UAE Pioneers Award (2014) Federal Personality of the year (2019)[1]
Hawaa Al Thahak Al Mansoori (
Arabic: حواء سعيد سالم الضحاك المنصوري) is an Emirati
physician,
inventor and
politician. She was appointed to the
Federal National Council of the
United Arab Emirates in 2019.[2] As a physician Dr. Al Mansoori is an
endocrinologist and healthcare executive, serving as executive director of the Intramural Research Division at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center and Deputy Medical Director of Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in
Abu Dhabi.[3][4]
Al Mansoori is on the board of Sandooq Al Watan, a charitable foundation launched by a group of Emirati business people.[5][6] She has been an advocate of sustainable healthcare,[7]genetic medicine and
women's empowerment.[8][9] In 2014 she was presented the UAE Pioneers Award by the Prime Minister of the
UAE for her invention of a catheter placement technology.[10] She is a named inventor on three
US patents,[11][12] and a published academic.[13]
Education
Al Mansoori was the first Emirati woman to be awarded a UAE Presidential Scholarship to study medicine in the United States. She completed her undergraduate studies at the
University of Maryland, receiving a
BSc in Neurobiology & Physiology and a BSc in Psychology.[14]
In 2013 on completion of her studies Dr Al Mansoori moved back to the UAE. She was presented at the 2014
World Government Summit by Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh
Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan as an example of success in education and innovation.[17][18]
Career
Since beginning her career as a consultant
endocrinologist, Al Mansoori has worked in various healthcare related positions across the public and private sectors. She entered politics on being appointed to the Federal National Council.
Healthcare
Al Mansoori is chairman and co-founder of SonoStik LLC, a company created to develop vascular access technologies based on a design conceived during her medical studies.[19] In June 2021 SonoStik completed raising its series A funding round led by DisruptAD, the
venture capital platform of investment firm ADQ.[20][21]
Since 2016 she has been the Deputy Medical Director of Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi, the capital's largest outpatient facility by patient volume. Since 2014 she has been practicing as a consultant endocrinologist both at ICLDC and at
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.[22][23]
Al Mansoori is the executive director of Intramural Research at Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center (ADSCC), where she is leading collaborations and research initiatives including a project to explore potential cures for
Type 1 diabetes. In May 2021 Sheikh
Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, visited the center to announce the development of a new medical research campus and stated that, "their inspiring work is a key part of UAE efforts to offer medical expertise to help eradicate diseases and support human development worldwide."[24][25]
In November 2021 Al Mansoori was part of a delegation from ADSCC which visited the Zayed Center for Research in Rare Diseases in Children, a UAE-funded specialist research and treatment centre linked with
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). The two institutions hosted a workshop and discussed potential for cooperation in areas such as rare diseases, gene therapy and regenerative medicine.[26]
In December 2021 it was announced that Al Mansouri had signed a
Letter Of Intent on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center with the United States
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the
National Institute of Health (NIH). The collaborative research anticipated under this LOI is intended to serve as a basis for subsequent research partnerships that could respond to unique scientific opportunities available between the UAE and the United States.[citation needed] Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Al Mansoori remarked, "As a country we pride ourselves with the legacy we inherited from our forefathers who built this great nation 50 years ago ... It is our duty to continue the journey for the next 50 years ... One way we can play a part is to leverage new relationships and innovative collaborations to accelerate progress ... Our partnership [with NIAID] has the potential to deliver transformative breakthroughs for diseases like diabetes which can improve the lives of millions of people."[27]
During a visit to Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center, Dr
Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the
World Health Organization (WHO), discussed the announced Letter of Intent with the United States NIH, and potential future collaborations including ADSCC aims to become the WHO’s first collaborating centre in the Middle East.[28]
Politics
In November 2018 Al Mansoori was appointed to the Federal National Council (FNC) of the
United Arab Emirates as a representative of Abu Dhabi.[29][30] She has led discussions on policy and reviews of proposed laws in several areas including healthcare,[31] enterprise, sustainability,[32] education, legislative affairs,[33] and equality.[34] During the
COVID-19 pandemic she expressed support for a government initiative to grant physicians and their families 10-year residency visas.[35][36]
Al Mansoori has been a board member of Sandooq Al Watan since January 2020 and serves on its executive committee.[6] She has also been involved in initiatives to promote
STEM education, empower women,[38] and encourage enterprise by Emirati youth.[39] Since 2019 she has featured in the Abu Dhabi Find Wonder campaign: Dr Hawaa Al Mansouri: Female leaders in science and medical technology.[40][41]
She has been a participant in forums both in the UAE and internationally as a speaker, moderator and
Master of ceremonies. These include:
Ramsay D, Aragon G, Almansouri H, Bashir S, Borum M. Strongyloides and Elevated Liver Associated Enzymes: An Infection Presenting 16 Years Following Immigration from an Endemic Area: 850. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009 Oct 1;104:S313.[52]
Khosla S, Almansouri H, Korshak L, Sheriff H, Aiken M, Himmerick K, Namata-Elengwe I, Kheirbek R, Nylen E, Kokkinos P. Effects of Lifestyle Intervention for Veterans (LIVe) Program on Cardiometabolic Parameters in African American Veterans With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. InDIABETES 2013 Jul 1 (Vol. 62, pp. A632-A632). 1701 N BEAUREGARD ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22311-1717 USA: AMER DIABETES ASSOC.[53]
^US 10092731, Almansouri, Hawaa; Castro & Corman, Nathan J. et al., "Wire introduction device for introducing a guide wire", published 2018-10-09, assigned to SonoStik LLC
^US 10441756, Castro, Nathan J.; Holmes, Benjamin B. & Sikka, Neal K. et al., "Catheter placement device", published 2019-10-15, assigned to SonoStik LLC