King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH) in collaboration with the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) has ranked among the top 5% of research worldwide for attention and engagement, according to Altmetric.

Published in Science Advances, the study investigated how spaceflight affects gene expression and molecular networks linked to human health. Researchers examined human cells aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and identified biological changes associated with muscle and heart function, the nervous system, sensory perception, vision, sleep, movement, and DNA repair.

Click here to join our WhatsApp channel here

The research may help improve understanding of health conditions related to space travel while also providing insights into diseases on Earth. The team also developed a patent-pending platform that could support drug development by predicting drug effects and toxicity.

Dr. Khalid Abu Khabar, a Research Group Leader and Principal Scientist at KFSH who served as the study’s Principal Investigator, said “The interest this study has attracted beyond academia reflects a broader view of its scientific and societal reach with relevance to one of the societal questions in space medicine: how human cells respond to space microgravity, how that knowledge can help protect astronaut health and support safer long-duration human spaceflight, and what it may reveal about human health on Earth.”

The study was part of Saudi Arabia’s first scientific mission to the ISS in 2023 and highlights the Kingdom’s growing contribution to space medicine and biomedical research.

Also read: Thumbay Group Breaks Ground on Landmark Research Centre in Ajman