A new partnership between LAU and Abu Dhabi University (ADU)  is leading the way in applied scientific research as the two institutions join forces in developing three projects that span food safety, environmental contamination and renal healthcare.

The collaboration signals a broader strategic shift among the two universities toward cross-border research partnerships designed to tackle regional public health and environmental challenges with locally grounded data and policy relevance. For this purpose, a memorandum of understanding was recently signed between Provost George E. Nasr and Dr. Ghassan Aouad, ADU chancellor.

This emerging consortium was initiated by Dr. Hussein Hassan, professor of food science and technology at LAU and Dr. Nisreen Alwan, professor of environmental health and safety at ADU. The two have been collaborating on joint research projects over the past five years, resulting in more than ten articles in top-tier journals. The consortium will focus on three distinct projects tackling food safety, microplastics pollution in the Gulf, and nutrition during dialysis.

The first project, Unmasking Hidden Gluten: Evaluating the Compliance of Gluten-Free Products and Consumer Exposure in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, addresses mounting concerns over the reliability of gluten-free labeling in regional markets.

Led by Dr. Alwan and Dr. Hassan, the study will assess whether products marketed as gluten-free in four Arab countries meet international safety standards.

The implications are significant for people living with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. The researchers aim to identify hidden exposure risks and generate evidence that could strengthen regulatory oversight and consumer protection frameworks across the region.

The consortium’s second project tackles one of the world’s fastest-growing environmental concerns: microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems.

Titled Emerging Contaminants in the Arabian Gulf: Investigating the Levels of Microplastics and Plasticizers in Water and Sediments, the study will examine microplastic and plasticizer contamination in the Gulf’s waters and seabed.

The project is led by Dr. Ioannis Zuburtikudis, professor of chemical engineering at ADU, and Dr. Elias Akoury, associate professor of chemistry at LAU, with additional contributions from Dr. Alwan, Dr. Hassan and Dr. Sabeera Haris, assistant professor of environmental health and safety at ADU.

The findings could contribute to future marine conservation policies and environmental monitoring systems in the Gulf states, where sustainability initiatives are becoming more central to a region exposed to heavy industrial activity and maritime traffic.

The third funded initiative moves into clinical medicine and patient care. The project, Evaluating the Impact of Intradialytic Feeding in Hemodialysis Patients in Lebanon: A Multi-Stage Research Approach, will investigate how nutritional interventions administered during dialysis sessions affect patient outcomes.

Hemodialysis patients often face severe nutritional challenges, and providing food during treatment sessions remains a debated practice in renal medicine. Researchers hope the project will provide evidence-based guidance that can improve treatment protocols and quality of care, particularly within Lebanon’s strained healthcare system.

The study is headed by Dr. Najla Alnassar Moyles, assistant professor of human nutrition and dietetics at ADU, and Dr. Rana Rizk, assistant professor of nutrition at LAU.

While the three projects differ in subject matter, they form the foundation of a broader institutional strategy that aims to build a long-term research ecosystem. The successful funding of these initial projects marks an encouraging beginning to what is hopefully a long and fruitful partnership, with many future opportunities for faculty from the College of Health Sciences (ADU), College of Engineering (ADU) and the School of Arts and Sciences (LAU) to engage in impactful, interdisciplinary research that resonates throughout the region.

According to Dr. Hassan, the partnership reflects a shared commitment to producing impactful research that directly addresses the region’s most pressing challenges.

“By combining the expertise and resources of LAU and ADU,” he said, “we aim not only to generate high-quality scientific evidence, but also to support policies and interventions that improve the wellbeing of communities across the Arab world.”