AI can accelerate medical research, experts say

MUSCAT: Artificial intelligence can play a major role in accelerating medical research, improving healthcare decision-making and supporting more precise treatment, experts said at the Second Annual Scientific Research Day organised by the University Medical City.
Held under the auspices of Sayyid Saud bin Hilal al Busaidi, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, and patronised by Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University Medical City, the one-day event brought together researchers, academics and healthcare professionals to explore the theme ‘From Evidence to Excellence’.
Experts examined the potential of AI and machine learning in predicting health complications and supporting research and clinical practice in areas including precision medicine, oncology, cardiology, organ transplantation, infectious diseases, patient safety and clinical pharmacy.

The participating researchers presented work spanning 20 fields, including population health, health economics, health policy, medical education, quality of care, public health and basic sciences, providing a broad overview of research being conducted by the University Medical City and health and academic institutions across Oman.
Speaking to the Observer on the sidelines of the event, Prof Zobair Younossi, renowned researcher, Chair of the Global Council on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) and Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University in the United States, said AI has enormous potential to advance medical research.

“Artificial intelligence can accelerate medical research by analysing massive, complex datasets far beyond human capability to fast-track discoveries, optimise trials, and improve patient outcomes,” he said.

He said AI has an important role in areas including drug discovery and development, genomic and big-data analysis, clinical trial optimisation, disease progression and predictive modelling, as well as research assistance and scientific writing.
Dr Siham bint Salim al Sinani, CEO of the University Medical City, said the value of research should be measured by its impact on decision-making and clinical practice rather than simply by the number of studies completed.
“At the University Medical City, we aim for research that remains close to the patient — starting with a genuine question arising from practice and returning to it with better evidence, more precise decisions, or actionable solutions,” she said.
The programme attracted 600 researchers, academics and healthcare professionals from health, academic and research institutions across Oman. A total of 15 oral research presentations and 60 scientific posters were selected from 340 papers submitted for consideration in the scientific programme.
Prof Dr Murtadha bin Khamis al Khabouri, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Medical Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, said Scientific Research Day provides a platform for researchers from diverse disciplines and institutions to present and discuss their work and develop new research partnerships.

He said the next phase should focus on greater integration between research and clinical practice, as well as stronger collaboration between health and academic institutions, to align research with national health priorities and translate findings into practical applications and policies.
The event concluded with the announcement of the award winners. The top three entries in the oral research presentation and scientific poster categories were honoured, along with winners of the Best Emerging Researcher award and awards for the Best Poster in basic research, educational research, and institutional and health policy research.
Researchers with the highest research output at the University Medical City between 2023 and 2025 were also recognised for their scientific contributions, along with entities that participated in and supported the event.