Three American scientists are included among the winners of the International Awards given by the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences, according to an official announcement that was given recently in Dubai.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and the Patron of the Award, will honor the three winners in a prestigious ceremony to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on the 12th of December, alongside 13 other personalities and organizations from UK, Switzerland, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.

Prof. Vijay Goel, Distinguished University Professor, Endowed Chair, and McMaster Gardner Professor of Orthopaedic Bioengineering, as well as the Co-Director of Engineering Center for Orthopaedic Research Excellence (E-Core) in the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA, will be awarded the Hamdan International Award for Medical Research Excellence, for the topic of Orthopedic Mechanics. Prof. Goel made a significant leap in 3D finite element (FE) model development of the spine by identifying and adapting cutting-edge technology from a completely different discipline, stereophotogrammetry used in aerial surveying, to determine load displacement behavior of intact, injured, and stabilized spinal segments. He used these techniques to generate highly-accurate 3D mapping of the spine in the FE models. The ability to rapidly and accurately map 3D coordinates of the spine under loading conditions dramatically increased the utility of the models as a tool for analysis of spine biomechanics. Prof. Goel made the next major leap in model development by including muscle forces in the spine models, greatly increasing their predictive ability.

Find out more about Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences