oa Building a biomedical research program in Qatar

The State of Qatar under the leadership of His Highness the Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has invested heavily into higher education and research infrastructure development through Qatar Foundation under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned. Part of that effort is the establishment of the biomedical research program at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q), which, in collaboration with other stakeholders in Qatar, aims at instituting a world-class biomedical research program in Qatar. This presentation will highlight the efforts over the past two years expanded toward establishing the WCMC-Q research program. It will present a model for research infrastructure ramp-up in Qatar and the region. We will discuss: research support services including compliance and grants and contracts; the organization, staffing and high-end equipment of core research laboratories that are becoming increasingly important for collaborative biomedical research; and scientific areas of focus for the WCMC-Q program in the context of national priorities, including the diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome center of excellence that is underway.