Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC) has welcomed an official delegation from Indiana University Health (IU Health), a prominent academic healthcare system in the United States. The visit was part of a collaboration that was established in 2020 through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ADSCC and IU Health.
During the visit, senior officials from both organisations, including ADSCC CEO Dr. Yendry Ventura and Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant (AD-BMT) Program, Dr. Fatema Mohammed Al Kaabi, met with Dr. Mohammad Al-Haddad, Chief of Destination Services and Director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at IU Health, and Dr. Rafat Abonour, Professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Laboratory Medicine and Director of Multiple Myeloma at IU Health. The delegation included a group of physicians and researchers from Indiana University Health.
Dr. Ventura commented that “reflecting on the past two years of collaboration between ADSCC and Indiana University Health fills us with great pride at ADSCC. The combined expertise of both organisations has had a significant impact on raising the standards of bone marrow transplantation in the region. Collaborations as such paved the way for us to achieve the status of Centre of Excellence in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation by the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi.
The collaboration between ADSCC and IU Health leverages the latter’s expertise and ADSCC’s infrastructure and capabilities as one of the first centres to offer bone marrow transplantation in the UAE. The partnership supports ADSCC’s vision of advancing healthcare in the UAE and the wider region by providing unique services supported by manufacturing capabilities, clinical trials, and research.
Since the signing of the MOU, both entities have collaborated on various projects, including medical education, training, clinical research projects, and multiple international publications. IU Health has also provided full support and recommendations, along with second-opinion services, during the development and post-launch of ADSCC’s Bone Marrow Transplant Program.