Research Achievements

Research

DDI’s research aims to translate fundamental/novel research findings into clinical practice and community-based health outcomes.

Learn more about our research achievements of 2022.

Overview

2022 Research Sector Publications

9

Reviews, editorials, etc.

14

Collaborative publications

42

Original research publications

65

Total number of publications

2022 Ongoing Research Projects by Sector

38

Research Sector Projects

14

Medical Sector Projects

2

Operations Sector Projects

1

DG Directorate Project

Translational Research

DDI’s research is focused on Kuwait’s needs in the context of diabetes and aligned to improve the health outcomes for the Kuwaiti population through translational research. DDI applies an integrative research approach that brings together different disciplines that can decipher the complex events of the development of diabetes. These projects have translational and clinical components to drive bench to bedside and bedside to community-based research flow to ultimately improve health and community outcomes.

Bench to Bedside, Bedside to Community and back

Publications

The total number of DDI publications for 2022 was 93, a 21% increase from 77 in 2019.

Per the recommendations of the International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB), DDI researchers have focused on producing more original research-based publications with 51 in 2022. Overall, 55% of DDI’s 2022 total publication output was original research. Additionally, DDI published 19 collaborative (other) and 23 reviews, editorials, etc.

The DDI publications by original research and total publications from 2019 till date is illustrated below:

To view our research publications, click on the button below:

Quality of Publications: Impact Factor (IF)

Proposals

All research proposals follow a standardized ISAB approved project governance process. In line with the approved research strategy, DDI proposals are continuously focus on supporting DDI’s Mission and Vision. Additionally, per the ISAB recommendations to maintain a focused approach in research, DDI had a total of 19 new submitted proposals in 2022 and 10 project extension requests.

*Decrease in number of proposals from 2019 are per ISAB recommendations as part of a continued focused research approach.

Projects

There was a total of 76 projects in 2022 with 55 active projects (44 ongoing & 11 new) and 21 completed (7 completed & 14 closed). Project approvals follow a standardized process for approval, as outlined in the previous section, with all new projects aligned and directly contributing to the approved DDI Strategic Plan.

*All figures valid as end December 2022

Research Participation

In 2022, DDI collected 2,051 samples from research participants via the special services facility.   

In 2022, the total number of patients participated in research was 1,422 patients (compared to 504 in 2020 and 1,439 in 2021). Consequently, in 2022, DDI managed to engage 40% of patients to participate in Research.

National Dasman Diabetes Biobank

Patents

The Patent & Research Translation Office (PRTO) supports the development and protects the rights of DDI’s research to transfer to industry, organize multinational collaborative relationships to conduct research while developing technologies of local, regional, and global value.

As of 2022, 4 patents were approved and have been granted to DDI and 4 patents are still ongoing. A total of 8 patents are in various stages, per below.

Patent Overall StatusTotal
Previous Granted Patents 2020-20214
Ongoing Patents4
Total End 20228


Details of Approved Patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office:

Docket No.Year GrantedTitle of Invention(s)InventorsCo-Inventor(s)
33024.002020Method for preventing progression to metabolic syndromeProf. Fahd Al MullaRaseeba Nizam, Dr. Ashref Madhoun
33024.012020Use of MicroRNA-103 as Inhibitor for dyslipidemia by repressing ANGPTL8 gene (2020)Dr. Mohamed AbufarhaDr. Jehad Abubaker Prof. Fahd Al Mulla Preethi Cherian Irina Alkhairi
33024.022021Use of MicroRNA-181d as Inhibitor for dyslipidemia by repressing ANGPTL3 gene (2021)Dr. Jehad AbubakerDr. Mohamed Abufarha, Prof. Fahd Al Mulla Irina Alkhairi Preethi Cherian
33024.102021Targeting Signaling Crosstalk Between IL-6 and TNF-α for Preventing MMP-9 Induced  tumor growth (2021)Dr. Rasheed AhmadProf. Fahd Al Mulla

Collaborations

Overview

2022 DDI Collaborations

1

New Collaboration

12

Reviewed Collaborations

1

Collaborative Consortium

3

Regional Research Collaborations

35

National Collaborative Projects

9

Ongoing Collaborative Consortiums

International Collaborations

In 2022, DDI continued to expand its national, regional, and international network via enhancement of its national and international collaborations. Of the major existing collaborations 12 were reviewed and re-assessed with 1 new collaboration and 1 new consortium concluded.

International Research Collaborations
Montreal Diabetes Research Centre
McGill University
University of Glasgow
Sunnybrook Research Institute
Onze Lieve Vrede Hospital
University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
Ulster University
University of Canberra
BIDMC-Harvard
World Health Organization
Emory University
Yale University
Oxford University*

*New Collaboration

Regional Collaborations

DDI continued to collaborate on multiple research projects with 3 major regional collaborators in 2022.

Regional Institutions
Weill Cornell University, Qatar
Hamad Medical Corporation – Qatar
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

National Collaborations

DDI continues to collaborate nationally to exchange knowledge to strengthen and contribute to the country’s scientific research community and to enhance knowledge transfer.

In 2022, DDI continued to collaborate with the Kuwait Ministry of Health (MOH) and Kuwait University (KU) on multiple projects covering various scientific disciplines. A breakdown of the number of projects is illustrated below with a total number of national projects with KU and MOH reaching 35 for 2022.

Consortiums

Consortiums provide multiorganizational groups the opportunity to coordinate, network and pull resources together for common well-defined scientific goals. To enhance joint alliances, DDI participated in 9 ongoing consortiums and signed 1 new consortium during 2022.

International Consortiums
Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT)
Global Lipids Genetics (GLGC) at Broad Institute (USA)
Weill-Cornell Medicine (Qatar and New York) on genome data sharing & integration
COVIDiaB Registry
Personalised Medicine Coalition
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)
COVID Human Genetic Efforts (MISC) – Rockefeller University
International SWEET Network
COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative
DAFNE Consortium

In addition to the above, DDI researchers are associated and work on multiple research projects with over 11 international institutions worldwide on a project level basis, over and above the ones listed above.

Public Awareness Activities

DDI has expanded the public’s awareness of Diabetes through educational events, outreaches, events, seminars, lectures, and by ensuring public engagement and participation. As the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lifted, more physical activities/events were able to be held with an increase from 36 in 2020 to 63 in 2022.

Additionally, other social media platforms continued to be utilized and optimized to ensure awareness is maintained at a community and population-level.

Overview

2022 DDI Activities

63

Activities

54

Awareness Information

54

Press Releases

92

Health awareness videos

259

Public awareness posts

260

Awareness tweets

DDI Videos

DDI continues to provide awareness through the website’s media page which includes educational interviews, scientific updates, and newsworthy highlights on DDI activities. A total of 92 were conducted in 2022.

To view our Media page, click on the button below.

Research Newsletter


DDI electronically distributes quarterly Research newsletters to share and promote research in DDI while increasing the public awareness of research activities and achievements within.

To read our Newsletter articles, click on the button below:

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