The mission of the Department of Biochemistry is to maintain excellence in service, teaching and research. The Department is involved in both preclinical and clinical teaching. In the preclinical years, teaching concentrates mainly on basic principles of biochemistry and metabolism. Teaching in the clinical years is devoted to clinical chemistry, including the interpretation of biochemical data of patients. The Department is also engaged in teaching Biochemistry to Biomedical Science (BMS) undergraduates and to nursing students. It also offers a graduate programme leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry. The Department also actively participates in the postgraduate training of doctors under the umbrella of the Oman Medical Specialty Board.

The Department’s research interests cover diverse aspects of biochemistry, as well as structural and molecular biology. Research focuses around the development of biochemical tests for detecting mutations and mapping various monogenic and polygenic disorders, including hypertension, diabetes, deafness and hyperlipidaemias.

The Department also provides a clinical biochemistry service to Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) on a 24-hour basis and serves as a referral laboratory for hospitals all over Oman.