Monday 28 / September / 2026
Muscat: The University Medical City concluded its second annual Research Day, held under the theme “From Evidence to Excellence”, with the participation of more than 600 researchers, academics and health professionals from various health, academic and research institutions in the Sultanate of Oman.
As many as 340 research papers were presented during the event, of which 15 papers qualified for oral presentation and 60 for scientific poster display.
The Research Day discussed a number of topics and issues in the medical and health fields, including artificial intelligence, precision medicine, oncology research, cardiovascular diseases, organ transplantation, infectious diseases, patient safety, clinical pharmacy, population health, health economics, health policies, medical education, quality of care, public health and basic sciences.
The scientific programme included a specialized lecture on the role of artificial intelligence in advancing medical research in the field of chronic diseases and supporting health decision-making, delivered by Professor Zobair Younossi, Chairman of the Global Council on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University in the United States of America, along with 15 oral research presentations and 60 scientific posters that qualified from among the research papers submitted for participation.
The participating research spanned 20 fields, addressing applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in predicting health complications, precision medicine, oncology research, cardiovascular diseases, organ transplantation, infectious diseases, patient safety, clinical pharmacy, population health, health economics, health policies, medical education, quality of care, public health and basic sciences.
Dr. Siham Salim Al Sinani, Executive President of the University Medical City, stated that the value of research is not measured solely by the number of studies completed, but rather by its contribution to developing modes of thinking, decision-making and medical practice. She emphasized the importance of research being linked to patients’ needs and health practice, and of its contributing to the attainment of applicable evidence, decisions and solutions.
She noted that the breadth of participation in the second edition reflects the growing research activity at the University Medical City and in the health sector, underscoring the importance of providing a supportive environment for research, experimentation and collaboration, and of enhancing the capacity to translate knowledge into tangible impact on the quality of healthcare and its outcomes.
The conclusion of the event featured the announcement of the winners of the second edition’s awards, with the top three places in the categories of oral research presentations and scientific posters being honoured, alongside the winners of the Best Emerging Researcher awards and the Best Poster awards in the fields of basic research, educational research, institutional research and health policies.
Researchers with the highest research output at the University Medical City during the period from 2023 to 2025 were also honoured in recognition of their scientific contributions, along with the entities participating in and supporting the event.
The University Medical City is witnessing growth in its research activity, with the number of scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals reaching approximately 353 publications during 2025, an increase of 14 per cent compared with 2024.
The number of scientific publications during the first half of 2026 reached approximately 203 publications, while the past three years have seen the launch of 46 new clinical trials.
These indicators reflect the growing presence of research within the healthcare, medical education and institutional development system, and the enhancement of its role in supporting health practice, developing services and elevating the quality of care provided.
The organisation of the second annual Research Day comes within the framework of the University Medical City’s efforts to foster an environment of research and innovation, encourage collaboration among researchers and health and academic institutions, and link research outputs to the needs and priorities of the health sector.
