From the UK to UAE: Jamil El-Imad on transforming healthcare outcomes with AI, VR

Jamil El-Imad is a leading expert at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and neuroscience. His work is transforming industries and improving lives through innovative technology.

His advanced experience in computer engineering and neuro tech, including a PhD from the University of Leicester and a Senior Fellowship from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London, combined with years of research and leadership in both academia and industry, has positioned him as a global thought leader in the rapidly evolving fields of AI and brain science.

As the CEO of technology businesses – NeuroPro and Virtually Live – El-Imad is pioneering cutting-edge technologies to tackle pressing global challenges. NeuroPro focuses on digital health solutions for neurological disorders, while Virtually Live offers immersive VR experiences for attending live events. The Brain Forum, which he has led since its inception, brings together top scientists to explore breakthroughs in brain science and mental health.

Now relocating from London to the UAE, Jamil is poised to spearhead a technology consultancy for C-level executives in the region. He sees the UAE’s remarkable growth and leadership in AI adoption as an opportunity to contribute to the country’s future vision, particularly in healthcare and digital innovation.

In this interview, El-Imad shares his motivations for moving to the UAE, his strategic vision for the region, and how neuroscience, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality (VR) can shape the future of healthcare and beyond.

What motivated your decision to relocate from London to the UAE? How do you perceive the region’s potential for growth in AI, VR, and neuroscience?

My decision to relocate from London to the UAE was driven by both personal and professional motivations. I’ve always felt connected to the Gulf region through friendships and professional engagements. I’ve contributed to initiatives like the Dubai Future Foundation’s Global 50 report and worked on an AI and VR e-government project.

Professionally, the UAE’s rapid technological advancements and bold vision for the future resonate deeply with my passion for disruptive tech. The country’s commitment to becoming a global leader in AI and other emerging technologies, exemplified by initiatives like the National AI Strategy 2031, highlights its ambition to shape the future of technology.

I’m excited to contribute to this transformation, as the UAE’s blend of tradition, openness to innovation, and global leadership ambitions create a unique opportunity to make an impact. I look forward to being part of the region’s drive to advance AI, VR and neurotechnology, improving lives and expanding human potential on a global scale.

Can you share more details about the technology consultancy you’re spearheading in the UAE? What specific challenges and opportunities do you see for C-Level executives in this region?

My work is driven by a belief in the transformative power of technology and a commitment to supporting the UAE’s ambitious vision for the future. I aim to help organisations navigate disruptive technologies, particularly AI, VR, and neuroscience, by aligning these innovations with business goals to enhance decision-making, efficiency, and customer engagement. In AI, I’ll focus on strategies like predictive analytics and machine learning; in VR, I’ll guide integration in areas like training and customer interactions, especially in sectors like education and healthcare.

In the areas of neuroscience and mental health, I’ve been working on technologies aimed at improving well-being in the corporate environment, aligning with the UAE’s focus on longevity and quality of life. C-level executives in the UAE face the challenge of navigating rapid technological advancements and deciding which innovations to invest in. I can help cut through the noise, focusing on technologies that deliver tangible business benefits. Fostering a culture of innovation requires business-led, not technology-led, deployment. I believe this approach provides a competitive edge and drives growth, especially in sectors like smart cities, renewable energy, and healthcare.

The UAE’s forward-thinking approach and investment in technologies create opportunities for local executives to lead globally, form strategic partnerships, and set new trends –particularly in sustainability, where green technologies can help meet regulatory requirements and align with global shifts.

How do you see artificial intelligence transforming the healthcare industry, particularly in the management of neurological and mental health disorders? Can you share any recent advancements from Neuropro in this area?

Artificial intelligence is set to revolutionise healthcare, especially in managing neurological and mental health disorders. It has the potential to transform diagnosis, treatment, and even prediction of diseases, while advancing our understanding of the human brain, one of the least understood areas of biology. I’ve been working on AI algorithms for diagnosing and predicting conditions like epilepsy at NeuroPro and with the Institute of Bio-Medical Engineering at Imperial College. We’ve also developed the first neural stethoscope and VR-powered brain-computer interfaces for focus training and mental health and launched two digital health platforms for remote diagnostics and brain data collection, currently used by hospitals in Switzerland.

Healthcare is on the brink of a transformative shift driven by AI and digital technologies. However, the pace of change will depend on addressing key issues like ethics, security, privacy, and regulation, which have held back healthcare’s digitalisation globally. The UAE has an opportunity to lead by effectively tackling these challenges.

Artificial intelligence will decentralise and democratise healthcare, moving it beyond the traditional clinical model to one focused on education, prevention, early diagnostics, and self-therapy. It will enhance diagnostic accuracy, improve patient experiences, and optimise treatment by leveraging vast datasets. However, effective AI deployment requires digitising health data, ensuring it’s unbiased, complete, and timely, so AI can perform its best work, offering early diagnostics and prevention.

Artificial intelligence’s true potential lies in its ability to communicate in natural language, adapting to human expressions and needs. This shift in human-machine interaction makes technology more intuitive and accessible, enhancing patient experience and expanding access to digital services.

The healthcare industry faces rising costs, unequal resource distribution, and a demand for personalised care. AI and digitalisation can help address these challenges through telehealth, wearables, and remote diagnostics. Additionally, technologies like blockchain will enable secure, decentralised patient data, opening the door to better education, prevention, self-therapy, and faster research through virtual clinical trials

Looking ahead, a fundamental shift is needed in how we approach health and wellness. Healthcare will evolve from being hospital-centric to a model that empowers individuals through education, prevention, and self-care. This transformation, though imperfect initially, will lead to more effective and accessible healthcare in the long run, driven by continuous technological advancements.

What are the key healthcare trends you observe in the UAE and the broader Middle East? How do these trends influence your approach to integrating AI and digital health solutions in the region?

The healthcare landscape in the UAE and the broader Middle East is transforming, driven by trends such as digitisation, telemedicine, and remote diagnostics. The UAE is leading this shift, with companies like PureHealth and others spearheading innovation and adoption of digital health solutions, positioning the country as a regional and global leader in healthcare.

What excites me most is seeing senior executives embrace and champion these changes. In my experience, business-led technology adoption succeeds, while technology-led deployments often fail. In the UAE, government investments in digital infrastructure are enabling AI-driven solutions, and improving remote consultations, digital records, and patient management systems. As digitisation progresses, AI’s effectiveness will increase, leading to advanced diagnostic tools and virtual health platforms that enhance patient care.

Preventive healthcare is also gaining focus, with the government promoting early detection of lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and obesity. AI-powered predictive models, combined with wearable devices, could soon play a key role in monitoring health, offering early warnings and personalised insights.

The UAE is also at the forefront of smart hospitals that use AI, IoT (internet of things), and robotics to optimise operations and enhance care. Additionally, the growing recognition of mental health as a key aspect of well-being is encouraging demand for digital mental health platforms. This is an area I’ve worked in for over a decade, and I’m committed to leveraging AI and digital solutions to support mental health.

Overall, the UAE’s forward-thinking approach is creating exciting opportunities for AI and digital health to revolutionise care across the region.

With your expertise in brain science, what are the most promising areas for using digital technology in mental health care? How does NeuroPro’s work contribute to these developments?

Digital technology is revolutionising mental health care, offering new avenues for treatment, prevention, and patient engagement. As chief scientist at NeuroPro and a researcher at Imperial College, I lead advancements in remote diagnostics and digital health platforms, addressing challenges like high misdiagnosis rates in brain-related diseases.

At NeuroPro, I developed a remote diagnostics platform with two key applications, with the first being remote diagnosis of blackouts and epilepsies. With epilepsy prevalence high in Arab countries, and blackouts affecting up to 50 per cent of the UAE population, this platform enables smaller hospitals to quickly diagnose and treat conditions requiring EEGs or MRIs, supported by neurological centres.

In terms of the second application, I’m working to introduce the ZAP-X neuro-radiosurgery system to the UAE. This advanced system will treat brain and spine lesions with precision. Initially, local hospitals will collaborate with Swiss experts using remote diagnostics, to establish Abu Dhabi as a leader in neuro-radiosurgery in the Arab world.

I’m excited about the future of brain science and digital innovation in mental health, especially in the UAE, which is at the forefront of healthcare transformation.

Virtually Live offers immersive VR experiences for attending live events. What role do you believe VR can play in healthcare, especially in areas like rehabilitation, mental health therapy, and patient education?

Virtually Live media uses patented visualisation technology to enable immersive, socially interactive live-event experiences, allowing people to attend events virtually with friends. This technology, which bridges the gap between physically attending and watching TV, has diverse applications, including healthcare.

Virtual reality is rapidly transforming healthcare, particularly in rehabilitation, mental health therapy, and patient education. In the UK and elsewhere, VR in rehabilitation and mental health therapy is showing promising results. As a peer reviewer at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), an institute created by the NHS to support leading-edge research, I’ve seen firsthand the growing interest in VR’s potential to revolutionise treatment and patient engagement.

For example, VR can create immersive environments, like walking through a forest or playing virtual sports, to motivate stroke or injury patients during rehabilitation. This engagement not only improves adherence to therapy but also helps distract from pain and discomfort. Additionally, VR enables remote rehabilitation, allowing patients to continue therapy from home under healthcare provider supervision.

In mental health, VR is transforming exposure therapy, helping patients confront fears in a controlled, immersive space. I’ve led two key research projects in this area. The Reality Substitution Machine, developed with Professor Olaf Blanke at the Brain Mind Institute, enhances VR by incorporating the user’s body into virtual environments, giving a stronger sense of presence and aiding in treating phobias. The Dream Machine, which integrates VR with brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies, helps users manage stress and intrusive thoughts, promoting focus and mental wellbeing in an increasingly distracting world.

VR is also advancing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) by providing interactive scenarios where patients practice coping strategies. It’s also used in patient education, simulating procedures, and teaching pain management techniques, making medical knowledge more accessible and engaging.

In the future, I believe VR will continue to enhance rehabilitation, mental healthcare, and education, driving a shift toward more interactive and effective treatments.

You are in talks to bring the next Brain Forum Summit to the UAE. What are your goals for this event, and how do you envision it contributing to the region’s understanding of brain science?

The goal of the Brain Forum is to turn the spotlight on the human brain, given the fact that today the brain is the only organ in our bodies that we don’t know how it works. For over a decade, I served as the CEO of the Brain Forum in Switzerland, and I believe the climate is so right to bring this event to Abu Dhabi given the encouragement and offers of support I have received when I raised the topic here. The Brain Forum is a gathering of the world’s top scientists with a mission to advance our understanding of the human brain and help find new effective ways to fight brain-related disease and combat mental health challenges. We live in an era where our bodies are outliving our minds, and we cannot allow this to continue.

The Brain Forum event will not only promote finding solutions to brain-related diseases and mental health conditions, but it will also act as a platform to celebrate the outstanding capabilities of the human mind. We are so caught up with AI, but it is important that we do not overlook HI (human intelligence) as we do that.

Alongside the annual event, I plan to set up a multidisciplinary global team that looks at recent breakthroughs in AI and quantum computing to develop a novel framework to advance brain research. I intend to host the event annually in Abu Dhabi and invite multidisciplinary world-class speakers and attendees to contribute to this incredible gathering of brilliant minds and seek ways to collaborate and add value. The event will also be streamed live and everyone curious, passionate about, or helping to advance brain science, will be welcomed. I am particularly keen to engage the young generation in this event since I believe that the breakthroughs in our understanding of the brain will come from that generation.

Bringing the next Brain Forum to the UAE is an incredibly exciting prospect, and my goals for this event are deeply intertwined with my passion for advancing brain science and fostering innovation in the region. The UAE, with its dynamic environment and forward-thinking approach, is the perfect location to host such a prestigious event, and I envision it playing a crucial role in elevating the understanding and application of brain science across the Middle East. I believe bringing this event to Abu Dhabi will be particularly beneficial to the UAE and to the region at large. The UAE government is already investing heavily in AI, digital health, education and scientific discovery. The Brain Forum fits well into this vision by helping to bridge the gap between different disciplines, leading to innovative solutions that address complex brain-related diseases and mental health conditions.

How do you plan to collaborate with academic and healthcare institutions in the UAE to advance neuroscience and AI research? Are there specific partnerships or projects in the pipeline?

Collaboration with academic and healthcare institutions in the UAE is central to advancing neuroscience and AI research. I believe in an interdisciplinary approach, where diverse, self-motivated minds come together to develop groundbreaking solutions. History shows that individual successes, like Einstein’s, were driven by collaboration – often overlooked in the “lone genius” narrative. Breakthroughs in science rarely come from individuals but from collective contributions in innovative environments.

At Imperial College, where I serve as a senior research fellow, I’ve seen firsthand how interdisciplinary teams drive innovation. Imperial’s rise to the second-best university in the world is a testament to this approach. In the UAE, I envision creating a similar model –building human-centric “super-intelligent” teams that leverage both human creativity and AI. This collective intelligence approach, in my view, will outpace machine-centric AI models, as human qualities like emotional intelligence and creative problem-solving are unmatched by AI.

The UAE’s commitment to becoming a global innovation leader presents a unique opportunity for impactful partnerships. I am in confidential discussions with reputable organisations to launch initiatives here, which I believe can drive significant advancements in science and technology for the future.

As AI and neuroscience increasingly intersect, what ethical considerations should be top of mind for researchers and practitioners? How do you address these concerns in your work?

AI and neuroscience are evolving rapidly, raising important ethical questions. While AI is often debated in terms of regulation, I believe it’s unnecessary – AI is a productivity tool, not sentient. While AI enables human-like interaction with machines, it doesn’t “think” as humans do. AI is 70 years old, and while its advancements are revolutionary, we shouldn’t overstate its capabilities. Alan Turing himself, in his 1950 paper “Can Machines Think?”, laid the groundwork for AI and argued that the question of whether machines can think is, in fact, too meaningless to deserve discussion. His insights emphasise that AI, despite its leaps in capabilities, remains a tool, not a conscious entity. Instead of creating new regulations for AI, existing data laws should apply, as specific regulations are unnecessary.

Regarding neuroscience, we are still in the early stages of understanding the brain, so additional regulations could hinder progress. However, in the realm of VR, regulation is essential. VR’s immersive nature raises concerns about potential psychological and neurological impacts, especially on young, developing brains. The “presence” VR creates can alter mood, cognition, and spatial awareness, leading to disorientation or even more severe neurological effects in vulnerable individuals. As VR becomes widespread, further research and public awareness are crucial, particularly concerning its long-term effects on brain development.

In my work, I’ve focused on closing the gap between reality and VR experiences. To mitigate potential disorientation or adverse effects from VR, I advocate for orientation periods before and after use as well as industry guidelines on usage limits and best practices. These small but impactful measures can ensure VR remains a tool for positive engagement, not harm.