Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief

Convened October 15–16, 2025

Precision Medicine Second Workshop: Knowledge Exchange Between Kuwait and the United States
Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief

Advancements in precision medicine depend on active and sustained collaboration among domestic and international scientific organizations to enable the rapid translation of research discoveries into clinical practice. To strengthen knowledge exchange and collaboration between Kuwait and the United States, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) launched a series of workshops aimed at fostering interdisciplinary approaches to explore meaningful solutions in precision medicine.

The first workshop of this collaborative series was held February 2–3, 2025, in Kuwait.¹ Workshop sessions explored advancements in point-of-care technologies and the unprecedented impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the evolving landscape of precision medicine in the United States and Kuwait. Additional sessions highlighted how precision health research is revolutionizing the understanding and treatment of chronic metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, which is prevalent in both countries.

The second and final workshop of this series, held October 15–16, 2025, in Washington, DC,² brought together experts from the United States, Kuwait, and the broader Gulf region to advance collaboration in translational precision medicine. The workshop explored emerging insights into the interplay between the genome and exposome, the evolving role of genetic counseling in different healthcare contexts, and the development of regulatory and policy frameworks that may facilitate more ethical and effective global collaboration. The workshop discussions also examined how precision medicine advancements are being integrated into clinical care, including considerations around developing technological infrastructure for adoption, translating scientific discoveries into patient applications, and incorporating these innovations into clinical workflows to deliver meaningful impact for patients. This Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief provides a high-level summary of key discussions held during the October 2025 workshop and is not intended to provide a comprehensive account of information shared during that workshop. The views summarized here reflect the knowledge and opinions of individual workshop participants and should not be construed as consensus among or recommendations from workshop participants or the National Academies.

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DAY 1: WELCOMING REMARKS

Dr. Fawaz Haj, professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis, opened the workshop by welcoming all attendees. He noted that advances in precision medicine are transforming approaches to disease prevention and treatment. This workshop series strives to promote knowledge exchange and collaboration between Kuwait and the United States, as well as to build sustainable research and clinical partnerships with regional and global impact in precision medicine. Dr. Salman Al-Sabah, president of the Kuwait Authority for Medical Responsibility, added that the first workshop in the series resulted in multiple research collaborations between the United States and Kuwait that are now underway, including pilot grants to advance precision medicine. He expressed hope that the momentum from the first workshop would continue during the discussions of this workshop.

Dr. Dalal Najib, senior director of the National Academies’ Office of International Networks, Cooperation, and Security, welcomed participants and discussed the long history of collaboration between the National Academies and KFAS, including on important initiatives such as advancing the inclusion of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in Kuwait and the United States.³

Dr. Vaughan Turekian, executive director of the National Academies’ Office of International Networks, Cooperation, and Security, also welcomed participants and reiterated the importance of the relationship between KFAS and the National Academies in advancing science. This was reiterated by Dr. Abrar Almoosa, director of the Research Capacity Building, Research & Technology Directorate at KFAS, who added that the workshop represents a platform to turn the promise of precision medicine into real impact for communities. KFAS’s strategy places science, technology, and innovation at the heart of advancing health outcomes, strengthening research capacity, and deepening international collaboration. She noted that precision medicine reflects this vision, uniting cutting-edge science with the needs of people. She highlighted that the partnership between KFAS and the National Academies builds on a strong tradition of dialogue and shared commitment to translating knowledge into impact. This joint workshop series aims to explore how precision medicine can move from discovery to implementation, ensuring that it is effective and sustainable for all.

Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the United States, reiterated the critical importance of the collaboration between KFAS and the National Academies, noting that it is a model of how science diplomacy can serve humanity: “It reflects our shared belief that innovation is not a competition; it is a conversation.”

Kuwait’s investment in precision medicine is part of a broader national vision to move from treatment to prevention and from reaction to understanding. Al-Sabah emphasized that precision medicine is about seeing each patient not as a data point but as a whole human being, shaped by genetics, engineering, the environment, and experience. She highlighted that what heals most is not the prescription but the power of listening, kindness, and human connection. She added that “healing is both a science and an art” and that empathy can be as transformative as any molecule.

THE EVOLVING ROLE OF GENETIC COUNSELORS IN TRANSLATIONAL PRECISION MEDICINE: A FIRESIDE CHAT

Ms. Shenela Lakhani, assistant professor and director of the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program at Weill Cornell Medicine, moderated a fireside-style session on the role of genetic counseling in translating genomic discoveries into meaningful patient outcomes. A genetic counselor has specialized training in medical genetics and counseling, typically completing a 2-year master’s degree from an accredited program, Lakhani said. Many are board-certified through the American Board of Genetic Counseling and work to bridge the gap between complex genomic data and individualized patient care.

Lakhani discussed her background as the first certified genetic counselor in Qatar, where she was tasked with establishing and promoting the profession. This role gave

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her the opportunity to collaborate with clinicians and researchers across the Gulf region and North Africa.

Lakhani’s remarks highlighted that precision medicine is transforming healthcare by moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach toward one that tailors prevention, diagnosis, and treatment based on an individual’s unique genetic makeup, environment, and lifestyle. Genetics lies at the heart of this shift, offering critical insights into why diseases occur and how best to treat them, Lakhani said. Genetic counselors play a role in ensuring that precision medicine not only is scientifically advanced but also enables personalized, informed healthcare that is predictive, preventive, and targeted for patients.

Ms. Sara Pirzadeh-Miller, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and director of the Cancer Genetics Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and Dr. Ahmad Al-Serri, associate professor of genetics and behavioral science in the Faculty of Medicine at Kuwait University, contributed to the discussion of the role of genetic counselors in precision medicine within the U.S. and Kuwaiti healthcare systems, respectively.

Pirzadeh-Miller discussed the field of genetic counseling in the United States, noting that the academic recognition of genetic counseling training programs has been critical to solidifying the profession. The United States currently has more than 60 accredited programs. The American Board of Genetic Counseling, for example, has helped ensure that the education of genetic counselors occurs in a standardized and regulated manner. The profession has also advanced owing to recognition by payers and insurers.

Al-Serri noted that the Kuwait Medical Genetics Center is a national tertiary center that provides services, including a full spectrum of genetic testing, for all of Kuwait. Genetic counselors in Kuwait are primarily physicians who have gained some expertise in this area, as it is not yet recognized as a profession. He also emphasized the need for additional education and training on genetic counseling for both the healthcare community and the public.

Pirzadeh-Miller said that academic programs that support the rigorous and robust training of genetic counselors and other genetic counseling professionals are needed. Many healthcare provider groups are trying to establish such programs by hosting short courses in their annual education conferences. Some laboratories are also sponsoring education through related certificate programs.

Several organizations are also working to advance the field domestically and internationally. The National Society of Genetic Counselors has created widely available continuing education in all areas of the evolving science of genetics and genomics. Additionally, the World Congress on Genetic Counselling and the Transnational Alliance for Genetic Counseling are working to expand global collaboration in this area. A global initiative that can leverage each country’s experiences and strengths is needed to elevate genetic counseling, Pirzadeh-Miller said.

Of note is the rapid growth of commercial and newer applications of genetics—for example, using AI. Using these emerging technologies responsibly and in ways that support genetic counselors and other practitioners is important. Pirzadeh-Miller said, “AI is not going to replace us, but people who know how to use it and know how to use it well will. And we would be doing a disadvantage to our trainees by not incorporating this into their training.”

One participant asked Lakhani to provide her perspective on how genetic counseling services differ between the Middle East and United States and how this could inform future program development. Lakhani responded that religious values play a critical role in the Middle East, informing how genetic counseling services are delivered. Thus, genetic counselors in the Middle East would need to have a strong understanding of Islam and how this may affect their approach to providing services. The family is also critically important to patients in the Middle East and shapes genetic counseling. Lakhani shared examples from her experience in Qatar, highlighting that family members are often present during genetic counseling appointments. These two factors, religious

and family values, are important to consider in training future genetic counselors in the region.

Another participant noted how rapidly the field of genetic counseling is growing and asked how to scale up to meet the need, particularly to reach those who may not currently have access to these services. Participants discussed opportunities to leverage AI and telehealth to reach under-resourced areas. Pirzadeh-Miller also indicated that she is focused on scaling services, stating that she currently meets patients “where they are” to maximize the reach of the counseling. Increased focus on how best to scale up to support underserved areas is needed, she said.

SESSION I: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL HEALTHCARE THROUGH GENOME AND EXPOSOME INTEGRATION

Dr. Susan Sumner, professor at the Nutrition Research Institute and director of the Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Dr. Vasilis Vasiliou, department chair and Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, moderated the first panel, which focused on how emerging technologies and interdisciplinary research are bridging the gaps among genetics, lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposures to better understand disease susceptibility and health trajectories in different populations.

Dr. Barrak Alahmad, director of the Occupational Health and Climate Change Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a physician at the Directorate of Public Health in the Kuwait Ministry of Health, began by discussing the Kuwait oil fires in 1991 and the related environmental pollution.

Researchers at Harvard University conducted a cohort study of health effects related to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The study examined approximately 5,000 Kuwaitis aged 50 and older on the eve of the invasion. Researchers found that survival was 20 to 30 percent lower for those in Kuwait the entire time versus those living outside of Kuwait during the occupation. The two leading hypotheses for the reduced survival are exposure to environmental pollution and psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The difference in survival was statistically significant and persisted after controlling for age, smoking status, income, and education.

Alahmad highlighted that Kuwait passed the Environmental Protection Law and its amendments in 2015, giving sweeping power to the country’s Environment Public Authority to protect air, water, soil, biodiversity, and the ecosystem. The agency is now able to mandate environmental impact assessments for new projects and enforce penalties for violations. In 2017, Kuwait also established air pollution standards; however, these did not include an annual standard for particulate matter (PM)2.5 and PM10. Studies of PM2.5 indicate that current levels have contributed to excess hospital admissions among people living in Kuwait.

In terms of the composition of PM2.5 in Kuwait, the majority of pollution comes from regional oil operations and dust. He said that Kuwait is not able to eliminate all the air pollution, as anthropogenic and natural pollution come from Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Alahmad spoke about heat as another key environmental factor in Kuwait. The country has registered one of the highest temperatures on Earth in 2016, 2021, and 2023. The temperature in the summer commonly exceeds 50°C. Studies of heat exposure in Kuwait indicate a doubling to tripling of the risk of dying during extreme heat days compared to optimal days. Alahmad noted that studies indicate that extreme heat and dust storms, independently and jointly, also increase hospitalization rates for diabetic patients in Kuwait.⁴

Alahmad noted that climate change will have significant consequences for human health and society, mortality, and survivability in the region. One study estimated that 14.6 of every 100 deaths in Kuwait may be attributable to climate change heat–related effects by the end of this century. In addition to highlighting Kuwait’s history as the location of one of the world’s worst environmental disasters (oil fires), he reiterated that its current exposure to high levels of regional dust and man-made pollution and projected increases in heat due to climate change are both factors that could significantly affect human health.

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Dr. Shankar Subramaniam, distinguished professor and Joan and Irwin Jacobs Endowed Chair in Bioengineering and Systems Biology at the University of California, San Diego, discussed the growing field of metabolomics, noting that it serves as the functional end point of physiology and pathophysiology. Metabolomic measurements, collected through serum, saliva, and urine, can be used to assess the effects of environmental influences, such as nutrition, exercise, medication, and diet, on our tissues.

Subramaniam discussed the Metabolomics Workbench,⁵ a nationally available resource that serves as a gateway to multi-omics integration and disease data. The Metabolomics Workbench holds 4,197 studies, and some studies includes 20,000 human samples.

He discussed the use of metabolomics in studying fatty liver disease, which is prevalent in the United States and the Middle East. The researchers studied patients with healthy livers as well as those with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and cirrhosis. They studied the liver metabolome to identify markers of the transition from MASLD to MASH. The results indicated that metabolites could be used to differentiate among the four stages of liver disease in patients. This was also the case for liver transcripts of collagen genes, which showed upregulation during disease progression.

Subramaniam also discussed integrating metabolomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics to study atherosclerosis and plaque formation. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Some causes of the disease include diet and other lifestyle choices, genetic predispositions, blood flow, and stress. He discussed a 10-year study that involved a combination of human and mouse models. Researchers examined blood flow to assess plaque formation. They also assessed related genes involved in endothelial cells and conducted RNA sequencing under two different shear stress levels. By examining lipids, genes, and metabolomics, researchers gathered extensive information on atherosclerotic formation. They found that several factors maintain normal artery health, including KLF2, which is a critical transcription factor for endothelial cell response to atheroprotective pulsatile shear stress (PS); KLF4, which is similar to KLF2 in function but also important for the PS-induced phenotype; and NOS3, which produces nitrous oxide and is crucial in regulating vascular tone. Researchers used a combination of metabolomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics to understand how to control diet and other factors to prevent atherosclerosis. They found that activating KLF4 can reduce the inflammasome activity and, as a consequence, may also prevent atherosclerosis.

Dr. Folami Ideraabdullah, associate professor of genetics and nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discussed the use of animal models for precision nutrition, noting that the goal is to develop tailored recommendations to meet a person’s nutritional needs. Nutritional needs differ by age, sex, reproductive status, environmental exposures, body composition and size, health status, and genetic/epigenetic makeup.

Ideraabdullah noted that when considering diet effects shown in human and animal studies, outcomes often differ across different genetic backgrounds and lineages. In the study of these gene–environment interactions (GxE), both human and animal studies have limitations. She explained that human GxE studies are costly and laborious because they require large sample sizes. Uncontrollable confounders and inaccessible tissues or developmental timings also make determining causal mechanisms difficult. In addition, testing exposure to harmful environmental factors is unethical and prohibited in human populations. Traditional mouse models do not have these limitations, but they have other constraints. She explained that most capture only single-gene effects (gene knockouts) and model severe dietary conditions that rarely exist in nature. Usually, exposures occur on only a single genetic background and do not capture interindividual differences or genetic background effects (gene–gene interactions). She emphasized that the translation of findings requires conserved mechanisms.

The Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse model population is a recently developed animal model system designed to overcome many of the limitations of studying GxE in traditional animal models. The CC is a population of more than 50 genetic lineages that captures a high level of naturally occurring genetic differences among strains,

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including novel gene–gene interactions that drive greater phenotypic diversity among strains. CC strains carry novel phenotypes that may better mimic those of humans and can be used to map susceptibility loci/genes.

Ideraabdullah presented findings from her laboratory’s recent paper,⁶ which leveraged the CC population to study GxE driving vitamin D status. She highlighted that this research showed that response to dietary vitamin D depletion differs by genetic background and that low serum levels of the primary active vitamin D metabolite (calcitriol) are genetically determined independently of the precursor and clinical biomarker calcidiol.

Ideraabdullah concluded that animal model populations extend the understanding of the factors driving interindividual differences in human populations. She noted that these studies have all the benefits of traditional single lineage models, such as access to tissues or developmental stages that are inaccessible in humans. Additionally, these studies can be used to define causality—for example, by conducting gene discovery that can map causal genes through linkage analyses.

Dr. Lida Chatzi, professor of population and public health sciences and director of the Center for Translational Exposomics Research at the University of Southern California, discussed the use of translational exposomics to advance human health. Her talk focused on the example of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as man-made “forever chemicals,” and liver disease. She introduced the translational exposomics framework, which focuses on discovering associations between exposure and an outcome, as well as the underlying biology and solutions.

PFAS include more than 10,000 synthetic, man-made chemicals that have been used widely in industrial applications and consumer products. Chatzi explained that PFAS can be detected in the blood of almost everyone in the United States and worldwide. She elaborated that exposure occurs through water contamination, nonstick cookware, food packaging and containers, cosmetics and personal care products, and textiles. In the United States, 9,000 sites have known PFAS contamination in drinking water, Chatzi said. She elaborated that PFAS exposure can affect every tissue and organ in the human body and has been associated with a variety of conditions, including pregnancy complications, cardiovascular diseases, thyroid disease, metabolic diseases, cancer, and liver problems, among others. Speaking about liver problems, Chatzi emphasized that MASLD is a silent epidemic. Globally, the estimated prevalence is approximately 38 percent, and if current trends continue, it will rise to 55 percent by 2040. It is also becoming the leading cause of liver cancer.

The United States and Kuwait in particular have a high prevalence of fatty liver disease. However, traditional risk factors, such as obesity, smoking, and excessive alcohol, cannot fully explain the current epidemic. Emerging evidence indicates that exposure to environmental chemicals like PFAS, air pollution, and heavy metals may play a role.

Chatzi noted that the first systematic review and meta-analysis of both human and animal studies showed that exposure to legacy PFAS was associated with increased risk of liver injury. This was followed by a first prospective case-control study with pre-diagnostic samples, showing that exposure to one of the legacy PFAS was associated with increased risk of liver cancer. These associations may be attributed to alterations in glucose, fatty acids, and bile acid biosynthesis pathways.

Challenges arise in studying PFAS and associated health outcomes, including those related to exposure assessment. Most studies only measure PFAS at a single time point and not in pre-diagnostic samples. She added that animal models do not always recapitulate human disease. On the other hand, human studies require years of follow-up. Challenges also surface in studying PFAS mixtures and emerging chemicals. To help address some of these challenges, Chatzi discussed a translational exposomics research framework (see Figure 1). For example, to discover the mechanism of PFAS hepatotoxicity, the framework is informed by a human study that assesses PFAS in human liver disease coupled with an experiment using human liver organoids.

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Chatzi discussed an experimental study of PFAS, lipid metabolism, and liver carcinogenesis. The study aimed to identify pathways impacted by short- and long-term exposure to PFAS and PFAS mixtures commonly found in human plasma and drinking water. It also tested whether PFAS removal can reverse or attenuate the harmful effects of PFAS exposure. The results from the single-cell RNA sequencing showed upregulation of cancer-related pathways and pathways related to fibrosis and necrosis. With prolonged exposure to PFAS for 2 weeks, cancer and inflammatory responses were seen. Additionally, upon PFAS removal and organoid recovery, a downregulation of cancer-related pathways was observed. Using results from the organoid model, researchers then apply a life-course model for ongoing human studies. Researchers are also examining biomarker discovery that can predict liver disease using multi-omics, especially in youth populations. She noted that these studies on PFAS remediation and treatment can help inform decision-makers on how to better regulate and provide stronger health protections and cleanup strategies.

Chatzi also discussed parallels between the United States and Kuwait regarding PFAS exposure and health effects. Both countries have high PFAS exposure and prevalence of liver disease and share several climatic challenges. Opportunities exist to apply translational exposomics and multi-omics frameworks to Kuwait’s population health datasets and support laboratory infrastructure for PFAS biomonitoring and exposome analytics. Integrating environmental health into precision medicine can strengthen both prevention and policy—potentially transforming Kuwait–U.S. scientific collaboration into actionable public health progress.

Discussion

During the discussion, several participants considered scalable metrics for exposomic risk and the role of digital twins, or environmental twins, in developing better solutions for environmental health. One participant noted that it would be helpful to thread population and exposure differences and similarities for U.S. and Kuwaiti populations in the same study designs.

Participants also discussed PFAS regulation and technologies available to remove these chemicals from the body, noting that plasmapheresis is currently primarily used for this purpose. PFAS have been classified as carcinogens, and questions remain about how they can be regulated differently.

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SESSION II: NAVIGATING POLICY AND REGULATORY PATHWAYS TO ADVANCE GLOBAL COLLABORATION

Ms. Shaima Alasiri, legal affairs director of the Kuwait Authority for Medical Responsibility, and Dr. Mary Majumder, professor of medical ethics and health policy at Baylor College of Medicine, moderated the second panel. Majumder welcomed the panelists, noting that the presentations would examine policy and regulation that can support the work of research and implementation in precision medicine. She highlighted that this session would also explore the shared challenges and opportunities for building a more cohesive and collaborative global and regional ecosystem for precision medicine research.

Dr. Ellen Wright Clayton, professor of law, health policy, and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said that precision medicine offers the promise of greater accuracy to support patient-centered treatment. She highlighted that data sharing is essential to advance science; however, data used for biomedical research are known to be incomplete in various ways. While much emphasis is placed on increasing access, the ways data are used can harm people, whether accidentally or intentionally. Collecting data also has ethical and legal implications. Informed consent of the people to whom the data pertain is sometimes required under United States law, but it is never sufficient, especially since funders increasingly require broad consent for data sharing. This makes data governance critically important, she said.

Clayton spoke about two federal rules that may apply to biomedical data sharing in the United States:

1. The Common Rule⁸ governs research involving human participants and establishes requirements for informed consent and protections for individuals whose data are used in research.
2. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, Privacy Rule⁹ limits the conditions under which data generated in healthcare settings can be used.

Clayton discussed challenges to data sharing across borders. Some of the limits are imposed by other countries, such as China and India, and by the European Union. She emphasized that these restrictions must be addressed in data-management and data-sharing plans. She added that investigators from foreign institutions and the United States should familiarize themselves with the policies governing data sharing in the countries where they plan to work and address any specific limitations in their applications.

Clayton then turned to a discussion of gain-of-function research, which is the study of how viruses and other microorganisms can be made more toxic. New policies in place in the United States prohibit the use of federal funding for gain-of-function research. These policies are designed to reduce the potential for threats to public health, public safety, and economic or national security from this type of research. Additional regulations prohibit the bulk transfer of personal health information to six countries that are considered “countries of concern”: China, Russia, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran. These new policies give the attorney general of the United States the authority to indicate that some uses of data pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security.

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, distinguished professor of the practice in health policy and management and vice dean for public health practice and community engagement, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discussed regulations related to precision medicine. He noted that from a regulatory perspective, precision medicine is complicated.

Regulators in the United States and Kuwait are currently considering the implications of precision medicine. For example, laboratory tests commonly used in personalized medicine must be accurate and valid. While this seems straightforward, it can present challenges from a regulatory perspective. In the United States, two laws oversee this work: the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA),¹⁰ which cover laboratory accuracy and safety, and the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,¹¹ which focuses on clinical validity. He noted that facilitating the enforcement of these regulations can be challenging and requires data and resources. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created databases with genetic and

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related clinical data that support validity assessments while maintaining privacy.

Sharfstein also emphasized the importance of effective clinical treatments. Conducting a large randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a clinical treatment is not usually feasible; instead, researchers must bring in their own understanding of disease pathology. He mentioned that manufacturing oversight is another key issue, as is communication with clinicians about regulatory issues.

Dr. Hessa Alkandari, director of the Health Studies and Research Directorate in the Kuwait Ministry of Health and head of the Population Health Department at Dasman Diabetes Institute, discussed data governance and regulatory frameworks for precision medicine from Kuwait’s perspective. Kuwait’s strategic vision, Kuwait Vision 2035, embraces precision medicine, noting the importance of knowledge, innovation, and patients’ well-being at the center of national progress.

Alkandari noted that Kuwait has a strong research system; however, clear, modern rules that protect participants, ensure privacy, and support responsible research are still needed. Reliable, well-controlled data systems that protect genetic information are also needed, along with clear laws and policies that guide how data are collected, shared, and safeguarded. Most importantly, enhancing public trust in and engagement with precision medicine is critical. A key challenge facing this work is data sharing, particularly as privacy rules, consent, and standards differ across countries. A system that protects privacy while supporting meaningful collaboration is needed. Clearer ethical and legal standards that keep pace with new technology, genomics, and digital health are also essential. She elaborated that related laws need to be reformed to ensure that AI continues to advance precision medicine. This is also important for genetic testing, which requires data to be secure, respected, and used responsibly. Overcoming these challenges requires patience, teamwork, and a shared commitment to progress.

In 2025, the Kuwait Ministry of Health established a task force to update and unify the related research bylaws. Financial and legal experts and partners from KFAS are represented in this effort, along with staff from Kuwait University. The task force is working to strengthen policies on data sharing, consent, transparency of funding, and accountability as well as to develop a framework for data governance to ensure that data are secure, traceable, and used for the public good.

Dr. Khalid Fakhro, chief research officer and director of the Precision Medicine Program at Sidra Medicine, discussed navigating precision medicine implementation in Qatar and the Gulf region. Sidra Medicine, within the new Qatar Precision Health Institute, is a women’s and children’s research hospital that focuses on patient care, research, and education. The vast majority of patients are in pediatric tertiary care. From a research perspective, Sidra is trying to close the gap between precision medicine and translational medicine for the patient population.

Sidra’s precision medicine program is outlined in Figure 2. Genetic data are collected for all families in the program. A subset of cases is solved through this program. The solved cases are fed back to the healthcare system and impact further advancement in patient treatments. For those cases that are “unsolved,” families continue as part of further research efforts to determine appropriate treatment.

Fakhro emphasized that regulation and ethics are key factors to govern and enable precision medicine. In Qatar, the two sources of regulatory authority are the Ministry of Health and religious law. Qatar’s regulatory framework builds on the U.S. Common Rule (45 CFR 46), the Belmont Report, and the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use’s Guideline for Good Clinical Practice. Qatar launched its genomic research guidelines in 2017, which include the design and conduct of genomic studies and biobanking as well as data ownership. Fakhro added that informed consent is the cornerstone of all biomedical research.

Fakhro also discussed Islamic ethics, which put forth that biomedical research is a collective duty, particularly when it benefits society. Guiding principles are permissibility, beneficence, and a focus on the collective benefits. Justice and equity in access to advanced diagnostics and new

therapies are also foci. Data sharing and return of actionable results are also mandated.

In Qatar, multiple stakeholders work in tandem to build capacity and advance precision medicine. At Sidra, Fakhro explained, the key research programs combine with advanced core platforms to turn research insights into improved patient outcomes.

Discussion

One participant asked about data sovereignty for countries, given issues with data privacy. Clayton emphasized that data sharing is an increasingly complex global challenge, for which approaches like federated learning offer potential solutions, but noted that meaningful progress ultimately will require clear regulatory alignment and better communication of the value of cross-border data sharing.

Some participants highlighted the role of metadata, along with control vocabularies, ontologies for interoperability, and strategies for data harmonization as they relate to clinical data. Others discussed how data-sharing agreements could include provisions to prevent users from attempting to re-identify the data. One participant discussed the potential for developing a widely supported universal declaration on data sharing for research.

The session concluded with closing remarks by Alasiri on key themes, including the central role of legal, regulatory, and ethical frameworks in advancing precision medicine globally and the importance of keeping these frameworks forward-looking. She emphasized that policies and regulations should unite rather than divide, enabling trusted global collaboration so that innovation can serve patients everywhere.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Workshop attendees participated in two roundtable-style discussions focused on accelerating precision medicine through improved data sharing and translating genome–exposome research into clinical impact. A summary of topics discussed is presented below.

Roundtable 1: Unlocking the Future of Precision Medicine Through Data Sharing

Dr. Ahmad Nabeel, founder and chief executive officer of Gulf Medical Technologies and distinguished researcher and physician at St. Mary’s Hospital–Imperial College London, moderated a discussion focused on persistent challenges and barriers to data sharing across institutions and countries. Several participants also discussed potential opportunities to strengthen domestic and international collaborations. During the session, participants noted barriers such as the lack of common regulations governing data sharing. Participants also said that cyber-security issues and maintenance of a chain of custody for the data are other challenges.

Several participants in the discussion highlighted the following as strategies to address some of these barriers:

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• Well-structured metadata, controlled vocabularies, and a framework for harmonizing use.
• Processes to improve the quality, rigor, and reproducibility of data.
• Data transparency, trust, and collaborations to support patients.
• Improved articulation around the goals of personalized medicine so that patients understand and embrace its value and want to participate.
• Shared workflows to use in processing of the data, as well as data provenance.
• Concrete examples of successes in cross-border data sharing.
• Human omics data platforms for sharing between Kuwait and the United States.
• Standardized metadata requirements for omics data.
• Opportunities to bring scientists together from Kuwait and the United States to bridge the gap and facilitate faster data sharing.
• A framework for data sharing that includes a common metadata format, controlled vocabularies, and the same format for data files.
• Expanded public understanding of the intersection between genomics and the exposome, including highlighting the benefits for patients.
• Improved collaboration with lower- and middle-income countries.
• Expanded jointly funded grants to support data-sharing and research opportunities between the United States and Kuwait.

Roundtable 2: Translating Genome–Exposome Research into Clinical Impact

Dr. Jamaji Nwanaji-Enwerem, Health Equity Presidential Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, moderated a roundtable session focused on strategies to accelerate the translation of genome–exposome research into clinical outcomes. He highlighted that exposomics is critical for understanding the prevalence of chronic diseases that cannot be fully explained by genetics. To advance this type of research, several participants discussed the following actions:

• Make genome–exposome data and precision medicine more accessible.
• Conduct clinical trials with AI and intervention studies related to exposomics.
• Incorporate data from younger, more diverse populations in genome–exposome research.
• Bridge the genome with the exposome to advance precision health and precision medicine.
• Focus on the types of tools that can collect data for informing exposomics research, such as the use of AI, sensors, or wearables.
• Create a census of data currently available within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the United States to assess chronic conditions, biomarkers, and socioeconomic information.
• Consider engagement with a broader set of funders beyond KFAS.

Some participants discussed opportunities to submit joint grant applications to KFAS to support pilot and related projects to build momentum for collaboration between the GCC and the United States. Some topics included chronic metabolic diseases, given their high incidence in Kuwait, as well as neurocognitive disorders. Discussion also ensued about developing precision medicine technologies that can translate across diverse settings, such as from rural to urban environments. Some participants also noted that creating a coalition of funders could support these efforts further.

DAY 2: OPENING REMARKS

Dr. Hutan Ashrafian, professor and lead for applied AI and big data at Imperial College London and chief scientific officer of preemptive health at Flagship Pioneering, delivered brief opening remarks on the second day of the workshop. Summarizing discussions from the first day of the workshop, he shared that several speakers noted how legal, regulatory, and ethical frameworks are central to advancing precision medicine on a global scale. The importance of keeping these frameworks flexible and

forward-looking, so they can adapt as science and technology rapidly evolve, was also discussed. Highlighting a key takeaway from these discussions, he reiterated that global collaboration should be built on trust, ethics, and a shared purpose.

KEYNOTE SESSION: TRANSLATING PRECISION MEDICINE INTO GLOBAL IMPACT

Dr. Bruce Korf, distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, delivered keynote remarks on the global impact of precision medicine. Korf gave this presentation on behalf of Dr. Geoffrey Ginsburg, chief medical and scientific officer in the All of Us Research Program¹³ at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Korf began by discussing large cohort studies and their huge impact on healthcare. For example, the Framingham Heart Study enrolled 5,209 men and women in 1948 and is responsible for significant public health discoveries, such as the connection among cigarettes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease risk.

He discussed the All of Us Research Program, which originated in a precision medicine initiative that was announced by President Obama in 2015. One of the core principles of the All of Us Research Program is that the participants are “partners” who have been involved in helping to shape the program with the researchers from the beginning. The first enrollments into the program began as part of a national launch in 2018. Genomics was not part of the original enrollment process in 2018 but was introduced in 2021 after a thoughtful and careful analysis of how to do so effectively and safely. Overall enrollment is now 800,000 registered participants, and pediatric enrollment began in 2024. Just less than 500,000 electronic health records have been accumulated and more than 600,000 biospecimens collected.

The data from participants, including electronic health records, biospecimens, physical measurements, and survey responses, are collected at a data center and then made available on a cloud-based platform. Researchers around the world have access to these data.

Additionally, the most sought-after value of the program has been its extensive genomic information. More than 700,000 individual DNA results have been returned to the 250,000 participants who opted to receive this information. These data can inform patient risk for various diseases. Also, more than 100,000 people have received pharmacogenetic data that could potentially impact one of many medications. Korf discussed recent data releases from the program (see Figure 3).

Based on data from the All of Us Research Program, Korf noted that Mass General Brigham launched a new genetic test in collaboration with Broad Clinical Labs to predict risk across eight cardiovascular conditions. In highlighting opportunities for collaboration, he also noted that research is underway integrating genomics and exposomics in the population in Kuwait, where specific environmental conditions exist. This research has revealed correlations between various types of cancer and environmental exposures. The role of environmental exposures in health has also been a focus in the All of Us Research Program; for example, the program examined environmental exposures and health effects and found that PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased odds for breast, blood, brain, and colon and rectum cancers.

Korf next discussed partnered research initiatives as part of the All of Us Research Program. These efforts support new data collection or generation and return additional value to program participants. The program is also building its capacity to support partnered research studies by collaborating with NIH institutes, centers, and offices. Current studies are examining precision nutrition, eye health, the influences of environmental exposures on type 2 diabetes, and the connection between health factors and behavior.

Korf noted that opportunities exist for expanding the global exposome and human health research. He emphasized that, to do this, the following actions are needed: align to shared standards and data models, set up a federated node or a trusted research environment for cross-cohort analysis, define priority themes, share methods and tools, build talent and capacity, and convene the community.

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SESSION III: CATALYZING THE INTEGRATION OF PRECISION MEDICINE TECHNOLOGIES INTO CLINICAL SETTINGS

During this three-part session, participants explored how precision medicine technologies are being integrated into clinical care. The topics covered in this session include the technological infrastructure needed to enable clinical adoption, the translation of scientific discoveries into patient applications, and the incorporation of these innovations into clinical workflows to deliver meaningful patient impact.

Part I: Building Technology Infrastructure for Precision Medicine in Clinical Settings

Dr. Dari Alhuwail, associate professor of information sciences at Kuwait University and collaborator at the Geohealth Lab at Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait, moderated this session. The session explored how foundational technology infrastructure can accelerate the translation of precision medicine research into clinical care, while highlighting key challenges and opportunities in implementation. Alhuwail provided an overview of Kuwait’s healthcare system and its informatics infrastructure. He briefly outlined the challenges and opportunities for leveraging informatics solutions, including data and AI, for precision medicine in Kuwait.

Mr. Michael Zager, chief executive officer at Cirro Bio, began by describing a core obstacle slowing the progress of precision medicine. He highlighted that although life sciences produce nearly one-third of the world’s data each day, roughly 80 percent of biomedical information remains effectively unusable. He explained that poor data hygiene, unclear custody, and limited interoperability obscure the origin and structure of data, making it difficult to integrate findings across studies. Cirro works to assess how data are lost and improve data management for affected companies.

To support this effort, Cirro has created a catalogue of approximately 270 bioinformatics pipelines that can conduct single-cell sequencing, CRISPR, flow cytometry,

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etc. The analysis captures the source data and parameters used, and observational notes on data are also generated.

Zager noted that data sovereignty and accessibility are also issues. Cirro has developed features and functionality to provide organizations with insights into their data assets as well as the long-term costs of hosting data.

Dr. Naqi Khan, chief medical information officer for global healthcare solutions at Amazon Web Services (AWS), discussed strategies to operationalize AI and cloud technology to translate research into care. In the healthcare AI landscape, several pressures exist, such as clinician burnout, operational demands, and economic pressures, along with an explosion of data. Opportunities include simplifying research and care delivery as well as accelerating and improving decision-making. Khan noted that customers are using AWS to advance medical research, accelerate clinical tasks, and improve operational efficiency and the patient experience. For example, generative AI currently is used to translate content into different languages, inform people with different education levels, and incorporate varying cultural contexts within the health system.

Khan discussed the use of AI for predictive healthcare in the National Health Service in England. Foresight AI was created using anonymous health data from 57 million people to predict health outcomes and improve care across the United Kingdom. This technology can scan more than 10 billion health records to detect diseases early, helping doctors plan better and expand the number of patients they can treat. This technology aims to prevent illness rather than just treat it.

Furthermore, Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University is scaling mental health support using AI. AIMET, the Center of Excellence in Digital and AI for Mental Health,¹⁵ is a government-funded initiative based at the university has screened more than 400,000 users and identified 7,000 high-risk individuals for a mental health intervention. An AI voice bot processes 100,000 calls within 6 months, achieving 40 percent user adoption rate. This initiative has reduced critical case response times from 30 minutes to 7 minutes using an intelligent triage.

In another example, Genomics England has used AI to examine 70,000 pathology reports across 15,000 cancer cases. The project expanded research capabilities by unlocking previously inaccessible pathology insights for genomic analysis. Similarly, the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin has implemented intelligent monitoring of health records, device data, and patient-reported outcomes. The system identifies high-risk patients and closes care gaps by connecting patients with interventions, such as mobile apps. AI for healthcare has shown incredible promise, particularly given how many data have been generated and collected.

Discussion

During the discussion, participants considered how AI models can support database development by writing code. Participants also discussed the need to develop foundational models, structure metadata, and apply better data engineering practices to the development of bioinformatics pipelines.

Participants discussed the importance of addressing access issues, noting opportunities to build easy-to-access query language systems to facilitate these processes.

The topic of building workflows was also explored. Zager described an investigation of several different mechanisms for workflows, both with canned workflows and those that could be configured through parameterization.

Another participant asked how to support underserved populations, perhaps by reaching out to obtain feedback through surveys on technologies. Khan noted that AWS is concerned about reaching these populations and implementing these practices.

Part II: Translating Scientific Breakthroughs into Clinical Care

Dr. Lucas Berenbrok, associate professor and vice chair of education for pharmacy and therapeutics at the University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Anna-Maria Pappa, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates, moderated a session focused on how cutting-edge discoveries in genomics, surgical innovation, and other precision medicine advances are being translated into real-world patient applications across different healthcare settings.

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Dr. Hamad Ali, associate professor of genomic medicine at Kuwait University and Dasman Diabetes Institute, discussed how precision medicine is currently being implemented in clinical practice at Kuwait’s National Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) Clinic.

ADPKD is a progressive genetic disorder characterized by bilateral renal cyst development. With ADPKD, fluid-filled cysts replace normal kidney tissue, and a gradual loss of renal function follows. It is the most common inherited kidney disease. The prevalence of ADPKD is between 1 in 800 to 1,000, and ADPKD is regarded as one of the major causes of renal failure worldwide.

Two decades of research have revealed that multiple genes contribute to the wide phenotypic spectrum of ADPKD. Most of the cases are attributed to the PKD1 gene—responsible for the most severe phenotype of the disease. Approximately 15 percent are associated with the PKD2 gene; these are less severe cases. The IFT140 gene—the third most common gene responsible for PKD worldwide—corresponds to 2 percent of cases. While the severity of the disease is attributed to certain genes, environmental influences and modifier genes are also factors. Ali presented a precision medicine framework for ADPKD (see Figure 4).¹⁶

The Mayo Imaging Classification is a risk stratification tool that uses total kidney volume (TKV) to predict kidney outcomes in ADPKD. With an understanding of kidney volume, researchers were able to divide patients into five groups, which helped to prioritize treatment given disease severity. Researchers combined imaging along with the genotype to identify patients at risk of severe progression.

Ali discussed the work of Kuwait’s National ADPKD Clinic, which currently has more than 100 patients. Patients have limited access to the medication approved to treat ADPKD, Tolvaptan, likely due to sourcing and a complex supply chain. To address this limited medication availability, the clinic adapted a precision medicine strategy using combined genetic and clinical data to prioritize patients most likely to benefit from therapy. This evidence-based approach ensures that limited Tolvaptan supplies reach patients with the highest risk for rapid disease progression, maximizing therapeutic impact across the population.

Dr. Sulaiman Almazeedi, chief of surgery at the Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital in Kuwait and program director of the Kuwaiti Board of General Surgery, discussed the potential of robotic surgery, the mainstay of surgical

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practice in most developed countries. The United States has approximately 5,000 surgical robot consoles, and no major hospital is without a robot. Between 20 and 30 percent of surgeries are done robotically in the United States.

Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital is a 1,200-bed facility that has four surgical robots that operate multispecialty surgeries. Almazeedi noted that the hospital is moving toward telesurgery, which he described as the future of the field. He added that currently 40 percent of the Kuwait Ministry of Health’s annual budget is spent on supporting treatment for patients abroad.

Almazeedi discussed the efforts he and his colleagues made to break the Guinness World Record for farthest telesurgery (Brazil to Kuwait). To do this, a latency less than 200 milliseconds was desired, which was challenging given technology limitations in Kuwait. Medical liability was also an issue, as the surgeon in Kuwait did not have a license to practice in Brazil; as a result, a Brazilian surgeon had to fly to Kuwait to be in the room during the surgery. After addressing these obstacles, the surgery was completed successfully. Almazeedi described the telesurgery as the highlight of his career, emphasizing the extraordinary experience of operating with such precision remotely over thousands of kilometers in another continent.

Dr. Waddah Al-Refaie, Arnold W. Lempka Endowed Chair and Professor in Surgery at Creighton University and CHI Health, discussed ways to translate surgical research into clinical excellence. He described several pilot projects, including an effort to develop team-based cancer care in Kuwait. The research phases of the project included quantitative assessment of patient care pathways and cross-specialty provider engagement, qualitative assessment of attitudes and experiences of cancer care coordination and delivery, and synthesis and development of recommendations for strengthening team-based cancer care and facilitation of care coordination. As part of this work, Al-Refaie and his colleagues are conducting data quality assessment, mapping patient journeys, evaluating provider satisfaction, and developing an integrated services roadmap. They are also conducting a geospatial analysis to understand the change in the work supply over the course of time. The plan is to establish a focus workgroup of key strategic stakeholders around what keeps surgeons in certain practices. The project will focus on leveraging AI for recovery after cancer surgery, with a heavy emphasis on rural populations.

Discussion

Participants discussed the use of AI in identifying patients and in predicting how different therapeutic approaches can produce possible outcomes. One participant described working with a predictive AI model that recommends medication dosages for patients with anemia. That AI model is able to minimize the amount of drug used by the patient while improving the target achievement of hemoglobin. The participant asked about the use of AI on the treatment side to provide more information for the physician. Ali noted that a study at Mayo Clinic is utilizing AI and other data to help identify which patients are likely to benefit from medication and predict who may be susceptible to severe outcomes.

Participants also discussed how robotics in surgery can be used to provide care in less privileged countries or underserved or rural areas; however, cost will be a barrier. The financial solvency of a neighborhood is closely tied to its hospital revenue, which could be affected negatively by robotic surgery.

One participant added that traditional medical training is designed to support patients in urban (not rural) areas. Al-Refaie noted that his organization is developing a rural fellowship to expand workforce development in these underserved areas.

Part III: Implementing Precision Medicine Technologies into Clinical Workflows

Dr. Aly Azeem Khan, assistant professor of family medicine and pathology at the University of Chicago and head of AI and machine learning at the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago, and Dr. Zaid Almarzooq, interventional cardiologist and director of the Structural Heart Program in the Boston Veteran Affairs Healthcare System, moderated the final panel, which focused on strategies for integrating precision medicine tools into clinical workflows while equipping healthcare teams with the training and skills needed to use these innovations effectively and sustainably.

Dr. Raed Dweik, chief of the Integrated Hospital Care Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and president of the American Thoracic Society, discussed digital and precision approaches to patient care. He began by describing patient-centered outcomes and the patient experience. Sepsis is the most common cause of in-hospital death and the most expensive cause of hospitalization. Two out of every five patients who die in the hospital die of sepsis. Cleveland Clinic is using an AI solution to continuously detect signs of sepsis in patients’ electronic health records. This has reduced both the burden of reviewing medical records and sepsis mortality. This solution was implemented in one hospital and is now used system-wide.

Dweik also discussed the use of digital twin technology in determining perioperative risk. Cleveland Clinic’s digital twin technology program has a database of all Medicare patients and identifies when someone comes to a preoperative evaluation for surgery. The technology scours the database to create a digital twin that is similar to this patient in age, sex, comorbidities, illness, etc. Based on that information, the digital twin allows providers to stratify the risk of the patient even before that person goes to surgery, so they can prioritize patients who need to be seen over low-risk patients who can be evaluated virtually.

He also discussed the use of AI-enabled pre-hospital care to prevent patients from being admitted to the hospital in the first place. This helps providers to scale patient care through virtual visits. Cleveland Clinic has also developed a hospital-at-home program that delivers hospital-level care in the patient’s own home in select cases.¹⁸

Dr. Abeer Al Saegh, head of cancer genomics in the University Medical City Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Centre (SQCCCRC) in Oman, provided insights into the Oman Genome Project and cancer care advancement in Oman. SQCCCRC was commissioned in 2021 and offers cancer care programs. Each of these programs is staffed by a team of multidisciplinary experts and provides a holistic approach to patient care. Genetic counseling allows each patient to receive a genomic consultation, regardless of their risk stratification on the first visit.

The Oman Genome Project resulted from a collaboration of experts working to better support patient care. These experts are continuing to develop policies and regulations to support the project. Through coordinated efforts and sustained collaboration, Al Saegh and her colleagues secured funding from the Oman government and began implementation in January 2025.

The genetic counseling practice initially faced some challenges including difficulty collecting information about family histories, pathology-reporting barriers, a lack of tissue data, and the need for counseling for variant of uncertain significance testing. With an integrated hospital information system, AI, and the use of reference data from other countries, they are working on solving these challenges.

Dr. Ebaa Al Ozairi, chief medical officer at Dasman Diabetes Institute, discussed integrating clinical and organizational strategies for diabetes care in Kuwait. She explained that precision diabetes is the tailoring of diabetes treatment to the individual characteristics of the patient, supported through genomics, pharmacogenomics, and AI-driven decision support. The goal of precision diabetes is to improve outcomes, reduce harm, and optimize cost effectiveness.

Al Ozairi noted that despite progress in diabetes treatment, a need remains for therapies that reduce cardiovascular events and support weight management. Additionally, risk for cardiovascular disease does not always track with a high body mass index.

Technology can play a role in supporting remote diabetes care, including virtual visits and remote physiologic monitoring. AI-driven mobile apps are also available, such as a glucose management app that helps track daily glucose levels and predict future blood sugar management.

Al Ozairi emphasized that advancing precision medicine for type 2 diabetes in the clinic requires understanding the etiology of diabetes, identifying high-risk patients, and determining the most effective drug for each indi-

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vidual. She noted that iDiabetes is one such initiative designed to implement precision diabetes care and help close the gap for patients.

Efforts are also underway to determine how to better identify who should be allocated treatment among those with established or at high risk for cardiovascular disease, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease. This requires an understanding of how to better allocate treatment to achieve optimal response with minimal side effects.

Discussion

Participants discussed barriers encountered in implementing their projects, including convincing leadership and governments, sustaining funding, overcoming resistance to change, integrating research into the clinical side of projects, and incorporating patient perspectives into care. The discussion highlighted that strong policies and standards guiding research may help address some of these challenges by building trust with leaders and funders. Technological readiness is not enough; the right systems and collaboration are needed.

Participants also discussed the future of linking clinical trial data to registries and electronic health records at a multinational level—for example, creating a global registry for cancer. Several participants also highlighted the importance of international collaborations and opportunities to combine interventions to address chronic disease—for example, adding pharmacological interventions to diet and lifestyle changes.

One participant emphasized that patients should remain at the center of all healthcare decisions, underscoring the importance of collecting their input throughout a research study, including via qualitative data.

REFLECTIONS AND CLOSING PERSPECTIVES FROM WORKSHOP PLANNING COMMITTEE

Salman Al-Sabah, Ashrafian, Haj, and Sumner provided closing remarks and reflections on the workshop discussions. Sumner began by noting that the advances in genomics and the exposome have greatly improved the state of medicine by offering a more comprehensive signature of health. She said that multi-omics analysis will be critical to understanding genomics. She emphasized that collaborations are essential to advancing precision medicine, particularly related to nutrition. The concept of data sharing was also discussed, particularly the need for a better system to make it more seamless.

Al-Sabah advocated for continuing these types of collaborations and partnerships, particularly focusing on high-quality data. An international regulatory framework for data sharing with a minimum requirement for a dataset would be useful. He also suggested that an opportunity exists for future collaboration on data-sharing efforts.

To produce more research on personalized medicine, Al-Sabah said that utilizing genetic counseling in medicine and advancing multidisciplinary approaches to care would be beneficial. Future workshops could include discussions on how Kuwait and the United States can better work together to advance an agenda, research, and outcomes in precision medicine. He added that KFAS is in need of fast-tracked grants to support research in these areas. He reiterated that precision medicine is about patient care and making the patient the center of this care.

Haj reiterated the breadth and range of topics discussed during the meeting, including cell models, omics, animal models, genetic counseling, data management, and legal and regulatory affairs. He added that employing interdisciplinary approaches to dissect disease processes at the temporal and spatial levels will be important to inform strategies for disease prevention and treatment. He echoed the need to empower collaboration on these topics as well as mitigate the challenges and barriers that prevent effective collaboration.

Ashrafian added that the discussions highlighted precision medicine, genomics, and exposomics as well as how these areas interrelate. He noted the need to consider these issues through a systems approach, particularly as researchers and practitioners work together to advance medicine for society. He stated that science must be robust enough to be patient-grade and patient-ready. He emphasized that implementation science is essential for advancing precision medicine, including attention to data security, ethical considerations, and equity.

DISCLAIMER This Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief was prepared by Jen Saunders and Komal Syed as a factual summary of what occurred at the workshop. The statements made are those of the rapporteurs or individual workshop participants and do not necessarily represent the views of all workshop participants; the planning committee; or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

PLANNING COMMITTEE Salman Al-Sabah (Co-Chair), Kuwait Authority for Medical Responsibility; Fawaz Haj (Co-Chair), University of California, Davis; Hutan Ashrafian, Imperial College London and Flagship Pioneering; Ahmad Nabeel, Imperial College London; and Susan Sumner, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The National Academies’ planning committees are solely responsible for organizing the workshop, identifying topics, and choosing speakers. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the National Academies.

REVIEWERS To ensure that it meets institutional standards for quality and objectivity, this Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief was reviewed by Elyse Kozlowski, National Institutes of Health; Mariel S. Lavieri, University of Michigan; and Amina Qutub, University of Texas at San Antonio. Katiria Ortiz, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, served as the review monitor.

SPONSORS This workshop was supported by a grant from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

NATIONAL ACADEMIES STAFF Dalal Najib, Senior Director; Komal Syed, Program Officer; Lauren Kalinosky, Senior Program Assistant

KFAS STAFF Abrar Almoosa, Director, Research Capacity Building

SUGGESTED CITATION National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Precision Medicine Second Workshop: Knowledge Exchange Between Kuwait and the United States: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/29368.

For additional information regarding the workshop, visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/PGA-CAPACITY-24-01/event/45070.

Copyright 2026 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.