(From left) Dr. Eleni Fthenou, Scientist at QPHI; Sneha P. Chandran, Warehouse Specialist at QPHI; Dr. Chadi Saad, QPHI Lead Bioinformatician; Dr. Said Ismail, Acting President and Chief Scientific Operations Officer at QPHI; and Dr. Hamdi Mbarek, Director of Research and Partnerships, QPHI duirng the event held at the Qatar Foundation headquarters, yesterday. PIC: Photo by Rajan Vadakkemuriyil
DOHA: The Qatar Precision Health Institute (QPHI) of Qatar Foundation (QF), yesterday announced the release of 25,000 new genomic data and details of new research collaboration opportunities, during a special event held at the QF headquarters in Doha.
Senior members of QPHI highlighted the importance of the latest genomic data release and updates on the research consortium and data catalog. They emphasised that the latest developments are set to advance Qatar’s role in precision medicine globally.
“Today we mark a significant milestone with the release of the largest genomic dataset in Qatar and the region. This data forms the foundation for groundbreaking research, positioning Qatar at the forefront of precision medicine. This is not just data—it’s the foundation for groundbreaking research that will make Qatar a hub in genomics and translational work,” said Acting President and Chief Scientific Operations Officer at QPHI,” said Dr. Said Ismail addressing representatives from academic and research community gathered at the event.
He added that as of now information of 50 percent of data are integrated with the electronic medical information system of Hamad Medical Corporation, and plans are on to integrate all information.
The event gathered prominent healthcare leaders from Qatar’s healthcare and research industry including Director of non-communicable diseases prevention programmes department at the Ministry of Public Health, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al Thani; Chief of Research and Chair of the Precision Medicine Program at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Khalid Fakhro; Development and Innovation Advisor to the Chairperson of QF, Dr. Hilal Lashuel and several others. Lead Bioinformatician at QPHI, Dr. Chadi Saad in his presentation on ‘New Genomic Dataset: The 25K Release said that the dataset will enable new advancements in areas including cancer genetics, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health.
According to Dr. Saad, the advanced analysis tools are being used in the dataset to reduce the cost and time of research, creating new opportunities for discoveries in precision.
Introducing the new data catalog Scientist at QPHI, Dr. Eleni Fthenou said, “We empower researchers, foster synergies, and listen to the needs of the academic and research community to enable them to build innovative health solutions.”
Warehouse Specialist at QPHI, Sneha P. Chandran presented an overview of QPHI’s research studies and introduced a new tool that allows researchers to explore and analyze the available data more easily. She said, “Researchers can filter and apply specific criteria for demographics, conduct advanced filtering, build their cohort, and conduct advanced analysis for their research projects.”
The event also saw the launch of the second round of the Qatar Precision Health Research Consortium (QPHRC). Director of Research and Partnerships at QPHI, Dr. Hamdi Mbarek provided an overview of the consortium’s key focus areas, including genomics of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive health, and mental health, genomics AI, and several other projects.
He said, “The consortium is designed to foster multi-institutional collaboration, bringing together experts to tackle the most pressing challenges in health. We want to see multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary teams, which involve PhD students to build local capacity.”
“This is an opportunity for researchers to work with cutting-edge genomic data and create breakthroughs that can transform patient care,” he added.
