President of Umm Al Qura University Dr. Bakri Bin M'atoog Bin Bakri Assas on Wednesday, Shaaban 25, 1437H opened the new Biocell Laboratory at the College of Medicine. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Dean of Medicine College Dr. Anmar Naser, Vice-dean Hany Al Mualim, Vice-dean for Postgraduate Studies Samir Fatany and head of Biochemistry Dr. Hiba Alamodi along with heads of other departments and lab technicians.

During the event, the president was briefed about the research laboratories available at the college including the Molecular Biology and Genetic Analysis that studies genetic changes in relation to specific diseases. He also inspected work at the Environmental Health Laboratory that is tasked with studying the health effects resulting from pollution and its relation to diseases appear in Hajj and Umrah seasons. He toured the Cell Research Lab which focus on study of changes happening inside the cells. The lab helps researches and specialists to study cancerous and genetic tumors in addition to the pharmacological effects of these diseases.

During the ceremony, Dr. Al Amodi provided detailed explanations for the equipment and technologies deployed at these labs. She explored researches are being made by the department and the labs' role in serving students and the pilgrims who visit Makkah.

Addressing a meeting held on the occasion, Dr. Assas said the government supplied the laboratories with the cutting-edge technologies to qualify students according to the international professional and medical standards. He extended thanks to King Salman and his Crown Prince and Deputy Crown Prince for backing improvement of education, research and knowledge activities in the kingdom.

The university, through its multiple research achievements, can change objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 into a reality through the knowledge-based economy and the development of medical and health specialties in order to serve the pilgrims, the president said, hailing efforts exerted by Dean of the Medicine College Dr. Anmar Naser and the faculty members.

In the same context, Dr. Naser said researches submitted by the college's Biochemistry Department has taken part in a number of competitions in which researches from the UQU and other universities have taken part. The registered researches have received up to SAR8 millio in support from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), he said, adding up to 38 researches were submitted by the department. The dean briefed the attendees on the college's research achievements, saying it received SAR45 million in support throughout the last three years.

The dean praised UQU President, vice-deans and heads of the department over backing the scientific progress achieved by the college.