Department of Nutrition and Health

Facilities

The Department of Nutrition and Health (DNH) has several laboratories that are used for teaching, research, and training.  The laboratories contain a broad range of instruments for biomedical, biochemical, hematological, anthropometric, and food preparation and analysis. All these laboratories are located in Building E-3 UAEU Shared labs.

Teaching Laboratories: DNH teaching laboratories provide students with first-hand experience with course concepts:

Biomedical Analysis Laboratory: This lab. is dedicated to analyzing blood chemistry and hematological parameters and implementing the biochemical results to assess nutritional status. It provides the students with an opportunity the chance to deal with biochemical equipment that is used in a hospital setting. The Biomedical Analysis Laboratory serves both in teaching and research for graduate and undergraduate students.

Available equipment in the Biomedical Analysis Lab. include:

• Clinical Chemistry Analyzer Cobas C111
• The immunoassay analyzer Cobas E411
• Clinical Chemistry Analyzer Reflotron® Plus
• HemoCue HbA1c 501 Analyzer
• HemoCue Hb 201+
• HemoCue Glucose 201 R
• Centrifuges

Research Laboratories

Biochemical Nutrition Research Laboratory: This lab. is dedicated for the biochemical nutrition research to support undergraduate and graduate students in their research. It also serves the faculty research. 

The Liquid Chromatography systems in lab 0006 enable a better differentiation and quantitative detection in many applications: Food testing, Bioanalysis, oxidative stress and damages biomarkers, metabolism screening, environmental monitoring, clinical, forensic, pharmaceutical drugs analysis and more…

Ankom Dietary Fiber Analyzer used to recover Insoluble Dietary Fiber (IDF), Soluble Dietary Fiber (SDF)and total Dietary Fiber (TDF) residue from Food and/or feed samples.

Accelerated Solvent Extract –Dionex ASE 350 is used for extraction of Organic and Ionic compounds from solid and semisolid samples using common solvents at elevated temperature and pressures which results in increased extraction kinetics. ASE 350 can conduct a wide range of food safety related tests, environmental, pharmaceutical, polymers and consumer product industries. 

Available equipment in the Biochemical Nutrition Research Lab. include:  

• ACQUITY UPLC system – (TQD MS Mass Spectrometer, TUV detector, Binary solvent manager and Sample manager)
• Acquity UPLC-H Class system (Sample manager-FTN, Quaternary solvent manager, ELS detector, Fluorescence detector, RI detector and PDA eλ)
• HPLC with UV/VIS Detector, Fluorescence Detector, Refractive Index Detector.
• Furnace, Carbolite UK– CWF- 12/36
• Fat Extractor -XT15-ANKOM
• Ultra-Centrifuge
• Ultra-Deep Freezers-Binder
• Accelerated Solvent Extract Dionex ASE 350 -Thermo-Scientific.
• ANKOM Dietary Fiber Analyzer
• Water system purification Milli-Q-IQ 7000-Millipore Merck
• Plate reader Spectrophotometer Multiscan GO -Thermo Scientific
• Multi-mode plate reader Spectrophotometer – Victor Nivo – Perkin Elmer

Cell Culture Laboratory:  A number of cancer cell lines, muscle, liver and adipose cells are maintained in the laboratory. The lab. supports the research projects of DNH students, faculty, as well as other colleges.  It provides cell culture analysis to determine the anti-cancerous properties of the different phytochemicals and peptides.

Available equipment in the Cell Culture lab. includes:

• Laminar air flow
• Co2 incubator
• Fluorescence microscope

Research

The Department of Nutrition and Health engages in research related to major local and global health challenges and to space exploration. Our faculty members conduct different type of studies including in vitro, pre-clinical, and clinical studies. Some of the major areas of research pursued by the department include:

• Community-based nutrition and health promotion: Investigating the interrelations between various health conditions such as cardiometabolic diseases, COVID-19, and eating habits, lifestyle, mental health and overall health of populations in the UAE and the Middle Eastern region; Initiating population-based birth cohort studies
• Behavioral nutrition and interventions: Characterizing, understanding and modifying lifestyle behaviors such as salt consumption, using innovative approaches including digital tools
• Nutrition, physical activity and wellness: Identifying ways to improve athletic and physical activity performance via sports nutrition
• Diet sustainability: Assessing the awareness and ways to promote diet sustainability in UAE
• Dietary bioactive compounds: Exploring how natural compounds, such as polyphenols can modulate the development of diseases; identification of natural compounds from local resources like date seeds and characterization of their bioactivity; modifying dietary fibers using novel methods and determining their physiological significance
• Nutrition in Health and Disease Across the Life Span: Elucidating the role of nutrition in diverse health conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, post-bariatric surgery and pre-maturity
• Life Sciences in Space research: Exploring lifestyle, physiological changes and potential countermeasures in ground-based analog studies

Services 

• The Department of Nutrition and Health provides various services to UAEU and the community. The DNH laboratories have actively supported the research activities of faculty and students (both undergraduate and graduate).   
• At the local level of the UAEU community, the department’s laboratories provide supporting services to the university’s scientific colleges, such as the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, the College of Engineering, the College of Science, and Student Life Deanship, to support student and faculty research projects. 
• In addition, the DNH laboratories provide support to the Innovation Park and Khalifa Center for Genetic and Biotechnology, including the preparation and analysis of samples using various equipment in the DNH laboratories. In addition, DNH lab. staff provide technical consultations to these entities.
• The DNH laboratories support research collaborations with various universities in the UAE including the University of Sharjah, Zayed University, New York University – Abu Dhabi. This support covers several technical and analytical aspects of research. DNH laboratories provide services to local organizations such as Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC), Agthia, and sports clubs. Furthermore, DNH laboratories provide support to the Exchange students from various countries, including Japan, Sudan, and the Netherlands.
• DNH laboratories provide services to sports clubs, such as Aljazira, including body composition and physical fitness measurements. DNH laboratories are used to introduce school students to UAEU as a platform to increase student recruitment.
• DNH faculty members provide professional service at national and international levels, including contributions to the UAE National Nutrition Strategy 2022–2030, led by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) and serve in various external committees, including the committee s responsible for revising the Obesity Guidelines led by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP). DNH faculty organized symposiums and workshops with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (2019, 2020, and 2023).
• The DNH faculty members have also contributed as resource persons in numerous conferences, workshops, and seminars. Moreover, two faculty members in DNH serve on the editorial boards of journals ranked in the top 10-15%, thus contributing to the visibility of the university.

Academic Programs

Faculty

Note: If calling from outside the UAEU organization, dial (+971 3 713) before the extension.

Name	Position	Email	Extension
Prof. Carine Platat	Professor and Chair	platatcarine@uaeu.ac.ae	6558
Dr. Moath Bataineh	Associate Professor	m.bataineh@uaeu.ac.ae	6557
Prof. Habiba Ali	Professor	habali@uaeu.ac.ae	6556
Prof. Nishan Kalupahana	Professor	nkalupahana@uaeu.ac.ae
Dr. Abdulmannan Fadel	Assistant Professor	afadel@uaeu.ac.ae
Dr. Amita Attlee	Associate Professor	amita.attlee@uaeu.ac.ae	4571
Dr Hafiz Shahbaz	Associate Professor	shahbaz@uaeu.ac.ae
Dr. Amjad Jarrar	Instructor	amjadj@uaeu.ac.ae
Ms. Morgambal Padayachee	Instructor	mpadayachee@uaeu.ac.ae	4525
Ms. Rubina Sabir	Instructor	rubsab@uaeu.ac.ae
Dr. Rita Samuel	Instructor	R.Samuel@uaeu.ac.ae
Ms. Salma Al Hebshi	Instructor	salma.alhebshi@uaeu.ac.ae	6581

Staff

Note: If calling from outside the UAEU organization, dial (+971 3 713) before the extension.

Name	Position	Email	Extension
Ms. Aisha Al Shamsi	Academic Advisor	aisha.alshamsi@uaeu.ac.ae	6580
Ms Aziza Ataishi	Medical Research Specialist	azizaalataishi@uaeu.ac.ae	6172
Fatima Theyab Al Meqbaali	Laboratory Specialist	fatmadiab@uaeu.ac.ae	6571
Dr. Jaleel Kizhakkayil	Medical Research Specialist	jaleelk@uaeu.ac.ae	4586
Usama Diaa Eldin Mohamed Mohamed Souka	Medical Research Specialist	usamasouka@uaeu.ac.ae	4562
Ms. Wafa A. Al Shamisi	Senior Administrator	w_alshamisi@uaeu.ac.ae	6550

General Enquiries

Thank you for your interest in the Department of Nutrition and Health. We welcome your query and encourage you to contact us using the information below:

United Arab Emirates University,

College of Medicine and Health Sciences

P.O.Box: 15551, Al Ain, UAE

Email: Cmhs.office@uaeu.ac.ae