The Sultanate of Oman is in a unique geographical location, at the Southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Historically, it has a strong sea-faring tradition, taking advantage of the monsoon winds to travel both to the Indian sub-continent, further to the east, and to Africa. In addition, it is bordered by both Yemen and Saudi Arabia and has easy access to the Gulf on Oman.
The Omani population has multiple genetic blood disorders, the main ones being Glucose-6-phophate dehydrogenase deficiency, sickle cell disease and the thalassemias.
I have spent most of the last 3 decades identifying the underlying molecular genetics that cause these disorders. However, most of these genetic mutations did not arise in Oman but were ‘imported’ at various times in history.
I plan to explore the historical background of Oman as it pertains to the various mutations resulting in the common blood disorders found in the Sultanate.
