Department of Medicine Faculty of Medicine · Kuwait University
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Gastroenetrology & Hepatology Research Lab

Principal Investigator: Dr. Ali A. Alali · Assistant Professor of Medicine

About the lab

The Gastroenterology Research Laboratory within the Department of Medicine investigates a broad range of gastrointestinal diseases, with a particular focus on Helicobacter pylori infection and pancreatic cancer. Through close collaboration with other departments in the Faculty of Medicine, we study the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying these conditions, aiming to identify distinctive disease characteristics and biomarkers relevant to our local population.

Research focus

The laboratory conducts research on Helicobacter pylori, including its prevalence in Kuwait and its response to different antibiotic regimens. Current work also focuses on characterizing antimicrobial resistance and identifying novel genetic mutations associated with treatment resistance in *H. pylori* strains circulating within the Kuwaiti population. The laboratory has also played an important role in pancreatic cancer research in Kuwait, particularly in investigating the molecular and genetic basis of the disease among Kuwaiti patients. In addition, the laboratory is involved in several clinical research projects related to gastrointestinal bleeding and advanced endoscopic techniques, including artificial intelligence applications in endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and novel approaches to the management of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Research areas

Helicobacter PyloriPancreatic cancerGastrointestinal bleedingEndoscopic ultrasound (EUS)Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Current projects

Active
Helicobacter Pylori Resistance in Kuwait: A genotyping study
Active
Helicobacter Pylori Kuwait Registry

Part of the international WorldHpReg

Publications

Immunocytochemical Analysis of Stem Cell Markers in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Rabeah Al‐Temaimi, Ali Al‐Ali, Bency John, Kusum Kapila. Cytopathology (2026)
Endoscopic ultrasound trends of solid pancreatic lesions in Gulf Cooperation Council countries
Sarah S. Al Ghamdi, Jenan Ghaith, Ali Alali, Narges Ali, Khaled Bamakhrama, Shamma Binjerais, Mohammad S. Albeshir, Dimah Alaskar, Amer AlKhatib, Aydamir Alrakawi, Somieya Khan, Ibrahim Balubaid, AlMotasembillah Abdulaziz Rammal, Majed M. Almaghrabi, Faisal Batwa, Sarah Salem Alfawaz, Mohammed Saleh Dumyati, Eyad Gadour. Translational Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2026)
How Should Endoscopists Approach Patients With Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Persistent Hemodynamic Instability?
Rapat Pittayanon, Ali A. Alali, Alan N. Barkun. Gastroenterology (2026)
Use of the self-assembling peptide (PuraStat™) for the management and prevention of ERCP-related bleeding: a multicenter prospective cohort study
Ali A. Alali, Asma A. Alkandari, Ahmad Hashim, Raed Alzafiri, Pradeep Bhandari. Surgical Endoscopy (2026)
Feasibility and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy to diagnose parenchymal liver disease: A multi-centre retrospective cohort study
Ali A Alali, Nargess Ali, Ahmad Hashim, Dalal Alhaqqan, Wadha Aljasser, Abdulaziz Almudaires, Shahad Bastaki, Ahmad Alhashmi, Ahmad Altaleb. World Journal of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (2025)
Artificial Intelligence for Adenoma and Polyp Detection During Screening and Surveillance Colonoscopy: A Randomized-Controlled Trial
Ali A. Alali, Ahmad Alhashmi, Nawal Alotaibi, Nargess Ali, Maryam Alali, Ahmad Alfadhli. Journal of Clinical Medicine (2025)
TC-325 Superiority in Malignant Gastrointestinal Bleeding: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials
Ali A. Alali, Rapat Pittayanon, Myriam Martel, Bruno Costa Martins, Majid A. Almadi, Yen-I Chen, Alan N. Barkun. American Journal of Gastroenterology (2025)
Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guideline for the Endoscopic Management of Nonvariceal Nonpeptic Ulcer Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Alan N. Barkun, Loren Laine, Grigorios I. Leontiadis, Ian M. Gralnek, Nicholas Carman, Mostafa Ibrahim, Michael Sey, Ali A. Alali, Matthew W. Carroll, Lawrence Hookey, Mark Borgaonkar, David Armstrong, James Y.W. Lau, Nauzer Forbes, Rapat Pittayanon, Frances Tse. Gastroenterology (2025)
Topical hemostatic agents in endoscopy: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Technical and Technology Review
Ian M. Gralnek, Pradeep Bhandari, Asma Alkandari, Ali Alali, Rehan J. Haidry, Apostolis Papaefthymiou, Franco Radaelli, Sharmila Subramaniam, Lorenzo Fuccio. Endoscopy (2025)
Establishing consensus on Arabic medical terminology for steatotic liver disease: a mixed-methods approach
Mohamed El-Kassas, Khalid Al-Naamani, Mohamed Elbadry, Abeer Awad, Mina Tharwat, Nabil Debzi, Shahrazed Zemmouchi, Maheeba Abdulla, Doaa Zakaria, Gamal Esmat, Hanaa El-Karaksy, Imam Waked, Inass Shaltout, Mohammed A. Medhat, Mortada El-Shabrawi, Nermeen Abdeen, Mudher Al-khairalla, Maisam W. Akroush, Ali A. Alali, Maen Almattooq, Cesar Yaghi, Ali Tumi, Rafik Elmehdawi, Mustapha Benazzouz, Mona F. Attia, Faisal Sanai, Sahar Idlbi, Asma Labidi, Ali El Houni, Salem Beshyah, Abdul Lakhdar, Zayed Atef, Amira G. Abdel Rahman, Rasha Saleh, Ahmad Al-Rifai, Saleh Alqahtani, Abdel-Naser Elzouki, Khalid Alswat. Arab Journal of Gastroenterology (2025)
Analysis of Candidate <scp>miRNAs</scp> ' Expression in Pancreatic Cancer
Rabeah Al‐Temaimi, Bicher Abdulkarim, Ali Al‐Ali, Bency John, Mrinmay Kumar Mallik, Kusum Kapila. Cancer Medicine (2024)
Predictive Factors of Significant Findings on Capsule Endoscopy in Patients with Suspected Small Bowel Bleeding
Ali A. Alali, Reem Alrashidi, Farah Allahow, Abhijit Dangi, Ahmad Alfadhli. Diagnostics (2024)
Analysis of Pancreatic Cancer Genetic Risk Factors in a Multi-Ethnic Population Sample
Abdullah Al-Qahtani, Ali Al-Ali, Bency John, Kusum Kapila, Rabeah Al-Temaimi. World Journal of Oncology (2024)
The use of cap-mounted clips as a primary hemostatic modality in nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials
Ali A. Alali, Majid A. Almadi, Myriam Martel, Alan N. Barkun. Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology (2024)
Peptic ulcer disease
Majid A Almadi, Yidan Lu, Ali A Alali, Alan N Barkun. The Lancet (2024)
Endoscopic management of intraprocedural bleeding during endoscopic interventions
Ali A. Alali, Asma A. Alkandari. Best Practice &amp; Research Clinical Gastroenterology (2024)
The use of Cap-Mounted Clips as primary hemostatic modality in Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Current role and future perspectives
Ali Alali, Alan Barkun. Global Gastroenterology (2024)
Review article: Advances in the management of lower gastrointestinal bleeding
Ali A. Alali, Majid A. Almadi, Alan N. Barkun. Alimentary Pharmacology &amp; Therapeutics (2024)
Assessment, Resuscitation and Medical Management of Variceal and Nonvariceal Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Ali A. Alali, Alan N. Barkun. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Clinics of North America (2024)
Do not confuse movement for progress: The saga of urgent colonoscopies in lower gastro-intestinal bleeding
Ali A. Alali, Majid A. Almadi. Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology (2024)
Grading pancreatic adenocarcinomas on fine needle aspiration cytology. The outstanding issues
Mrinmay Kumar Mallik, Laila Rafiq Qadan, Asit Kumar Mohanty, Ali Alali, Kusum Kapila. Cytopathology (2024)
What Is the Current Role of an Over-the-Scope Clip Used as First-Line Endoscopic Hemostasis in Patients With Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding?
Alan N. Barkun, Ali A. Alali. Annals of Internal Medicine (2023)
Journal of Clinical Medicine 2023;12(16):5194
Boustany A, Alali AA, Martel M, Barkun AN. Pre-endoscopic Scores Predicting Low Risk Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2023)
Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2023;1-9
Alali AA, Boustany A, Martel M, Barkun AN. Strengths and Limitations of Risk Stratification Tools for Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A narrative review. (2023)
Topical hemostatic agents in the management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a meta-analysis
Ali A. Alali, Sarvee Moosavi, Myriam Martel, Majid Almadi, Alan N. Barkun. Endoscopy International Open (2023)
Endoscopic ultrasound guided therapy of gastric varices: Initial experience in the Arab world (with video)
Ali A. Alali, Ahmad Hashim, Asma Alkandari. Frontiers in Gastroenterology (2022)
Cholangiocarcinoma: A diagnostic dilemma on cytology
Fatima Shamsuddin, Mrinmay Kumar Mallik, Sundus Hussein, Ali A. Alali, Kusum Kapila. Cytopathology (2022)
An update on the management of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Ali A Alali, Alan N Barkun. Gastroenterology Report (2022)
The Role of Hemostatic Powder in Endoscopic Hemostasis of Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Alan N. Barkun, Ali Alali. Annals of Internal Medicine (2022)
BMC Infect Dis
Alali AA, Abo-Shehada MN. Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus infection in the Gulf Cooperation Council: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022)
Predictors of Malignancy in Patients with Indeterminate Biliary Strictures and Atypical Biliary Cytology: Results from Retrospective Cohort Study
Ali A. Alali , Maria Moris, Myriam Martel, et al. Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, Volume 4, Issue 5, October (2021)
A detailed cytological analysis
Mallik MK, Kapila K, Mohanty AK, Inamdar SA, Alali A, Al Naseer A. Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology of pancreatic adenocarcinomas revisited. Journal of Cytology (2021)
Endoscopic Resection of Ampullary Tumours: Long-term Outcomes and Adverse Events
Ali Alali, Alberto Espino, Maria Moris, Myriam Martel, Ingrid Schwartz, Maria Cirocco, Catherine Streutker, Jeffrey Mosko, Paul Kortan, Alan Barkun, Gary R May. Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (2020)
The applicability of Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology system on reporting endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration cytology specimens of pancreatic lesions in situations with limited availability of ancillary tests. Experience at a single laboratory
Mrinmay Kumar Mallik, Laila Rafiq Qadan, Abdullah Al Naseer, Ali AlAli, Taiba Al Ansari, Shafi Ahmed Inamdar Naquib, Dilip Kumar Das, Kusum Kapila. Cytopathology (2020)
Quality of Care and Outcomes Among Hospitalized Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
Geoffrey C. Nguyen, Sanjay K. Murthy, Brian Bressler, Mindy C. W. Lam, Ali Alali, Asmae Toumi, Jason Reinglas, Adam Rampersad, Adam V. Weizman, Waqqas Afif. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (2017)
Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Management of Pancreatic Fluid Collections: Update and Review of the Literature
Ali Alali, Jeffrey Mosko, Gary May, Christopher Teshima. Clinical Endoscopy (2017)