DAVOS: A Saudi health technology startup is breaking new ground in ophthalmology and artificial intelligence by studying eye diseases both on Earth and in space, start-up co-founders told Arab News on Tuesday.
Selwa Al-Hazzaa, an ophthalmologist with 35 years of experience, and Naif Al-Obaidallah, her son and co-founder from a tech and investment background, announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos a partnership with Cornell University to study the eye microbiome in space.
“Being an ophthalmologist for the last 35 years, there are many diseases, unfortunately, that there is no treatment for,” Al-Hazzaa said.
“We got this idea: why don’t we take samples of the eye, the microbiome, take them to space, and see how they mutate. Whatever solution we find in space will help astronauts — and it can also help patients here on Earth,” she added.
The project, entirely Saudi-led with support from the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and the Saudi Space Agency, leverages simulation labs to test findings before deployment in orbit.
