{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T16:40:40Z","timestamp":1770914440781,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770854400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Glob. Women\u2019s Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Women\u2019s health concerns play a role in several of the UAE's major public health challenges, including cardiovascular disease, injuries, cancer, and respiratory conditions. The UAE's 2024 National Policy for improving Women\u2019s health aims to lower cancer mortality rates to 23.24 per 100,000 females, with translational research projects utilizing bio-registries and biobanks supporting this goal. This article describes the protocol for the Dubai Women\u2019s Health Study, a prospective cohort study aimed at investigating the feasibility of establishing a dedicated Women\u2019s health biobank in Dubai to support translational research on improving Women\u2019s health. Initial focus will be on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, pre-eclampsia, and endometrial cancer, which are prevalent health conditions in the UAE. Recruitment will start at the largest public Women\u2019s hospital in Dubai (Latifa Women\u2019s Hospital), with possible future inclusion of other private hospitals. The study will approach women diagnosed with PCOS, endometriosis, pre-eclampsia, and endometrial cancer over a 12-month period from April 2025 to April 2026, obtaining clinical details and biological samples for establishing a bio-registry and biobank. The feasibility will be evaluated based on recruitment rates, the willingness to contribute samples and logistical challenges. The biobank will support ongoing studies on endometrial cancer risk in PCOS and endometriosis, Co-enzyme A's role in pre-eclampsia, and genetic profiling of inherited endometrial cancer cases in Dubai. The study recruitment only commenced in July 2025 and there are no results yet. Aligned with the National Policy for Improving Women\u2019s Health, the biobank provides a foundation for local and global Women\u2019s health research, addressing historical gender neglect in medical research, and promoting health equity globally.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fgwh.2025.1589337","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T16:00:27Z","timestamp":1770912027000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Building a foundation to promote Women\u2019s health research in Dubai. Study protocol for a project to investigate the feasibility of establishing a dedicated Women\u2019s health biobank"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"William","family":"Atiomo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fadi","family":"Mirza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women\u2019s Health, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Khawla","family":"Al Zarooni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dubai Health Biobank, Research and Graduate Studies, MBRU, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Muna","family":"Tahlak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women\u2019s Health, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tom","family":"Loney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Asiyah","family":"Shafi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Osman Zin","family":"Al Abdin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dubai Health Biobank, Research and Graduate Studies, MBRU, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mahmood","family":"Al Mashhadani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Samuel","family":"Ho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Arnaud","family":"Wattiez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women\u2019s Health, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Manal","family":"AbdulRahim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mutairu","family":"Ezimokhai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1863","DOI":"10.3390\/buildings12111863","article-title":"Developing a smart grid system in the UAE: challenges and opportunities","volume":"12","author":"Saleh","year":"2022","journal-title":"Buildings"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1080\/02723638.2024.2359316","article-title":"Offshore campus development and the worlding of dubai as an international education hub","volume":"46","author":"Rottleb","year":"2025","journal-title":"Urban Geogr"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"837","DOI":"10.22363\/2313-2272-2020-20-4-837-846","article-title":"Diversity and social cohesion in the United Arab Emirates","volume":"20","author":"Al Oraimi","year":"2020","journal-title":"RUDN J Sociol"},{"key":"B4","article-title":"We the UAE 2031 vision","year":"2022"},{"key":"B5","article-title":"National policy for improving women\u2019s health","year":"2024"},{"key":"B6","article-title":"Global cancer observatory: cancer today. 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