Centres & Core Facilities

Research

Research Centres & Core Facilities

The University's laboratory and preclinical research runs through two centres. The Translational Medical Research Centre is the shared bench-research hub for all four colleges, from microbiology and cell culture to next-generation sequencing. The Central Animal Research Facility is a licensed, BSL-2 compliant preclinical facility for ethically governed studies in rats and mice. Both share one instrumentation catalogue and are open to the University's researchers and postgraduate students and to external academic, clinical, industry and government partners.

Research centre

Translational Medical Research Centre (TMRC)

An interdisciplinary centre investigating the mechanisms behind infectious and non-infectious disease, with active microbiome and translational research programmes across the colleges. The University's primary bench-research platform for faculty and postgraduate students.

HeadDr. Adil Farooq Wali
Established2018
EngagementContract research (CRO) and collaborative research models

Visit TMRC

A blood pressure monitor beside a rodent restraint tube on a warming pad in a laboratory of the Central Animal Research Facility

Research centre

Central Animal Research Facility (CARF)

A preclinical and experimental research centre supporting ethically governed animal studies. Six capability areas spanning rodent disease modelling, cardiovascular instrumentation, pain and behavioural testing, BSL-2 biosafety, ethics oversight and 24/7 animal care.

HeadDr. Shakta Mani Satyam
Licensed byMOCCAE and the RAK EPDA
EngagementContract research (CRO) and collaborative research models

Visit CARF

Facilities

What the centres offer

Instrumentation and expertise that no single college could hold alone, pooled so that every researcher at the University can use it.

TMRC — six laboratory units

Microbiology UnitCulture, identification and susceptibility work underpinning the centre's infectious-disease research.
Cell Culture UnitSterile in vitro culture facilities supporting cell-based assays and translational model systems.
Molecular Biology UnitNucleic-acid extraction, amplification and molecular pathway investigation.
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) UnitHigh-throughput sequencing enabling advanced omics and systems-biology studies.
Biochemistry & Immunology UnitBiochemical and immunological assay capability across the centre's research programmes.
Histopathology UnitTissue processing, sectioning and histological analysis for preclinical research.

TMRC facilities, instruments & activities

CARF — six areas of capability

Experimental Animal InfrastructureWistar rats and BALB/c mice, with expertise in modelling cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, oncological, hepatic, renal, immunological, inflammatory and ophthalmological disease.
Cardiovascular Research LaboratoriesNon-invasive ECG and blood pressure systems (EMKA Technologies, France; Kent Scientific, USA) and a working heart apparatus for ex vivo perfusion studies.
Pain & Behavioural ResearchHargreaves Apparatus (UGO Basile, Italy) and smart video tracking (Pan Lab, Spain) driving Morris Water Maze, Elevated Plus Maze, Open Field and Light-Dark Box paradigms.
Biosafety & DiagnosticsBSL-2 biosafety infrastructure, a veterinary haematology analyzer for five-part differential CBC testing, and advanced sterilisation and environmental control.
Animal Ethics & Regulatory OversightAll research is governed by the RAKMHSU Animal Ethics Committee. The facility is licensed by MOCCAE, UAE and the RAK EPDA.
Technical & Animal Care SupportTrained personnel for handling, surgical assistance and monitoring, with 24/7 animal welfare monitoring and continuous training programmes.

CARF facilities, instruments & activities

People

The researchers behind our centres

Research leadership and the senior investigators whose programmes run through TMRC and CARF.

Prof. Mohamed El-Tanani Vice President — Research & Postgraduate Studies; Acting Dean, RAKCOP 284pubs7,563cites50h-index

Dr. Syed Arman Rabbani Assistant Vice President — Research & Postgraduate Studies; Professor & Chairperson, RAKCOP 126pubs1,651cites17h-index

Dr. Adil Farooq Wali Head — Translational Medical Research Centre (TMRC); Associate Professor, RAKCOP 116pubs1,934cites23h-index

Dr. Shakta Mani Satyam Head — Central Animal Research Facility (CARF); Associate Professor, RAKCOMS 83pubs723cites15h-index

Catalogue

Core facilities and instrumentation

Every instrument listed with its location, what it is used for, who to contact and the basis on which it is charged. Instrumentation entries marked real are drawn from the published CARF facility description.

Instrument / capability	Used for	Centre	Access
Non-invasive ECG system EMKA Technologies, France	Live cardiac electrophysiology monitoring without consumables or terminal endpoints	CARF	Internal & external
Non-invasive blood pressure system Kent Scientific, USA	Serial haemodynamic measurement in conscious rodents	CARF	Internal & external
Working heart apparatus	Ex vivo cardiac perfusion studies	CARF	Internal & external
Hargreaves apparatus UGO Basile, Italy	Thermal nociception testing and analgesic screening	CARF	Internal & external
Smart video tracking system Pan Lab, Spain	Morris Water Maze, Elevated Plus Maze, Open Field and Light-Dark Box paradigms	CARF	Internal & external
BSL-2 biosafety infrastructure	Infectious disease experimentation to biosafety level 2	CARF	Internal; external by agreement
Veterinary haematology analyzer	Five-part differential complete blood count	CARF	Internal & external
Rodent disease model library Wistar rats, BALB/c mice	Cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, oncological, hepatic, renal, immunological, inflammatory and ophthalmological models	CARF	Internal & external
Molecular diagnostics and PCR placeholder	Pathogen detection, genotyping and expression analysis	TMRC	To be confirmed
Microbiome profiling workflow placeholder	Community sequencing and bioinformatic analysis	TMRC	To be confirmed

Charging basis

Internal rates for University-led work; external rates for contract research. Rate card to be published before launch — peer institutions publish rates as standard and withholding them is a barrier to external users.

Rate card required

Technical contact

Each facility carries a named technical contact distinct from the director, with a stated enquiry turnaround. For CARF the director is Dr. Shakta Mani Satyam.

Technical contacts required

Acknowledgement text

Users are asked to include standard acknowledgement wording in resulting publications, so that facility use becomes traceable in the citation record and its value becomes demonstrable.

Wording to be agreed

Working with the centres

Two ways to work with us

External academic institutions, industry partners, start-ups, healthcare organisations and government bodies can use both centres under two models, each with its own financial and intellectual-property framework.

Contract Research Organisation (CRO) model

End-to-end research execution against the partner's objectives and defined endpoints
Protocol development, ethical approval, execution, data collection, analysis and final reporting
Transparent financial framework: external-rate project charges, milestone-based payments
Intellectual property remains with the external partner

Collaborative research model

Joint protocol development, experimental execution and data analysis
Access to raw and analysed data for co-authored publications or innovation outputs
Facility and research costs borne by the collaborator at agreed internal rates
Shared intellectual property based on contribution and mutual agreement

Request access

Access requests go on the centre's own form. Work involving animals also needs approval from the Animal Research Ethics Committee before it starts.

Partner With Us Research Approvals Back to Research