Sharjah- Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and ruler of Sharjah and his Wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, founder and royal patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), inaugurated the ‘Sharjah Laboratory’ at the Francis Crick Institute in London.
The institute is the largest biomedical research centre under one roof in Europe and one of the most important of its kind in the world. The Sharjah Institute, considered the newest addition on Francis Crick in conducting researches and studies related to cancer, and mainly lung cancer, aiming to reach an efficient treatment for this disease.
The Sharjah Ruler underlined that the laboratory will serve as a scientific hub that will recruit and invest its research capacity to find the underlying causes of serious non-communicable diseases, cancer in particular. He also stressed that Sharjah will support the laboratory, not only financially, but also with the qualified human resources that are able to achieve its scientific and humanitarian objectives.
Sheikh Sultan stressed that treating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mainly cancer depends on the ongoing scientific efforts. He considered that science has been moving constantly and rapidly to create new possibilities and new research that may help humans beat cancer.
He also called for unified support and funding to contribute in the future of global health.
The Ruler and his wife were received by Sir Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, and Julian Downward, associate research director at the Francis Crick Institute, who is also the professor in charge of the Sharjah Laboratory, in addition to a number of directors and specialists at the institute and the British Association for Cancer Research.
The Sharjah laboratory comes as part of Her Highness’ nonstop efforts to support programs, initiatives and action plans to improve treatment for non-communicable diseases, including cancer. The Francis Crick Institute is run by 1,250 scientists and researchers as well as 250 executives representing 70 countries from across the world.
The new addition was fully funded by Sheikha Jawaher who donated GBP500, 000 to the Cancer Research UK in London, to invest in cancer-related studies and researches, and help train human resources to move into a new phase of the treatment of NCDs and curb their prevalence.
Sheikha Jawaher said that over the past hundred years, we have seen that science has unlimited horizons, adding that diseases that once plagued populations can now be easily treated or even prevented.
She also expressed her confidence in science’s role, as long as the concerned individuals and entities continue to support innovative medical research.
Sheikh Sultan and Sheikha Jawaher attended the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Friends of Cancer Patients and Cancer Research UK. The agreement was signed by Sawsan Jafar, president of Friends of Cancer Patients Board of Directors, and Sir Harpal.
According to this agreement, both parties will exchange expertise and focus on enhancing scientific research aiming to find cures for all types of cancer.
Sir Harpal said ‘The Sharjah Laboratory’ will ultimately help benefit cancer patients all over the world. The Francis Crick Institute looks forward to working together in the future and sharing best practice to improve the lives of people impacted by cancer in both our countries and across the world.