Moderator Jade Sterling, Science Writer, Khalifa University, speaks with Dr. Elise Marquis, Senior Director, Yas SeaWorld Research & Rescue Centre, and Dr. Tres Clark, Director of Animal Health & Welfare, to unpack how the region’s largest dedicated marine rescue, rehabilitation, and release facility combines rescue, research, and education in the Arabian Gulf. We are covering 500+ animal rescues in 2024, why seagrass underpins dugong and green turtle survival and blue carbon goals, how aquaculture research supports food security with lower energy and antibiotic use, emerging work on sea snakes, and the surprising reality of CT-scanning dolphins. Plus, collaborations with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and pathways for Khalifa University students to get hands-on in conservation.

Dr. Peter Corridon, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, Khalifa University and host Hisham Akhtar, Executive Director of Programs at Khalifa University Enterprises Company (KUEC), discuss the potential role of animal byproducts for wellness. Together, they explore how tissues often discarded from slaughterhouses can become valuable resources for regenerative medicine, contributing to advances in wound healing and sustainable healthcare. Dr. Corridon explains how his team’s work with camel and sheep tissues in the UAE reveals new possibilities for broader medical applications. The conversation also touches on ethics, safety, and regulations around using animal-derived materials, offering an inside look at how research can turn waste into opportunity, and meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Wearable devices do more than count steps, as they hold clues about your heart, sleep, and even your lifespan. In this episode of KU Pulse – the podcast, Dr. Anna-Maria Pappa, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University and Visiting Scholar at Cambridge University, joins Dr. Thiago Osório, Research Physician at the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi (IHLAD), to discuss how wearable technologies are transforming healthcare and what they reveal about healthy longevity.

Dr. Zalloua discusses how genetic ancestry has been oversimplified and often conflated with categories like ethnicity, origin, and race. He explores why this is particularly significant in the Levant, one of the cradles of civilization and a region at the crossroads of history, migration, and identity. Moderated by Margaret Kinsella, Science Writer, the conversation touches on DNA testing, misconceptions around ancestry, and how genetics can provide a more inclusive narrative of human origins.

As the UAE accelerates toward its Net Zero 2050 goal, businesses are increasingly confronted with the dual pressure of eco-inflation, rising costs driven by climate and environmental factors, and resource scarcity, particularly in energy, water, and materials. In this episode, we sit down with Khalifa University Alumni and ESG Analyst, Anousha Khan, to explore how these dynamics are reshaping economic landscapes and forcing a rethink of corporate sustainability.

Professor Roberto Sabatini, professor of Aerospace Engineering at Khalifa University, joins Jade Sterling, science writer, to explore sustainable air mobility, AI in aviation, and how we might one day get from Abu Dhabi to Sydney in just an hour. From air taxis and autonomous systems to suborbital travel and the challenge of public trust, this episode dives into the technologies reshaping flight. Discover how Khalifa University’s FALCON program is engineering a smarter, safer, and more sustainable future for air transport.

Dr. Abdulrahim Sajini, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, speaks with Jade Sterling, Science Writer, Khalifa University, about his team’s breakthrough in generating the UAE’s first human induced pluripotent stem cells – cells that can transform into other cell types. Learn how this research is paving the way for new possibilities in personalized medicine, especially in addressing obesity.

As humanity sets its sights on the Moon and beyond, the need for self-sustaining infrastructure in space becomes critical. In this episode, Sai Krishna Nimmagadda, CORE Lab Operator, Multidisciplinary Core Laboratories, Khalifa University, joins Hisham Akhtar, Consultant, KUEC, to explore the potential of 3D printing on the Moon. Could this be the key to building structures off-Earth without relying on Earth-bound supply chains? Find out how the UAE is driving innovation in space manufacturing and advancing its global leadership in space technology.

Dr. Lina Bariah, AI Research Scientist, 6G Research Center and Khalifa University alumna, sits down with moderator Dr. Mohammad Sakhnini, Senior Lecturer in Khalifa University’s General Education Unit, to discuss TelecomGPT, a ground-breaking UAE-grown model designed to transform mobile networks through domain-specific intelligence. Discover how this innovation could shape the future of 6G and autonomous telecom networks.

In the sandy stretches of the UAE, modern technology is revealing the secrets of the past. In this episode, Dr. Diana Francis, Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences tells moderator Dr. Sharmarke Mohamed, Associate Professor of Chemistry, how remote sensing combined with machine learning is transforming archaeology in the desert. Researchers at Khalifa University are showing that even in the harshest of environments, technology can unearth the stories of our past. Who knows what other secrets lie waiting to be discovered beneath the sands?

Dr. Shabir Hassan, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Khalifa University, joins moderator Hisham Akhtar, Consultant, KUEC, to unpack 3D bioprinting, gene-editing, and de-extinction. From growing 3D organs to using gene-editing tools like CRISPR that can rewrite DNA and even revive long-lost species, find out more about how cutting-edge biotech is reshaping medicine, conservation, and the future of life on Earth. Get ready for a future where life can be engineered and join us in this mind-bending conversation that breaks down the science behind the headlines.

Khalifa University alumnus Yousef AlTartoor, now Head of Materials Standardization at ADNOC Group, joins moderator Jade Sterling to examine where additive manufacturing is actually making a difference. From replacing obsolete components to localizing supply chains, 3D printing is gaining ground as a viable solution for parts production and equipment maintenance in high-stakes energy environments.

Join Dr. Hamdan Hamdan, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, medical student Rayyah Alkhanjari, and Moderator, Dr. Sharmarke Mohamed, Associate Professor, Chemistry, as they discuss their co-authored book, Exploring the Effects of Diet on the Development and Prognosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Dr. Glenda El Gamal, Senior Lecturer, General Education Unit, Khalifa University, dives into the critical role of communication in STEM, particularly in research. Dr. El Gamal highlights writing as a key skill for engineers and scientists, using the Research Writing and Publication course as a framework.

Prof. Arjen van Vliet, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, delves into astro-particle physics, studying neutrinos—the elusive “ghost particles” that can pass through earth without a trace!

Dr. Junaid Kashir, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences dives into ground-breaking research on phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ)—a sperm protein critical for fertilization and early embryonic development. His team has discovered a direct link between PLCζ levels and pregnancy success rates, offering new hope for couples struggling with infertility.

Dr. Junaid Kashir, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences dives into ground-breaking research on phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ)—a sperm protein critical for fertilization and early embryonic development. His team has discovered a direct link between PLCζ levels and pregnancy success rates, offering new hope for couples struggling with infertility.

Dr. Andreas Henschel, Associate Professor of Computer Science, is shedding light on the promising computational strategies being developed to manage and interpret the vast amount of data generated. He discusses how current research methodologies are evolving to integrate both genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) factors in phenotype prediction, and explores the implications of this integration for personalized medicine.

Dr. Yahya Zweiri, Director of the Advanced Research and Innovation Center and Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Khalifa University, elaborates on the university’s crucial role in bridging the gap between academia and industry.

Dr. Peter Corridon, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology at Khalifa University, emphasizes the importance of regenerative medicine technologies that repurpose slaughterhouse waste.

Abdulhamid Mustafa Abdi, 3rd year MD student, shares everything you need to know about life as a Khalifa University MD student. Tune in for his insights to the programme and top tips to succeed.

With a global push to curb the negative effects of climate change in full force, finding new materials to improve solar cells is key. Dr. Ammar Nayfeh introduces silicon-germanium alloys for use in solar applications.

As the world seeks more efficient and environmentally-friendly sources of energy, attention has turned to low-carbon hydrogen production and applications. Prof. Lourdes Vega explains how and why hydrogen could help decarbonize our economy.

Dr. Diana Francis gives insight into the climate conditions of the UAE. Fog, rain, dust storms and air quality

Dr. Athol Yates gives insight into the rapid rise of UAE’s security forces through history, and its impressive impact on the safety and stability of the country.

Dr. TJ Zhang and his research team have developed a device for direct solar vapor generation, an off-grid distillation technology which could tackle water scarcity in hard-to-reach areas.

Dr. Habiba AlSafar’s research into the Emirati genome started when she noticed a lack of information about her people in available genomic data. Until she and her team sequenced the first whole Emirati genome in 2020…

Dr. Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry discusses The Future of Space Exploration and sheds light on the biggest questions: Is there life on Mars? Could the moons of Jupiter be hiding microbes? What would an alien civilization see if they looked at Earth?

Organic bioelectronics sound super sci-fi, but they’re the key to understanding the interface between electronic materials and biology

Combining the oxygen in the air with the lithium in a battery cell could create batteries with more than five times the energy than those currently powering all our electronics…

The sound of a person’s breathing, cough or even their voice could all be used to help diagnose patients with Covid-19…

Dr. Mohammad Al Bataineh researches the human microbiome and how it interacts with health and disease…

Dr. Peter Corridon has been working on bioengineered scaffolds made from ‘decellularized’ tissue segments…

There are plenty of opportunities for internships at Khalifa University every year, and the Center for Biotechnology has proved particularly popular during these unprecedented times…

Imagine being able to use noxious Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a waste material widely found in the UAE oil and gas industry, to generate energy in a clean, sustainable way…

The size and weight of a paper clip, a single locust hardly appears capable of the devastation and destruction associated with it…

Dust events can be catastrophic and while much is known about their impact, it’s often harder to pin down why they occurred in the first place…

A multi-disciplinary team in the UAE has developed an affordable, simple, and easy-to-manufacture ventilator prototype…