Biomedical Sciences Division (BioMed)
Decoding Life, Advancing Health
Overview
The Biomedical Sciences (BioMed) division at KAUST brings together world-class science, technology, and education to address today’s most pressing health challenges. Through interdisciplinary research, advanced computational and digital tools, and strong partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem, BioMed connects discovery with real-world impact - supporting national priorities while contributing to global advances in health and disease.
Vision
BioMed will improve health in Saudi Arabia and beyond by harnessing cutting edge science and technology to investigate, educate on, and translate discoveries that make people’s lives better.
Mission
BioMed applies the scientific and technical expertise of KAUST by interdisciplinary collaboration and intersectional partnerships both within and beyond the university, leveraging and boosting the efforts of the health care ecosystem to understand, prevent, and treat disease.
We will encourage, educate, and promote expertise in the study and taming of disease to help engineer a healthier life for all, using knowledge generation with widespread deployment of health-translated advances underpinned by our cutting edge, world class technical expertise.
A Message from the Dean of Biomedical Sciences (BioMed)
Professor Peter J Goadsby FMedSci FRS
BioMed is KAUST's newest division, harnessing the University's world-class science and technology to advance healthcare outcomes in Saudi Arabia and beyond. We apply cutting-edge computational and digital tools to understanding, combating and preventing disease.
BioMed is at the start of an exciting journey. The division offers a collaborative environment where scientific excellence meets a passion for teaching and mentoring a new generation of graduates who will advance health in the 21st century.
Our priorities are those of the Kingdom, our mission aligned with Vision 2030's aspirations for better health. Our graduate programs uniquely integrate biology with engineering and bioinformatics and, our faculty and students strive to be future-ready for the rapidly emerging challenges and opportunities in biomedical science.
BioMed draws on the KAUST ecosystem of outstanding research and technical capabilities, all set against the backdrop of the Red Sea. We are beginning an ambitious journey, and invite those who share our vision of a healthier life for all.
Our Programs
By harnessing the power of RNA Biology and its impact on health and disease onset, we unlock new therapies for muscle wasting, neurodegeneration, and infectious diseases, driving innovation from molecular mechanisms to real-world solutions.
Program Affiliations
Center of Excellence
Biography
Imed Gallouzi is a Professor of Bioscience and founding Chair of the KAUST Center of Excellence for Smart Health. He is a leading expert in RNA biology, known for uncovering key molecular mechanisms driving muscle wasting, aging, and cellular stress responses. His pioneering work on RNA-binding proteins, such as HuR and G3BP1, has opened new avenues for RNA-based therapeutics targeting cancer-induced cachexia, neurodegeneration, and regenerative medicine. A recognized authority in post-transcriptional regulation, Professor Gallouzi has helped position RNA metabolism at the forefront of precision medicine. Prior to KAUST, he was a Canada Research Chair and senior faculty member at McGill University in Canada, and played a central role in launching graduate biomedical programs and advancing health and life science research at HBKU in Qatar.
Research Interests
Professor Gallouzi’s research explores how posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms, particularly those involving RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), stress granules, and microRNAs, govern muscle regeneration, aging, and disease progression. His lab has made seminal contributions to understanding the roles of RBPs like HuR and G3BP1 in cancer-induced cachexia, cellular senescence, and apoptosis, establishing RNA metabolism as a powerful therapeutic target. His team is pioneering strategies to harness iPSCs, mRNA decay pathways, and RNA-based technologies to address muscle wasting, aging-associated disorders, and the impact of gravity on RBP-mediated muscle and brain functions. Through interdisciplinary approaches, Professor Gallouzi aims to bridge fundamental RNA biology with translational innovations that improve human health.
aging
senescence
RNA Binding Proteins
mRNA granules
stress response
Education Profile
Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale University, 1998-2001
Ph.D., Université Montpellier II, France, 1998
DEA, Université Montpellier II, France, 1993
Maitrise in Physiology and Pharmacology, Université Montpellier II, France, 1992