A New York University Abu Dhabi graduate has been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University from September next year.
Tatiana Houhou, 23, is the first from the university to be given the scholarship in the Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine region.
She's the third non-Emirati Rhodes scholar in NYUAD's history.
The Lebanon-born student completed her BA in Biology in 2022 and is working as a research assistant in the Magzoub Lab at NYUAD.
My mum used to always tell me that she hoped one day I would find the cure for cancer
Tatiana Houhou,
23, New York University Abu Dhabi
She has previously worked as an undergraduate research assistant at Gresham Lab in New York and at Ramadi Lab in Abu Dhabi.
The scholarship will allow her to pursue a DPhil – equivalent to a PhD – in clinical medicine at Oxford.
She will start at the British university in September 2024. Ms Houhou said being selected felt “absolutely unreal”.
“I thought they had pranked us. They called us back and said they had a few follow-up questions, and then they told me I was the Rhodes scholar for the year,” she told The National.
“Growing up in Lebanon, it's no secret that it's very rampant with corruption and nepotism. Our healthcare systems are very much strained, given that we live in a political and economic crisis every day.
“But that presents us with an opportunity to shift our understanding from curative and hospital-based care, which is financially burdening, to a more preventive and primary health care approach.”
Ms Houhou said that systems in Lebanon discourage citizens from asking tough questions, “such as, 'How do we make this place better for everyone? How do we allow people to really dream big?'”
Ms Houhou said in her science classes, however, the sky was the limit.
“We could ask questions. I felt like science class was my sanctuary.”
Driven by tragedy
Ms Houhou said that losing five members of her family to cancer inspired her to pursue doctoral studies in clinical medicine and work in cancer research.
“I lost my grandmother, two of my uncles and two of my aunts to cancer, and my mum used to always tell me that she hoped one day I would find the cure for cancer,” Ms Houhou said.
“Currently I'm researching cancer but I hope to expand that into genetics and how it can inform a lot of public health reforms in healthcare systems in crisis, whether that is through incorporating genetic screening and other methods within primary health initiatives, rather than secondary and tertiary health.”
Ms Houhou previously used nanotechnology to design drug delivery systems tailored to target cancer cells.
Now she aims to study genetic tumour profiles in order to pinpoint molecular targets for therapeutics and optimise drug delivery systems for patients.
Ms Houhou hopes the Rhodes Scholarship will help take her research to the next level and contribute to the fortification of the Levant's healthcare systems, as well as bridge the gap between academia and policy to help enact meaningful change.
Established in 1902 by the colonial-era British politician and mining magnate Cecil Rhodes, the Rhodes Scholarship is one of the world's oldest awards for international fellowship and academic study.
Applicants are selected through an intensive process including a written application and in-person interviews.
Each year, about 100 scholars are selected from more than 60 countries around the world, with NYUAD having produced 19 Rhodes scholars in the last decade.
Last year, the selection committee for the Rhodes Scholarship awarded two places at Oxford to Sara Fekri, an Emirati student at King's College London, and Guste Gurcinaite, a Lithuanian studying at NYUAD.
Both were selected after nominating themselves for the award along with more than 60 other students.
They were chosen by a committee chaired by Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Overall head-to-head
Federer 6-1 Cilic
Head-to-head at Wimbledon
Federer 1-0 Cilic
Grand Slams titles
Federer 18-1 Cilic
Best Wimbledon performance
Federer: Winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Cilic: Final (2017*)
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Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
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