Prof. Humaid Al-Shamsi Appointed Chairman of Nexomic

A New Leadership Role in Precision Oncology

Nexomic’s appointment of Prof. Humaid Al-Shamsi brings one of the region’s most recognized oncology leaders into a central strategic role at the company.

His career spans clinical oncology, cancer research, academic medicine, healthcare leadership, public education, and health-system development across the UAE, the GCC region, and internationally.

As Chairman, Prof. Humaid Al-Shamsi is expected to support Nexomic’s work in AI-driven biomarker discovery, drug discovery, and precision oncology. These areas are increasingly shaping the future of cancer care by helping identify disease biology more precisely and enabling more individualized approaches to treatment.

Leading Cancer Care Across the UAE and GCC

• Chief Executive Officer of Burjeel Cancer Institute in Abu Dhabi, UAE (since July 2024)
• Regional Director of Burjeel Oncology GCC (since September 2020)

A Career Built Across Global Cancer Centers

Prof. Humaid Al-Shamsi graduated with honors from University College Cork in Ireland in 2004. He completed his residency in internal medicine at McMaster University in Canada, followed by a fellowship in medical oncology and advanced training in gastrointestinal oncology and palliative care.

He is the first Emirati to complete a fellowship in palliative care in the UAE. During his training at McMaster University, he received multiple awards, including the Outstanding Senior Resident of the Year Award from the Medical Staff Association of McMaster University in 2012 and the Jeff Ginsberg Subspecialty Resident Award in 2012.

From 2014 to 2017, he served as Assistant Professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He was also the first graduate of the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Program for outstanding UAE physicians training in 2016.

Prof. Humaid Al-Shamsi is board-certified in internal medicine and oncology by the UK, USA, and Canada. He is also the only physician in the UAE with subspecialty fellowship certification and training in gastrointestinal oncology, and the first Emirati to complete a clinical post-doctoral fellowship in palliative care.

Academic Roles Across Leading Institutions

• Visiting Professor at Harvard Medical School
• Visiting Scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Full Professor of Oncology at Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University
• Adjunct Professor of Oncology at the College of Medicine at the University of Sharjah
• Honorary Professor at Gulf Medical University in Ajman

Advancing Oncology Research in the Arab World

Prof. Humaid Al-Shamsi has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Cancer, JAMA Oncology, The Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, The Oncologist, and BMC Cancer.

In 2016, he co-authored a landmark study with colleagues from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Journal of Clinical Oncology that described a distinct subgroup of colorectal cancer: non-V600 BRAF-mutated colorectal cancer.

His research focuses on precision oncology and multi-omics AI-driven biomarker discovery in cancer. He is also involved in the Global Burden of Disease research network, contributing to large-scale analyses that inform cancer epidemiology and health policy worldwide.

In 2020, he received the Publication of the Year award from The Oncologist journal for an international paper on COVID-19 and cancer management.

Building Cancer Knowledge for the Region

• Published the first book on cancer research in the UAE and the first book on cancer in the Arab world, both launched at Dubai Expo 2020.
• Cancer in the Arab World has been downloaded more than 600,000 times in its first two years and remains a major source of cancer data for the Arab region.
• Cancer Care in the United Arab Emirates, the first book in UAE history to document cancer care in the country, addresses many topics for the first time.
• Published Healthcare in the United Arab Emirates, which achieved more than 100,000 downloads in its first two months.

Shaping National Cancer Care Standards

• Major contributions to the development of advanced national oncology care standards in collaboration with health authorities.
• Lanuch of the UAE’s National Guideline for Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnosis.
• Establishment of the National Multidisciplinary Committee for Cancer Case Assessment through Ministerial Decree No. 20 of 2025.

Training the Next Generation of Oncologists

• Chairman of the Oncology and Hematology Fellowship Training Program for the National Institute for Health Specialties in the UAE.
• Burjeel Cancer Institute has established the country’s first hematology and oncology fellowship training pathway, accredited by the UAE National Institute for Health Specialties.
• Helped bring major international oncology educational initiatives to the UAE and the MENA region, including Best of ESMO, ESMO Breast, and Best of ASCO.
• President of the Emirates Oncology Society and through his leadership role in the Gulf Cancer Society, he has helped build one of the most active oncology education platforms in the MENA region.

Recognition Across Oncology, Leadership, and Public Service

• Named Researcher of the Year in the UAE in both 2020 and 2021 by the Emirates Oncology Society.
• Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award from Sheikh Hamdan Smart University for his leadership and research contributions (2022).
• Sharjah Award for Volunteering in recognition of providing thousands of free consultations to cancer patients across the UAE and the MENA region.
• First place in the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council program for outstanding leadership in the private sector across all business and medical disciplines (May 2024).
• One of The 100 Most Influential CEOs in Oncology in 2025.
• Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Program for Excellence and Community Intelligence Award from the UAE President in recognition of his role as a successful model in UAE society and his work to increase cancer awareness across the UAE and GCC (February 2025).

Nexomic Appointment Adds a New Dimension to His Oncology Mission

The appointment as Chairman of Nexomic connects Prof. Humaid Al-Shamsi’s long-standing focus on precision oncology, biomarker discovery, clinical research, and cancer care transformation with a biotechnology company centered on AI-driven oncology innovation.

His mission remains focused on advancing cancer care in the UAE and the MENA region, while supporting broader access to high-quality cancer care for patients in need around the world.