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Project highlights
AI-powered early warning of extreme climate hazards in EMME
Early forecasting of extreme weather events is crucial for averting harmful global climate change effects, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME region), one of the most vulnerable regions due to climatic changes. Current weather forecasting methods are relatively slow, less adaptive to newly emerging observed signals, and limited in leveraging vast amounts of heterogeneous climate data. This project seeks to design novel meteorology-driven AI models for extreme event forecasting that are specifically adapted to these challenges, focusing on EMME's most disturbing climatic concerns.
Principal Investigators: Dr. Salman Khan, Prof. Fahad Khan
AI-powered early warning of extreme climate hazards in EMME
Live imaging and lineage tracing of mouse embryo development ex-utero
This research is aimed at developing a system which allows us to continuously and robustly capture the developing mouse embryo during two thirds of pregnancy. Using light-sheet microscopy, combined with reporter proteins, lineage-tracing techniques, and advanced AI movement-tracking algorithms, this study plans to take the longest time-lapse live imaging of a growing mammalian embryo, ever taken. With this system, researchers aim to tackle basic questions of germ-layer development and characterize knockout of key developmental genes.
Principal Investigators: Dr. Hisham Cholakkal, Prof. Fahad Khan, Dr. Anwer Rao, Dr. Salman Khan
Key Publication: Transgene-free generation of mouse post-gastrulation whole embryo models solely from naive ESCs and iPSCs, Cell Stem Cell (August 2025).
Live imaging and lineage tracing of mouse embryo development ex-utero
Devising models for predicting disease onset and identifying biological markers in large-scale and multi-layered cohorts
The main goal of this project is to recruit 10,000 healthy individuals, deeply phenotype them, and follow them for several years, creating a large-scale prospective longitudinal cohort and biobank. The phenotyped data will be used to research and develop prediction models for disease onset and progression and identification of novel molecular markers with a diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value.
Principal Investigators: Prof. Eran Segal, Prof. Le Song and Prof. Eric Xing
Key Publication: Deep phenotyping of health–disease continuum in the Human Phenotype Project. Nat Med (2025).
Devising models for predicting disease onset and identifying biological markers in large-scale and multi-layered cohorts
Selected partners
Innovative collaborations and partnerships
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a global leader in science, engineering, technology, and innovation. With world-renowned institutes and centers such as the Schwarzman College of Computing, the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the Broad Institute, the Whitehead Institute, and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT continues to advance knowledge and educate the next generation to tackle the most pressing challenges of the 21st century.
The collaboration between MBZUAI and MIT builds on shared strengths in artificial intelligence to accelerate research, drive innovation, support entrepreneurship, and develop transformative AI-powered tools and technologies. Aligned with the UAE’s national priorities, the partnership focuses on digital health and foundation models for biology, robotics, and scalable, energy-efficient AI systems.
Ecole Polytechnique
École Polytechnique, commonly known as L’X, is one of France’s most prestigious higher education and research institutions. Central to France’s scientific, engineering, and technological advancements, L’X is part of Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris), a cluster of leading engineering and research schools. Ranked among the top global universities in technology and engineering, L’X hosts more than 20 world-class research laboratories with key strengths in Mathematics & Computer Science, Biology & Chemistry and Physics.
One fundamental aspect of the collaboration is to support mission-driven research in focus areas such as Foundation Models for Reasoning, Large Language Models, and the application of AI in Biology, Health and Safety.
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (SUAD), established by the Government of Abu Dhabi in partnership with Sorbonne Université in Paris, plays a key role in advancing higher education, science, and culture in the UAE. Through the Sorbonne Abu Dhabi Institute for Innovation and Research (SAFIR), SUAD fosters a dynamic research ecosystem and cultivates impactful partnerships across disciplines.
The collaboration between MBZUAI and SUAD focuses on developing education and training programs, facilitating faculty and student exchanges, and driving joint research projects in core AI domains, including healthcare, robotics, climate, energy, and digital humanities.
Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS)
WIS is a top-ranking multidisciplinary research institution, renowned for advancing knowledge across brain science, artificial intelligence, particle physics, cancer research, and climate studies. It offers master’s and doctoral programs across five faculties, fostering scientific excellence and global impact.WIS, a top-ranking multidisciplinary research institution, offers masters’ and doctoral-level degrees across five faculties. WIS is globally recognized for advancing research in brain science, artificial intelligence, particle physics, with particular focus cancer research and climate studies.
The collaboration between MBZUAI and WIS is a strategic alliance aimed at co-creating knowledge and pioneering solutions to pressing challenges, from developing cancer immunotherapy strategies to addressing climate change through environmental, ocean, and plant sciences.
Some key joint research projects include understanding human memory, designing new cancer therapies, advancing personalized healthcare, forecasting extreme weather events, and detecting pollutant-degrading enzymes.
IITD and IITD-AD
The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD) is a top global engineering institution, renowned for its robust research ecosystem and contributing significantly to various sectors, including energy, environment, healthcare and materials and manufacturing. IITD offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across a wide variety of disciplines, including artificial intelligence, energy, and sustainability.
Besides joint research, the collaboration between MBZUAI and IITD aims to foster an environment conducive to knowledge exchange, joint initiatives, and impactful scientific discoveries for industry and society. MBZUAI also works closely with IITD’s Abu Dhabi campus to support education and research, enhancing opportunities for students and researchers in the UAE and region.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Ecole Polytechnique
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi
Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS)
IITD and IITD-AD
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