DUBAI, Sep 24: A leading healthcare services provider in the Middle East and North Africa, listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, has announced a medical research collaboration with Axiom Space, a global leader in human spaceflight services.
Indian entrepreneur Dr Shamsheer Vayalil is the founder and chairman of the UAE-based healthcare group Burjeel Holdings.
The partnership, which was announced here on Tuesday, was unveiled during a special event at New York’s iconic Times Square, marking a major step forward in the intersection of medicine and space technology.
This long-term collaboration with US-based Axiom Space, renowned for its comprehensive missions to the International Space Station (ISS), will focus on advancing medical research in microgravity.
The aim is to explore new avenues for medical innovation by leveraging the unique environment of space to study how the human body responds to microgravity.
Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the ISS while also developing its successor, Axiom Station—the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit.
This pioneering station will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back to Earth.
As their first initiative, Axiom Space and Burjeel are working on sending a suite of medical capabilities to space to further science research on how the human body reacts in microgravity.
The suite consists of best-in-class technologies used in hospitals and clinics around the world, including Burjeel Holdings’ flagship facility Burjeel Medical City (BMC).
The research seeks to study how the microgravity environment affects relevant biomarkers, drug substance quality, and remote health services.
Axiom Space astronauts intend to wear and operate these technologies remotely throughout their training, launch, and during Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which is scheduled to launch next spring.
The data gathered from these experiments will enhance scientific understanding of health in space and pave the way for healthcare innovations on Earth. Dr Shamsheer Vayalil attended the event along with John Sunil, Group CEO.
“Just as we continue to benefit from innovations born from space missions over 50 years ago—transforming everything from telecommunications to medical imaging—this partnership represents a commitment to leveraging the unique environment of space to develop and enhance treatment methodologies. Ultimately, we are laying the foundation for improved patient outcomes today and for generations to come,” said Vayalil.
Dr Lucie Low, chief scientist at Axiom Space, highlighted the significance of the partnership with Burjeel Holdings, noting how Axiom Space is creating opportunities for organisations worldwide to conduct medical research in space.
“We are reimagining how humans live and work in low-Earth orbit by utilising microgravity to deepen our understanding of the human body. At the same time, we are educating the global community on how to harness the microgravity environment for scientific and technological advancements that benefit humanity,” said Low. (PTI)
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