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- Experts at the Clinical Chemistry conference at WHX Labs have emphasised the need for laboratories to adapt in order to remain central in AI-driven healthcare landscape
- Laboratory insights identified as pivotal in clinical decision making
- Digital twins, continuous monitoring and AI-driven models spotlighted as emerging drivers of precision medicine
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 11 February 2026: A leading regional healthcare expert opened the Clinical Chemistry track today at WHX Labs at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), urging laboratory professionals to evolve to meet the demands of an increasingly data-driven health landscape.
During a session titled “Smart Labs, smart patients: Reinventing clinical chemistry for the future”, Riad Bayoumi, Professor and Head of Clinical Chemistry at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, outlined how Artificial Intelligence (AI), continuous patient monitoring and integrated data systems are redefining the role of clinical chemistry within modern hospitals.
Addressing the audience, Bayoumi said: “Can we move away from being a service department to a clinical intelligence engine for medicine? Yes, we can. Within our capacity as clinical biochemists, we can really be the champions of an intelligent engine in medicine.”
Professor Bayoumi highlighted how traditional laboratory testing has historically relied on isolated measurements – or “snapshots” – rather than continuous physiological data. With technologies such as AI and continuous monitoring now gaining traction, he argued that clinical chemistry is uniquely positioned to underpin future decision-support systems.
“If you look at the lab, we are sitting on 75% of the information that will help a clinician to make a decision. Therefore, the position of a clinical chemist should be at the centre of decision making within a hospital – not simply someone who is offering figures and numbers for a clinician to think about.”
Professor Bayoumi emphasised that laboratories are uniquely positioned to serve as the foundation of AI-driven decision support systems. Clinical chemistry already operates within highly automated and integrated workflows, generating consistent quantitative outputs, precisely the type of structured data required for advanced machine learning and predictive modelling.
The session addressed the growing influence of external AI teams, expanding IT departments, and technology providers entering the healthcare space. Professor Bayoumi cautioned that laboratories must actively engage with this technological shift to maintain their strategic role within clinical decision-making ecosystems.
He also referenced the growing role of digital twins in healthcare, where virtual patient models are used to simulate clinical scenarios, anticipate risks, and personalise treatment strategies. Such approaches, he explained, rely heavily on time-series quantitative data, an area where clinical chemistry already plays a foundational role.
Tom Coleman, Portfolio Director, Informa Markets, commented: “The conversations taking place within the Clinical Chemistry track at WHX Labs today highlight a clear shift in how laboratories are perceived within healthcare. As new technologies develop, clinical chemistry is increasingly positioned as a cornerstone of data-driven medicine.”
The Clinical Chemistry track forms one of nine CME-accredited conference tracks at WHX Labs, convening international specialists to explore advances in testing methodologies, quality assurance, and laboratory technologies.
Clinical Chemistry underpins a significant proportion of modern diagnostics, guiding medical decisions across every stage of patient care, from early detection and diagnosis to treatment monitoring and disease management. Against a backdrop of rapid technological advancement, the discussions at today’s Clinical Chemistry track have centred on how laboratories can translate innovation into routine clinical practice, while maintaining accuracy, efficiency, and clinical relevance.
Across the exhibition floor at WHX Labs, these themes are reflected in the technologies and solutions showcased by global exhibitors. AxisOne is presenting its AI-powered Global R&D Platform, designed to combine laboratory discovery, predictive timelines, and performance benchmarking into a single integrated workflow for research and diagnostics teams.
Meanwhile, Genes2Me is demonstrating its end-to-end automated molecular diagnostics systems, supporting laboratories in delivering accurate, scalable, and cost-effective advanced testing solutions.
Tomorrow’s programme at WHX Labs will focus on the AMR Leaders’ Summit alongside the Molecular Diagnostics and Histopathology tracks, as the 25th Annual Laboratory Management and Medicine Congress continues. WHX Labs runs until 13 February at DWTC and is co-timed with WHX, held at Dubai Exhibition Centre, to form the world’s largest healthcare event.
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