Prof. Dr. Shada AlSalamah is a globally recognized thought leader in digital health, information security, and artificial intelligence. She currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Information Systems Department at King Saud University (KSU) and as a Technical Officer in Digital Health and AI at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. With an impressive career spanning over a decade in academia, policymaking, and digital innovation, she is at the forefront of integrating blockchain, cybersecurity, and AI into global healthcare systems. Her influence spans advisory roles at the OECD, MIT, and the European Commission, making her a leading voice in shaping the future of trustworthy health technologies.
Professional Profile
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Education 🎓📚
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Ph.D. in Computer Science (Information Security in Healthcare Information Systems)
Cardiff University, UK (2009–2015)
Awarded: HRH Saudi Ambassador Scientific Excellence Award
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M.Sc. in Strategic Information Systems with Information Assurance
Cardiff University, UK (2008–2009)
Awarded with Merit
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B.Sc. in Information Technology
King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2002–2007)
Professional Experience 🧑🏫💼
Prof. AlSalamah’s professional journey reflects her strategic leadership across both academic and global health governance platforms. She joined KSU in 2017, advancing from Assistant to Associate Professor, and led key initiatives in cybersecurity and AI within the Center of Excellence in Information Assurance. At WHO, she played a pivotal role in developing digital health strategies and standards, contributing to critical projects on AI governance, algorithm auditing, and health data interoperability. Beyond WHO, she served as a consultant for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health and the National Health Information Center, ensuring secure and effective implementation of digital health technologies. Her international engagement includes prestigious advisory board memberships at the OECD, theDevMaster (USA), and the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications (EU Commission).
Research Interest 🔬📈
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Digital Health & AI Governance
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Information Security in Healthcare
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Blockchain in Clinical Systems
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Health Data Interoperability
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Cybersecurity Policy and Infrastructure
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Algorithm Auditing & Machine Learning for Health
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Cloud Security & Resource Allocation
🏆 Honors and Achievements
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MIT linQ – IDEA² Global Fellow (2019)
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Health Hackathon 1st Place Winner, KSU Innovation Center (2019)
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IEEE Blockchain Challenge 2nd Place, Orlando, FL (2018)
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Research Fellowship, ARAMCO/MIT IbnKhaldun Program
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CSC Fellowship, Cardiff University Poster Awards (2x Best Poster)
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Multiple Excellence Awards from HRH Saudi Ambassador (PhD Years 2011, 2013, 2014)
Publications Top Noted
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Machine learning for health: algorithm auditing & quality control, J Med Systems (2021) — 61 citations
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Healthybroker: A trustworthy blockchain-based eHealth broker, Electronics (2019) — 60 citations
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Secondary data for global health digitalisation, Lancet Digital Health (2023) — 52 citations
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QoS-aware GA for cloud resource allocation, UMT Conference (2017) — 34 citations
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Emerging digital tech in healthcare with cybersecurity spotlight, Information (2023) — 33 citations
Conclusion 🌟🎯
Prof. Dr. Shada AlSalamah is an exceptional and deserving candidate for the Best Researcher Award, particularly in the context of the Digital Transformation of the Drug Development Lifecycle. Her global leadership in AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity in health represents a critical layer of innovation that supports the integrity, speed, and safety of modern pharmaceutical R&D.
Although her core work is more infrastructure- and policy-oriented than molecule-to-market, her influence enables trusted, secure, and ethical digital ecosystems upon which scalable drug innovation relies.