UK-based Scientist is a Winner of the Hamdan Award for Medical Research Excellence

DUBAI, UAE, November 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Dr. Meritxell Huch, from Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge - UK, is the winner of the Hamdan International Award for Medical Research Excellence for the topic of Liver Disorders, according to an official announcement that was given recently in Dubai.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161122/441994 )

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, the UAE Minister of Finance and the Patron of the Award, will honor Dr. Huch in a grand ceremony to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 14 December, alongside with 14 prestigious personalities and organizations from USA, France, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco.

"Dr. Meritxell Huch's research is focused on the contribution of stem cells to the regeneration of adult liver and pancreas tissues as well as on the development of organoid cultures for these endodermal organs (stomach, liver and pancreas).  She has established a new culture system that maintains the self-renewal status of liver stem cells in vitro, while differentiation towards functional liver cells can be induced by modulating key signaling pathways", as mentioned in a report recently issued by the Hamdan Medical Award.

"Dr. Huch and colleagues located the specific type of stem cells responsible for this regeneration. By isolating these cells and placing them in a culture medium, the researchers were able to grow organoids. Dr. Huch is now moving on to testing it with human cells, which would not only be more relevant to research into human disease, but would also lead to the development of a patient's own liver tissue for transplantation", the report said.

Beside Dr. Huch, 2 US scientists won the Hamdan International Award for Medical Research Excellence namely; Professor Sanford Markowitz, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland Ohio, for the topic of Colon Disorders, and Professor David Tuveson, Deputy Director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Centre, New York, for the topic of Pancreatic Diseases.

Notably, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences is a non-profit organization that honors researchers around the world who carry out distinguished medical research to serve mankind at large. Also, the Award works towards stimulating scientific interaction and enriching scientific research among doctors within the UAE and overseas.