Alfaisal University was honoured to host the Proteomics Key Opinion Leaders’ (KOLs) Roundtable meeting on the 5th of May, organized by Olink-Sama Masa/Gulf Scientific Corp. This important event brought together over 30 key attendees from the proteomics landscape, including representatives from Olink, Sama Masa, and researchers from notable institutions such as KFSHRC Riyadh, KFSHRC Jeddah, KSU, Hevolution Foundation, KAIMRC, and KFMC.
The meeting aimed to analyze the current landscape of proteomics technologies in Saudi Arabia’s biomedical research and public health sectors. Participants reviewed existing capabilities while exploring strategic connections with genomics to enhance proteomics efforts in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Precision Medicine goals.
Key objectives included:
- Formulating Strategies: Developing approaches to enhance proteomics capabilities and broaden access, with discussions focused on effective integration with genomics.
- Initiating Collaborations: Creating networking opportunities to support collaborative efforts in the realm of proteomics.
- Establishing the Saudi Proteomics Society: Laying the groundwork for the formation of this society to advance the field in the region.
Discussions also addressed ideas, proposals, and high-level areas such as opportunities for the establishment of Centers for Excellence or service providers and sought to identify suitable projects for Olink Reveal protocol which offers over 1,000 assays enriched for disease-associated plasma proteins.
This roundtable meeting marks a significant step towards organizing larger scientific symposia focused on proteomics and proteogenomics, which Alfaisal University hopes to host in the future. This productive platform for collaboration highlights the university’s commitment to advancing scientific research and enhancing healthcare in Saudi Arabia.