Lifera Omics Appoints Prof. Fowzan Alkuraya, a Renowned Genomics Expert as Chief Medical and Genomic Officer
Lifera Omics, a subsidiary of Lifera that was launched in January 2024, announced the appointment of renowned Saudi human geneticist, Prof. Fowzan Sami Alkuraya, as its Chief Medical and Genomics Officer, who will be also added to the Board of Lifera Omics. Prof. Alkuraya’s deep experience in human genomics built over 17 years will contribute significantly in enabling Lifera Omics’ objectives.
Prof. Alkuraya, a former Chairman of Translational Genomics at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh and current Professor of Human Genetics at Alfaisal University, has significantly contributed to the field of genomics, through over 590 scientific publications in prestigious international journals and as a frequent speaker at international scientific conferences on genomic medicine and precision health.
Prof. Alkuraya garnered numerous prestigious awards, including the William King Wilson Prize in Genetics from Harvard Medical School, the King Salman Award for Disability Research, and the Curt Stern Award from the American Society of Human Genetics – the first non-US based recipient of this honor. He also won Kwiat Prize for Basic Medical Science Subject Area and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences.
Prof. Alkuraya was granted his post graduate board certification from Harvard University, in addition to several other board certifications. His contributions to human genetics have been instrumental in elucidating the physiological and structural roles of hundreds of genes, resulting in the diagnosis of many genetic disorders. His discoveries have significantly advanced the understanding of the intricate relationship between human genes and health.
“We are delighted to welcome such a trusted and respected leader to the Lifera Omics Executive Leadership team,” said Dr. Ibrahim Juffali, Chairman of Lifera. “Dr. Fowzan’s deep clinical and scientific expertise will be instrumental in helping Lifera achieve its mission to improve Saudi Arabia’s biopharma resilience and to enable the National Biotech Strategy.”
About Lifera
Lifera is a biopharma contract and development manufacturing organization (CDMO) wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), launched in 2023 based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Lifera’s mission is to improve Saudi Arabia’s biopharma resilience and enable the National Biotech Strategy. Lifera’s goal is to commercialize, develop and manufacture advanced therapeutics and other life-saving and essential medicines and vaccines. In January 2023, Lifera completed a majority stake investment in SaudiBio, a brownfield biologics drug product manufacturing plant in Riyadh. Lifera is currently upgrading this plant to be commissioned in 2026 to global standards to contract manufacture insulins, biosimilars and other biologics for leading global pharmaceutical companies serving the KSA and regional markets. Lifera is in the process of developing additional biomanufacturing capacity and through its subsidiary Lifera Omics, further enables Lifera’s customers to develop and commercialize advanced therapeutics.
