University of Sharjah Researcher Awarded Prestigious Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Health Research Grant 2026  The Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS) at the University of Sharjah is pleased to announce that Dr. Ashokan Arumugam, Associate Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, has been awarded the prestigious Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Health Research Grant 2026 as Principal Investigator of a research project aimed at developing national guidelines for physical activity and sedentary behavior in the United Arab Emirates.  The funded project, titled “Evidence-Informed Development of UAE National Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Guidelines for Population Health and National Policy Implementation,” was selected under the Health Policy Research category.  This grant cycle was highly competitive, attracting 361 eligible applications, of which only seven research projects were selected for funding across Biomedical Research, Medical Education Research, and Health Policy Research.  Dr. Arumugam’s project aims to develop evidence-informed national guidelines to promote physical activity, reduce sedentary behavior, and improve population health across the UAE. By synthesizing international scientific evidence and considering the UAE’s population health priorities and local context, the initiative seeks to establish a robust scientific foundation for national physical activity and sedentary behavior recommendations, public health promotion strategies, and future policy development and implementation.  Led by Dr. Ashokan Arumugam, the project brings together a multidisciplinary team of national and international collaborators, including researchers from the University of Sharjah. The University of Sharjah collaborators include Ms. Sivapriya Ramakrishnan, Dr. Wafa Alnakhi, and Dr. Alounoud Almarzooqi, among others. The collaboration also involves expertise from public health, physical activity research, rehabilitation, and related disciplines.  This achievement reflects the University of Sharjah's commitment to advancing high-impact, evidence-informed research that addresses national healthcare priorities and contributes to the development of sustainable health policies and healthier communities. The project is expected to contribute to strengthening the scientific evidence base for physical activity and sedentary behavior recommendations in the UAE, while supporting broader efforts to promote active lifestyles and prevent noncommunicable diseases.  The Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences congratulates Dr. Ashokan Arumugam and the collaborating research team on this significant achievement and wishes them continued success in advancing this important national research initiative.  Additional Information: Official announcement by Emirates News Agency (WAM):
https://www.wam.ae/en/article/c2cx4ju-seven-studies-win-sheikh-hamdan-bin-rashid-maktoum Video announcing the winning projects:
https://youtu.be/2x8Cs_u-K3g