduling’. Selected papers presented at ICVNS 2021 will be published by Springer in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. The macro-level research of Khalifa University’s Digital Supply Chain and Operations Management (DSOM) aims to provide real-world, cutting edge focus on the digital transactions, management, and optimization in multiple domains such as maritime logistics, production lines, and healthcare delivery systems. Formulated in precise mathematical definitions, VNS is also simple, clear, and universally applicable, and is known for robustness, user-friendliness, innovation, generality, interactivity and multiplicity.
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Khalifa University Announces Two-Week Virtual Spring Ektashif Coding Camp for High School Students from 28 March SELECT GROUP OF 30 STUDENTS TO PRESENT CODING PROJECT RESULTS ON CONCLUSION OF PROGRAM ON 8 APRIL
Khalifa University has launched the Ektashif Spring – School Coding Camp, a new initiative from the Khalifa University Outreach Office to run during the spring break. The online learning camp started 28 March for a select group of 31 UAE high school students. It covered topics in basic understanding and appreciation of various essential programming-language constructs, paradigms, evaluation criteria and language implementation issues. Participants learned how to read and write code, develop cognitive skills, and learn a methodical and problem-solving technique by breaking down complex problems into units. They also gained related skills such as logical thinking by selection and use of logical statements, as well as structural thinking by combining small units to find the outcome. Most importantly, they learned the significance of perseverance and the mental strength to resolve any problem related to non-functioning of components. Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa KU TIMES 56
University, said: “The two-week Ektashif Spring – School Coding Camp aims to bring awareness to high school students on the importance of learning basic language skills that will help them develop refined analytic skills and clear, concise communication abilities. This camp is part of Khalifa University’s initiative to empower youth, not only through academic programs and research, but also through outreach programs such as Ektashif. We hope participants from high schools will take advantage of this opportunity to develop a problem-solving mindset, gain skills that make them well-versed in data structures and algorithms design, while learning multiple technologies and programming languages.” The Ektashif Spring camp is inspired by UAE’s strategic goals. The UAE’s digital economy places significant importance to computer skills, demanding a fresh approach to education. Following the launch of programs such as the annual One Million Arab Coders initiative, coding has become a focus for the UAE. With software and computers impacting every part of life, it has become imperative for school students to learn about algorithms, ways to develop an app or understand the functioning of the internet. With 90% of jobs requiring digital skills, employability in the coming years depends on students being digitally literate, thus making the Ektashif Spring camp even more relevant for today’s students. At the end of the two-week Ektashif Spring – School Coding Camp, participants will present their coding project results. Certificates of completion will be awarded on 8 April.
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KU Kicks Off Its Clinical Research Certificate Training Program for over 40 Medical Residents
Over 40 medical residents from the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) have begun their Clinical Research Certificate program today – a high-quality, comprehensive, and internationally competitive training program in clinical research designed by Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences. The SEHA residents will undergo 6 months of intense training where they will gain the skills and competencies necessary to understand, interpret, and perform clinical research to solve complex problems to the highest standard. KU’s Clinical Research Certificate program is helping to strengthen the UAE’s healthcare infrastructure by providing a mechanism for improving research skills in the country’s current and future healthcare workers. Special thanks to the facilitators from SEHA, Dr. Ali Al Obaidli the Chief Medical Officer at the Kidney Care, Dr. Ghanem Ali Al Hassani the Group Education Director, and Dr. Bushra Qaed Ahmed the Corporate Clinical Education Manager, and from KU, Dr. Juan Acuna the Associate Professor & Chair at the Department Of Epidemiology And Public Health, and Dr. John Rock, the Founding Dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences. 57 KU TIMES
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INVITED SPEAKERS
Visiting Professor Highlights Importance of Scientific Collaboration in Infectious Disease Research Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences invited the Senior Advisor on Research in the Middle East and North Africa for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAD), which is part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), to discuss enhancing NIH-funded research collaborations in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey) region. Dr. Mohamed H. Sayegh spoke in the CMHS Distinguished Lecture Series to an audience of 100 people in a webinar on Wednesday, 20 January 2021. Dr. Sayegh focuses on strengthening scientific collaboration among MENAT researchers and with US investigators in relevant focus disease areas.
DR. MOHAMED H. SAYEGH
He explained that in 2019 less than one percent of total NIAID international funding was invested in research in the MENAT region, constituting just 48 grants funded. However, Dr. Sayegh also explained that there are significant scientific opportunities of interest to NIAID in the region, including many research projects investigated at Khalifa University. Among these interests were infectious diseases such as SARS and Covid-19, genetic diseases of the immune system and infectious diseases in refugee populations. Dr. Sayegh’s most resonant message was the importance of collaboration overall, saying “it is always better to work together than to work alone,” and highlighting the Covid-19 pandemic as a catalyst for global research collaboration. It is becoming increasingly clear that infections that emerge in one area can rapidly spread to the rest of the world, making worldwide collaborative research crucial to combatting infectious diseases. Dr. Sayegh spoke about the globality of the current health situation and how the UAE has shown itself to be a leader in the area of clinical trials, and shared recommendations for getting local and global collaborative projects off the ground. Such efforts further highlight our need to generate a large-scale funding system in the NIH within the MENAT region, analogous to the NIH. The visiting professor concluded by reiterating the need for a solid plan for any research project and the importance of getting all stakeholders on board, to promote truly collaborative research.
Mr. Mohamed Alabbar, Founder and Managing Director of Emaar Properties, gave a presentation to students in the Career Development Course on his role in establishing the online marketplace Noon and his insights on the future of E-commerce on Monday, 8 March.
ABOUT MR. MOHAMED ALABBAR Mr. Mohamed Alabbar is a global entrepreneur with active interests in real estate, retail, hospitality, e-commerce, technology, logistics, F&B and venture capital. He has driven the growth of several regional players into world-renown sector champions including Americana Group and e-commerce platforms noon.com and Namshi. More recently, he expanded holdings into China with leading mobile transportation platform Didi Chuxing and popular coffee chain, Luckin Coffee.
MR. MOHAMED ALABBAR KU TIMES 58
WATCH VIDEO HERE
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Expert insights from KU’s worldclass faculty
Appointed to Improve Traffic Safety in Abu Dhabi Dr. Young-Ji Byon, Associate Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering has been appointed to be on the Vision Zero Scientific Advisory Board, by the Integrated Transportation Centre (ITC) of Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi, UAE. (https://itc.gov.ae/en)
DR. YOUNG-JI BYON
The board will develop Vision Zero strategies to improve various aspects of traffic safety in the state of Abu Dhabi. Dr. Byon is one of a few experts on the board, specializing in Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). The board will focus on current transportation issues in Abu Dhabi including Road Safety, Scientific Methodologies, Traffic Data Management, Performance Evaluation, and publishing Abu Dhabi Vision Zero Strategy Manual. Dr. Byon joined KU in 2012 after completing his PhD degree at the University of Toronto, Canada, and he has taught various transportation engineering courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. His research interests include ITS, GIS, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Traffic Analysis. He has recently won a national award, Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport - Best Academic Research, based on his research work utilizing AI and GIS for transportation mode identification. He is currently serving as a Lead Guest Editor of a Special Issue, "Traffic Infrastructure Sustainability in Autonomous Driving and Smart Pavement Environments" in a Web of Science journal, Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
CMHS Simulation Specialist is the First from the UAE to Receive CHSOS-A™ Title
Abimon Sayid Mohammed, Simulation Specialist of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences has earned the International Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist-Advanced (CHSOS-A) credential, given by the Society of Simulation in Healthcare. The comprehensive CHSOS-A™ credential is a portfolio-based certification for those in healthcare simulation operations. Abimon submitted a portfolio that demonstrated the advanced performance as an operations specialist in the healthcare simulation field, which was peer-reviewed against established standards of performance. Since March 2021, only 25 individuals from 4 countries have earned the CHSOS-A™ credential. Abimon now joins this elite group as the first and only candidate from the United Arab Emirates to achieve the title.
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Ahmed Alkaabi Speaks on Emirates Channel
Listen in as Dr. Ahmed Alkaabi, Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Khalifa University, talks with Abu Dhabi TV about how Khalifa University is helping the UAE achieve its clean energy goals through the development of specialized research centers, including the Emirates Nuclear Technology Center, which is dedicated to building up national capabilities and Emirati talent in the area of nuclear technology.
CLICK TO VIEW THE TALK SHOW
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
CMHS Recognizes Faculty for Research Excellence
The College of Medicine and Health Sciences has awarded Dr. Habiba Al Safar, Director of the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology, with a Research Commendation for 2020, in recognition of her research work and accomplishments in the past year. Dr. Al Safar has the highest number of PubMed listed publications in the CMHS, the highest number of published work in Q1 journals, and the highest cumulative impact factor.
Highest number of PubMed listed publications
11
Highest number of Q1 publications
07
Highest Cumulative Impact Factor
30 Dr. Georg Petroianu, Associate Dean of Research of the CMHS, awarded Dr. Al Safar with a certificate of commendation on behalf of the College.
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Postdoctoral Fellow Part of Media Watch Editorial Board Dr. Sadia Jamil, a Humanities and Social Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow, is now a member of the Editorial Board of Media Watch. Journal of Media Watch is a double blind peer-reviewed tri-annual journal published from India and is the only journal in the discipline from Asia and India listed in many leading indexing platforms. She will also be an editor for two journal special issues. The first is the World of Media’s first-ever Special Issue, Media Sustainability in a Pandemic World. World of Media is a Russian journal of Media and Journalism Studies and the special issue will cover the media industry’s need for financial models, as well as enabling socio-political and cultural environments that will help media organizations to keep fulfilling its diverse roles, which has become important especially during COVID-19. The second is Journalism Practice’s Special Issue, Media Discourses and Representation of Marginalized Communities in Multicultural Societies, which will present impactful studies that offer insights into the new’s media’s role in jeopardizing the representation of minority/ or marginalized groups, as well as address their potential role in combating discrimination against members of marginalized groups. Dr. Jamil is also part of the Lomonosov Moscow State University’s lecture series on Current Issues of Mass Media. The series will be delivered by distinguished scholars from different universities from around the world to provide an understanding of the global tendencies in media and journalism studies.
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Dr. Federico Renda Joins Soft Robotics Editorial Board Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Federico Renda has joined the editorial board of the journal Soft Robotics as an Associate Editor. Soft Robotics is a journal that focuses on research on the emerging technologies and developments of sotf and deformable robots, including coverage of flexible electronics, materials science, computer science, and biomechanics. It prides is self as the first to break new ground as the first to answer the urgent need for research on robotic technology that can safely interact with living systems and functions in complex natural or human-build environments.
Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute Appoints International Experts to Board of Advisors at Secure Systems Research Centre Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), announced the appointment of international experts in the field of systems security to the Board of Advisors of its Secure Systems Research Centre (SSRC). Secure Systems Research Centre is one of the initial seven dedicated centers at TII and is among the few global centers of its kind to bring together experts to conduct groundbreaking research in the field of secure systems. The distinguished new Board has combined expertise in security and resilience relating to autonomous computing and will guide the efforts of the Centre’s research team in developing end-to-end solutions to protect cyber-physical and autonomous systems. The Board of Advisors is comprised of: Prof. Ernesto Damiani, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence & Intelligent Systems Institute, Director of the Center for Cyber Physical Systems (C2PS), Khalifa University in the UAE, whose research interests include secure service-oriented architectures, privacy-preserving big data analytics and cyber-physical systems security. READ FULL STORY 63 KU TIMES
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Dr. Li-Chen Sim Talks about Gulf-Russia Relations at MEI New Delhi Webinar Dr. Li-Chem Sim, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences, was invited as a speaker at the MEI Speaks 34 Online Public Lecture hosted by the Middle East Institute in New Delhi, India. Dr. Li-Chen’s talk titled “Top Five Myths about Gulf-Russia Relations” was moderated by MEI’s Dr. Sameena Hameed and delves deep into the relationship between Russia and Gulf countries. You can watch Dr. Li-Chen’s webinar here:
WATCH WEBINAR HERE
Dr. Mohamed Riahi Receives Outstanding Reviewer Award Dr. Mohamed Riahi, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, was honored with the 2020 Outstanding Reviewer Award by IOP Publishing for the journal Inverse Problems. This award is in recognition of Dr. Riahi’s input and expertise in his timely and high-quality review of papers during the past year. Inverse Problems is a Q1 interdisciplinary journal that combines mathematical and experimental papers on inverse problems with theoretical, numerical, and practical approaches to their solution, with an emphasis on publishing original contributions to methods of solving mathematical, physical, and applied problems. KU TIMES 64
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KU Faculty Receives MSA Membrane Science Award for His Work on the Effects of Nanoscale Pollutants in Wastewater Treatment
Dr. Ludovic Dumée, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen (RICH) faculty member, was honored by the Membrane Society of Australasia (MSA) with the MSA Membrane Science Award. The award is in recognition of Dr. Dumée’s work on the harmful effects of microplastic contaminants in wastewater treatment plants.
THE AWARD RECOGNIZES DR. DUMÉE’S WORK ON THE IMPACT OF NANO- AND MICROPLASTICS ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESSES.
“I am deeply honored and delighted to receive the inaugural MSA Membrane Science Award for the impact and breadth of our research portfolio on microplastics pollution. This recognition will support my new engagement at Khalifa University and within Abu Dhabi and the UAE to tackle challenges arising from microplastics and other persistent pollutants present in waterways and oceans,” Dr. Dumée said. 65 KU TIMES
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Dr. Dumée is an active membranologist whose work focuses on developing advanced separation and chemical conversion technologies primarily in water and gas purification areas. His recent work on the impact of nano- and microplastics on wastewater treatment processes demonstrated major risks and challenges associated with the presence of nanoscale contaminants on secondary and tertiary treatments. “Emerging contaminants, such as microplastics, represent operational threats to water treatment and desalination, and further studies are dearly required in this area to improve our sampling and characterization capabilities and reinforce water safety and control measure strategies,” Dr. Dumée said. “Our team back in Australia investigated the detrimental consequences of the presence of micro and nanoplastics on wastewater treatment plants, as well as their toxicological potential on fish embryos. Besides the microplastics’ native toxicity, our team also recently published a study showcasing the potential of microplastics released in oceans to act as catalysts for rare earth and heavy metal precipitation, further increasing risks for marine life and the entire food chain, going up to human beings,” he added. The MSA’s goal is to bring together academics, industrial professionals to further membrane science and technology within the Australasian region and promote a wider understanding of these technologies for public interest. The MSA Awards recognizes leadership in research and engagement in separation and membrane science/engineering across the region. Below are key readings from Dr. Dumée’s group about microplastics: Surface Adsorption of Metallic Species onto Microplastics with Long-term Exposure to the Natural Marine Environment VIEW PUBLISHED PAPER
Nano/microplastics in Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes – Origin, Impact, and Potential Solutions VIEW PUBLISHED PAPER
Release of Hazardous Nanoplastic Contaminants Due to Microplastics Fragmentation Under Shear Stress Forces VIEW PUBLISHED PAPER
Kinetic and Mechanistic Aspects of Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling by Nanoand Microplastics VIEW PUBLISHED PAPER
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PUBLISHED ARTICLE & PAPERS PUBLISHED ARTICLE 1. Title: Biomedical Computing in the Arab World: Unlocking the Potential of a Growing Research Community Magazine: Communications of the ACM, April 2021, Vol. 64 No. 4, Pages 108-113 KU Author: Dr. Ahsan Khandoker, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
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TITLE:
Hydraulic Fracture Propagation and Analysis in Heterogeneous Middle Eastern Tight Gas Reservoirs: Influence of Natural Fractures and Well Placement JOURNAL:
ACS Omega KU AUTHORS:
Shaikhah Al Mteiri, Petroleum Engineering Graduate Student; Abhijith Suboyin, Petroleum Engineering Research Associate; Dr. MD Motiur Rahman, Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering; and Dr. Mohammed Haroun, Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering TITLE:
Direct Printing of Nanostructured Holograms on Consumable Substrates JOURNAL:
ACS Nano KU AUTHORS:
Murad Ali, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student; Israr Ahmed, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student; Ahmed E. Salih, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student: Dr. Fahad Alam, Mechanical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; Dr. Mohamed Elsherif, Mechanical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; and Dr. Haider Butt, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering TITLE:
Strain-Multiplex Metalens Array for Tunable Focusing and Imaging JOURNAL:
Advanced Science KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Haider Butt, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering TITLE:
An Optimal Eighth and sixteenth order method for solving nonlinear equation and their basins of attraction (Accepted) JOURNAL:
Applied Mathematics E-Notes KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Kalyanasundaram Mathu, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Mathematics 67 KU TIMES
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TITLE:
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Burnout on Cardiovascular Risk in Healthcare Professionals Study Protocol: A Multicenter Exploratory Longitudinal Study JOURNAL:
Frontiers in Medicine KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Eman Alefishat, Associate Professor of Pharmacology; Ms. Lujain Aloum, Pharmacology Lecturer; and Dr. Ovidiu Constantin Baltatu, Professor of Pharmacology TITLE:
Bang the Gavel: Animal Experimentation on Trial-an Interdisciplinary Mock Trial at the School of Health Sciences JOURNAL:
Advances in Physiology Education KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Siobhan O’Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Dr. Ovidiu Constantin Baltatu, Professor of Pharmacology TITLE:
Converting Enzyme 2, the SARS-CoV-2 Entry Receptor and Critical Appraisal of its Role in Acute Lung Injury JOURNAL:
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Dietrich Lorke, Professor and Department Chair of Anatomy and Cellular Biology TITLE:
Matuszewska-Orlicz Indices of the Sobolev Conjugate Young Function JOURNAL:
Partial Differential Equations in Applied Mathematics KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Waldo Arriagada, Assistant Professor of Mathematics TITLE:
Effectiveness of Incentivised Adherence and Abstinence Monitoring in Buprenorphine Maintenance: a Pragmatic, Randomised Controlled Trial JOURNAL:
Addiction KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Abdu Adem, Professor of Pharmacology TITLE:
Designing a Next Generation Solar Crystallizer for Real Seawater Brine Treatment with Zero Liquid Discharge JOURNAL:
Nature Communications KU AUTHORS:
Hongxia Li, Department of Mechanical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow and Dr. Tiejung Zhang, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
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TITLE:
Partitions of Correlated N-qubit Systems JOURNAL:
Quantum Information Processing KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Faisal Shah Khan, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Visiting Scholar and Dr. Berihu Teklu Gebrehiwot, Assistant Professor of Mathematics TITLE:
Multi-Compartment Lymph-Node-on-a-Chip Enables Measurement of Immune Cell Motility in Response to Drugs JOURNAL:
Bioengineering KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Nicholas Hallfors, Biomedical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; Aya Shanti, Biomedical Engineering Research Associate; Dr. Georg Petroianu, Associate Dean of Research, CMHS; Dr. SungMun Lee, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering; and Dr. Cesare Stefanini, Professor of Biomedical Engineering TITLE:
Blowing-up Solutions of the Time-fractional Dispersive Equations JOURNAL:
Advances in Nonlinear Analysis KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Mokhtar Kirane, Professor of Mathematics TITLE:
Blowing-up Solutions of Distributed Fractional Differential Systems JOURNAL:
Chaos, Solitons & Fractals KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Mokhtar Kirane, Professor of Mathematics TITLE:
Nonexistence of Global Solutions of Fractional Diffusion Equation with Time-space Nonlocal Source JOURNAL:
Advances in Difference Equations KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Mokhtar Kirane, Professor of Mathematics TITLE:
Systematic Review of Studies Using Conjoint Analysis Techniques to Investigate Patients’ Preferences Regarding Osteoarthritis Treatment JOURNAL:
Patient Preference and Adherence KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Basem Al-Omari, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health
69 KU TIMES
PUBLISHED ARTICLE & PAPERS
TITLE:
The Dynamics of Explore–Exploit Decisions reveal a signal-to-noise mechanism for random exploration JOURNAL:
Scientific Reports KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Samuel F. Feng, Assistant Professor of Mathematic TITLE:
Can Tolerant Values Survive Economic Insecurity? The role of Functional Autonomy in Mediating Outsider Threats in Turkey JOURNAL:
International Journal of Intercultural Relations KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Michael Babula, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Mark Neal, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Glenn Muschert, Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Dr. Dimitrios Reppas, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences TITLE:
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Associations with Diseases in Ethnic Groups of the Arabian Peninsula JOURNAL:
Immunogenetics KU AUTHORS:
Halima Al Naqbi, Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student; Dr. Aurelie Mawart, Biomedical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; Jawaher Alshamsi, CMHS Student; and Dr. Habiba Al Safar, Director of the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology and Associate Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology TITLE:
Gold Nanocomposite Contact Lenses for Color Blindness Management JOURNAL:
ACS Nano KU AUTHORS:
Ahmed E. Salih, Mechanical Engineering Research Associate; Dr. Mohamed Elsherif, Mechanical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; Dr. Fahad Alam, Mechanical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; and Dr. Haider Butt, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering TITLE:
Closure of an Exponential System in Some Hardy–Smirnov Spaces JOURNAL:
Periodica Mathematica Hungarica KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Elias Zikkos, Senior Lecturer, Preparatory Program TITLE:
Effect of Amine Functionalization of MOF Adsorbents for Enhanced CO2 Capture and Separation: A Molecular Simulation Study JOURNAL:
Frontiers in Chemistry KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Daniel Bahamon, RICH and CeCaS Research Scientist; Dr. Wei Anlu, RICH Researcher; Dr. Maryam Khaleel, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering; and Dr. Lourdes F. Vega, Director of RICH Center and Professor of Chemical Engineering
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PUBLISHED ARTICLE & PAPERS
TITLE:
Damage to Broca’s Area Does Not Contribute to Long-term Speech Production Outcome After Stroke JOURNAL:
Brain
KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Mohamed L Seghier, Professor of Biomedical Engineering TITLE:
Taming the Topology of Calix[4]arene-Based 2D-Covalent Organic Frameworks: Interpenetrated vs Noninterpenetrated Frameworks and Their Selective Removal of Cationic Dyes JOURNAL:
Journal of American Chemical Society KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Dinesh Shetty, Assistant Professor of Chemistry TITLE:
The Atmospheric Drivers of the Major Saharan Dust Storm in June 2020 JOURNAL:
Geophysical Research Letters KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab; Dr. Ricardo Fonseca, Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab; Dr. Narendra Nelli, Postdoctoral Fellow, ENGEOS Lab; and Dr. Michael Weston, Research Engineer, ENGEOS Lab TITLE:
Atmospheric Extremes Triggered the Biggest Calving Event in More than 50 Years at the Amery Ice Shelf in September 2019 JOURNAL:
The Cryosphere Discussions KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab TITLE:
Summertime Dust Storms Over the Arabian Peninsula and Impacts on Radiation, Circulation, Cloud Development and Rain JOURNAL:
Atmospheric Research KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab and Dr. Narendra Nelli, Postdoctoral Fellow, ENGEOS Lab TITLE:
On the Crucial Role of Atmospheric Rivers in the Two Major Weddell Polynya Events in 1973 and 2017 in Antarctica JOURNAL:
Science Advances KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab
71 KU TIMES
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TITLE:
On the Analysis of a Summertime Convective Event in a Hyperarid Environment JOURNAL:
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab; Dr. Ricardo Fonseca, Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab; Dr. Narendra Nelli, Postdoctoral Fellow, ENGEOS Lab; and Dr. Michael Weston, Research Engineer, ENGEOS Lab TITLE:
A Quantitative Analysis of the Dimensions and Content of the Vertebral Triangle JOURNAL:
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Natalie Keough, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology TITLE:
SARS-CoV-2 Journey to the Brain with a Focus on Potential Role of Docosahexaenoic Acid Bioactive Lipid Mediators JOURNAL:
Biochimie KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Mayssa Hachem Al Galib, Assistant Professor of Chemistry TITLE:
Hyper-Dimensional Computing Challenges and Opportunities for AI Applications JOURNAL:
IEEE Access KU AUTHORS:
Eman Hassan, SoCC Researcher; Dr. Yasman Halawani, SoCC Postdoctoral Fellow; Dr. Baker Mohammad, SoCC Director and Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and Dr. Hani Saleh, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science & the SoCC TITLE:
The Posterior Horn of the Medial and Lateral Meniscus Both Reduce the Effective Posterior Tibial Slope: A Radiographic MRI Study JOURNAL:
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Natalie Keough, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology TITLE:
Epidemiological Characterization of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and Positivity in Subsequent RT-PCR Tests in the United Arab Emirates JOURNAL:
PLOS One KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Juan Acuna, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health
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PUBLISHED ARTICLE & PAPERS
TITLE:
Mechanically Robust Amino Acid Crystals as Fiber-Optic Transducers and Wide Bandpass Filters for Optical Communication in the Near-Infrared JOURNAL:
Nature Communications KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Sharmarke Mohamed, Assistant Professor of Chemistry TITLE:
Phonon Dynamics and Transport Properties of Copper Thiocyanate and Copper Selenocyanate Pseudohalides JOURNAL:
ACS Omega KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Nirpendra Singh, Assistant Professor of Physics; Dr. Dalaver Anjum, Assistant Professor of Physics; Dr. Gobind Das, Associate Professor of Physics; Dr. Issam Qattan, Associate Professor of Physics; and Dr. Shashikant Patole, Assistant Professor of Physics TITLE:
Effect of Iodine Filler on Photoisomerization Kinetics of Photo-Switchable Thin Films Based on PEO-BDK-MR JOURNAL:
Polymers KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Issam Qattan, Associate Professor of Physics TITLE:
Synthesis and Characterization of Polymeric (PMMA-PVA) Hybrid Thin Films Doped with TiO2 Nanoparticles using Dip-Coating Technique JOURNAL:
Crystals
KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Issam Qattan, Associate Professor of Physics TITLE:
New Extraction of the e± Elastic Scattering Cross-Section Ratio Based on Phenomenological Two-Photon Exchange Corrections JOURNAL:
AIP Conference Proceedings KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Issam Qattan, Associate Professor of Physics TITLE:
Defining the Popliteal Fossa by Bony Landmarks and Mapping of the Courses of the Neurovascular Structures for Application in Popliteal Fossa Surgery JOURNAL:
Anatomy and Cell Biology KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Natalie Keough, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology
73 KU TIMES
PUBLISHED ARTICLE & PAPERS
TITLE:
Strategies for Integrated Capture and Conversion of CO2 from Dilute Flue Gases and the Atmosphere JOURNAL:
ChemSusChem KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Lourdes F. Vega, Director of RICH Center and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Dr. Ludovic F. Dumée, RICH Center Faculty and Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering TITLE:
What is Going On with Middle Eastern Solar Prices, and What Does It Mean for the Rest of Us? JOURNAL:
Progress in Photovoltaics KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Harry Apostoleris, Mechanical Engineering Post-doctoral Fellow; Dr. Amal Al Ghaferi, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Dr. Matteo Chiesa, Professor of Mechanical Engineering TITLE:
The CPV “Toolbox”: New Approaches to Maximizing Solar Resource Utilization with Application-Oriented Concentrator Photovoltaics JOURNAL:
Energies
KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Harry Apostoleris, Mechanical Engineering Post-doctoral Fellow and Dr. Matteo Chiesa, Professor of Mechanical Engineering TITLE:
Remedia Sternutatoria over the Centuries: TRP Mediation JOURNAL:
Molecules KU AUTHORS:
Lujain Aloum, Pharmacology Lecturer; Dr. Eman Alefishat, Associate Professor of Pharmacology; Dr. Shaya Janah, Pre-Medicine Bridge Program Senior Lecturer; and Dr. Georg A. Petroianu, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology & Associate Dean of Research, College of Medicine and Health Sciences TITLE:
Prevalence and Determinants of Immediate and Long-Term PTSD Consequences of Coronavirus-Related (CoV-1 and CoV-2) Pandemics among Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis JOURNAL:
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Ovidiu Constantin Baltatu, Professor of Pharmacology TITLE:
An Optimized Queue Management System to Improve Patient Flow in the Absence of Appointment System JOURNAL:
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance KU AUTHOR:
Komal Aqeel Safdar, Statistician, Medical Education
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PUBLISHED ARTICLE & PAPERS
TITLE:
Rapid Development and Utilization of a Clinical Intelligence Dashboard for Frontline Clinicians to Optimize Critical Resources During Covid-19 JOURNAL:
Acta Informatica Medica KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Sara Sorrell, Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean of Clinical Skills & Simulation Training TITLE:
Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles in Alzheimer’s Disease: Messenger or Message? JOURNAL:
Neural Regeneration Research KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Georg A. Petroianu, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology & Associate Dean of Research, College of Medicine and Health Sciences TITLE:
Modeling the Impact of Interventions on the Progress of the COVID-19 Outbreak Including Age Segregation JOURNAL:
PLOS One KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering; Dr. Mauricio Paton Gasso, Chemical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; Dr. Joao M. Uratani, Chemical Engineering Research Engineer; and Dr. Juan M. Acuna, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health TITLE:
Experimental and Established Oximes as Pretreatment before Acute Exposure to Azinphos-Methyl JOURNAL:
International Journal of Molecular Sciences KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Dietrich Lorke, Professor and Chair of Anatomy and Cellular Biology Department and Dr. Georg A. Petroianu, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology & Associate Dean of Research, College of Medicine and Health Sciences TITLE:
Characteristics of Atmospheric Aerosols Over the UAE Inferred from CALIPSO and Sun Photometer Aerosol Optical Depth JOURNAL:
Earth and Space Science KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Narendra Reddy Nelli, ENGEOS Lab Postdoctoral Fellow; Samson Fissehaye, Water and Environmental Engineering Graduate Student; Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the ENGEOS Lab; Dr. Ricardo Fonseca, ENGEOS Lab Research Scientist; Dr. Michael Weston, ENGEOS Lab Research Engineer; and Dr. Oleksandr Nesterov, ENGEOS Lab Postdoctoral Fellow TITLE:
A Review of Material Aspects in Developing Direct Z-Scheme Photocatalysts JOURNAL:
Materials Today KU AUTHORS:
Xuan Li, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student; Qiangshun Guan, Mechanical Engineering Researcher; Dr. Shoaib Anwer, Mechanical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; Dr. Khalid Al Ali, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering; Dr. Giovianni Palmisano, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering; and Dr. Lianxi Zheng, Professor of Mechanical Engineering 75 KU TIMES
PUBLISHED ARTICLE & PAPERS
TITLE:
Exploring the Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Vietnamese Pre-Service Teachers of English as a Foreign Language JOURNAL:
System
KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Mark Wyatt, Associate Professor of English TITLE:
Research Into Second Language Learners’ and Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs: Making the Connections JOURNAL:
TESOL Quarterly KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Mark Wyatt, Associate Professor of English TITLE:
Content Teachers’ Perspectives of Student Challenges in Processing Science and Mathematics Texts in English at an Emirati University JOURNAL:
Reading Psychology KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Mark Wyatt, Associate Professor of English; Dr. Jessica Midraj, Assistant Professor of the Preparatory Program; Dr. Nader Ayish, Assistant Professor of English; and Dr. Curtis Bradley, Associate Professor of Physics TITLE:
English for Specific Purposes Teachers’ Beliefs about Their Motivational Practices and Student Motivation at a Chinese University JOURNAL:
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Mark Wyatt, Associate Professor of English TITLE:
Military Assistance as Political Gimmickry? The Case of Britain and the Newly Federated United Arab Emirates after 1971 JOURNAL:
Diplomacy and Statecraft KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Athol Yates, Assistant Professor and Acting Program Chair for the Institute of International and Civil Security and Dr. Ash Rossiter, Assistant Professor of International and Civil Security and Humanities and Social Sciences TITLE:
Enhanced Liquid Propagation and Wicking along Nanostructured Porous Surfaces JOURNAL:
Advanced Engineering Materials KU AUTHORS:
Dr. Hongxia Li, Mechanical Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow; Afra S. Alketbi, Research Lab Support Officer; Qiangshun Guan, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student; and Dr. Tiejun Zhang, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering TITLE:
Extraction of Elastic Scattering Cross-section Ratio Re+e− from ep Elastic Scattering Experimental Data JOURNAL:
Physical Review C KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Issam Qattan, Associate Professor of Physics KU TIMES 76
PUBLISHED ARTICLE & PAPERS
TITLE:
Synthesis, Optical, Chemical and Thermal Characterizations of PMMA-PS/CeO2 Nanoparticles Thin Film JOURNAL:
Polymers KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Issam Qattan, Associate Professor of Physics TITLE:
Clustering of Major Histocompatibility Complex-Class I Molecules in Healthy and Cancer Colon Cells Revealed from Their Nanomechanical Properties JOURNAL:
ACS Nano KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Gobind Das, Associate Professor of Physics TITLE:
Porous Polycalix[n]arenes as Environmental Pollutant Removers JOURNAL:
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Dinesh Shetty, Assistant Professor of Chemistry TITLE:
Pollutant Removal with Organic Macrocycle-based Covalent Organic Polymers and Frameworks JOURNAL:
Chem
KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Dinesh Shetty, Assistant Professor of Chemistry TITLE:
Metal-organic Framework-based Materials: Advances, Exploits, and Challenges in Promoting Post Li-ion Battery Technologies JOURNAL:
Materials Advances KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Shashikant P. Patole, Assistant Professor of Physics TITLE:
SLID: Exploiting Spatial Locality in Input Data as a Computational Reuse Method for Efficient CNN JOURNAL:
IEEE Access KU AUTHORS:
Fatmah Alantali, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Graduate Student; Dr. Yasmin Halawani, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Postdoctoral Fellow; Dr. Baker Mohammad, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and Dr. Mahmoud Al-Qutayri, Associate Dean and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science TITLE:
Perception of Pharmacy Students towards Their Community Pharmacy Training Experience: A Cross-sectional Study from Jordan JOURNAL:
BMC Medical Education KU AUTHOR:
Dr. Eman Alefishat, Associate Professor of Pharmacology
77 KU TIMES
College of Arts & Science College of Arts & Science
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The highly-ranked Khalifa University offers fully accredited degrees to all nationalities through its 3 academic colleges, 13 bachelor’s, 16 master’s and 2 PhD programs, offering plenty of opportunities for students to explore theirdegrees intereststoand learn from The highly-ranked Khalifa University offers fully accredited all nationalities award-winning teachers. through its 3 academic colleges, 13 bachelor’s, 16 master’s and 2 PhD programs, offering plenty of opportunities for students to explore their interests and learn from As Abu Dhabi’s research-intensive university, Khalifa University gives students a award-winning teachers. chance to study in-depth with expert faculty and researchers on the leading-edge of discovery in science, engineering, and medicine to solve real-world problems. As Abu Dhabi’s research-intensive university, Khalifa University gives students Our a students develop cleaner energy,faculty find new to produce sustainably,of chance tohelp study in-depth with expert andways researchers on water the leading-edge create smarter diagnostic tools, and better waysreal-world to use AI to make data discovery in science, engineering, anddiscover medicine to solve problems. Our insightful. students help develop cleaner energy, find new ways to produce water sustainably, create smarter diagnostic tools, and discover better ways to use AI to make data Study beside our award-winning faculty and help deliver real solutions, transform insightful. lives, and change the world. Study beside our award-winning faculty and help deliver real solutions, transform lives, and change the world.
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