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
Stefan T. Arold
Professor, Bioengineering
Biomedical Sciences
Research Platform Membership:
The Bioinformatics Platform
By unraveling the intricate three-dimensional structure of proteins, we aim to understand and prevent diseases, and to design novel diagnostic devices.
Program Affiliations
Center of Excellence
Biography
Professor Stefan T. Arold’s research explores the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular signaling networks in health and disease, with a focus on structural biology, synthetic biology, and computational approaches. Prior to joining KAUST in 2013, where he served as divisional Associate Dean (2020-2023), he held academic appointments at the CNRS in France and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the U.S., following postdoctoral training at the University of Oxford, U.K. He has authored more than 190 publications, contributed to several patents, and actively collaborates with clinical partners to understand genetic disease and to translate molecular insights into diagnostic and therapeutic innovations. Professor Arold serves on multiple institutional and national committees, including the Saudi National Institute of Health Biotechnology Committee, and is a member of the French Crystallography Association.
Research Interests
Professor Arold has dedicated his research to understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern cellular signaling networks, with a particular emphasis on how these systems detect and respond to pathogens in humans and plants. His work integrates structural biology, synthetic biology, and computational approaches to elucidate how proteins function and interact within complex biological environments. By combining high-resolution techniques, such as X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, with computational modelling, biophysical assays, and functional analyses, his group uncovers the structural and dynamic principles underlying protein behavior. These insights drive the development of practical applications, including targeted therapeutics, biosensors, and nanoreactors. His interdisciplinary research bridges biology, chemistry, and materials science, and is closely aligned with clinical collaborations aimed at understanding genetic diseases and advancing precision medicine.
Cellular Signaling
Synthetic Biology
Protein Engineering
Pathogen Sensing
Precision Medicine
Education Profile
Habilitation, University of Montpellier, France, 2004
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Oxford, UK, 1998
PhD, University of Montpellier, France, 1998
MSC, Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble, France, 1994
Awards and Recognitions
Publications
Research Areas
- Computational Bioscience