Clinical Pathology Services (CPS), a subsidiary of Crescent Enterprises that provides laboratory and diagnostic services in the UAE, today welcomed a delegation from Maastricht University to its Dubai laboratory as the two organisations explore areas for potential medical research and development collaboration. Discussions between the two organisations were initiated by Dr. Jan Cobbenhagen, CEO of Maastricht University Holding, during his visit to the UAE earlier this year. Dr. Cobbenhagen acknowledged the idea of CPS serving as an ideal platform and reference laboratory for R&D Group Vitak's activities in the region.

Drs. Mehrdad Omidvar, Director Business Development at CARIM University Maastricht and CEO of R&D Group VitaK of Maastricht University Holding, who is overseeing the interests of Maastricht University in the UAE, joined two eminent professors from the renowned Dutch institutions, Dr. Cees Vermeer and Dr. Tilman Hackeng, on a tour of the CPS facility, which is the first and only laboratory in the MENA Region to hold Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK), the international mark of quality assurance. The Professors had an engaging session with the medical and technical heads of CPS and extensively discussed a range of potential R&D initiatives and scientific subjects.

In 2014, R&D Group VitaK and CARIM Maastricht University opened an office in the UAE and began working with leading universities and companies in the Middle East to improve health and quality of life through the development of innovative markers and tests. Drs. Mehrdad Omidvar and CPS are now in discussions to cooperate in a number of specific areas, including CPS becoming a reference laboratory for R&D Group Vitak's and CARIM Maastricht University's R&D initiatives.

Dr. Peter Cruse, Chief Executive Officer of CPS, said: Maastricht University is at the cutting edge of international science while CPSs capabilities and infrastructure are unmatched in the region. We are delighted to welcome Drs. Mehrdad Omidvar and his team to our Dubai laboratory and we look forward to working closely together in the future to advance the field of medical research in the Middle East.

Drs. Omidvar commented: The UAE is an emerging centre of medical excellence, which is increasingly characterised by collaboration between academia and business. CPSs world-class accredited laboratory in Dubai sets the standard in the region and, working alongside R&D Group VitaK and CARIM Maastricht University, can make a significant contribution to global diagnostic research.

CPS offers clients over 2,000 different tests, ranging from routine blood screening for diabetes and hepatitis B to diagnosing cell and tissue samples for cancer. The companys state of the art laboratories in Dubai provide specialist services including Haematology, Serology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Histopathology and Cytopathology. The facility also has access to an international referral network in four continents for specialised and esoteric testing of unique assays, including prestigious international affiliation agreements with Guys and St. Thomas, and Kings College Hospitals in the United Kingdom.