Abu Dhabi:Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has successfully placed its first fellow from the Ruwwad AI Scholars (RAIS) Fellowship at the University of Oxford. This move coincides with the opening of applications for the programme's second cohort.

According to Emirates News Agency, Dr. Mohamed Almarei, the inaugural RAIS fellow, will engage in a two-year research placement at Oxford's Department of Engineering Science. His work will focus on applying artificial intelligence to synthetic biology and the control of living systems. Dr. Almarei, who earned his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Imperial College London, has previously concentrated his research on engineering biological systems for sustainable bioproduction.

During his fellowship at Oxford, Dr. Almarei will collaborate with Professor Jean-Baptiste Lugagne. Their research aims to use machine learning to better predict and control cellular behavior, integrating Dr. Almarei's expertise in experimental bioengineering with computational approaches.

Applications for the second RAIS cohort are now open. The fellowship targets Emirati postdoctoral researchers working in AI-related and interdisciplinary fields. MBZUAI plans to hold information sessions for potential applicants in autumn and winter 2026.