Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) has launched a new programme of interactive learning sessions to help practising healthcare professionals identify the key challenges of meeting a variety of healthcare needs, to discuss how this impacts their ability to manage patients, and to explore the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care.

The Grand Rounds, developed by WCMC-Q’s Division of Continuing Professional Development, features presentations by expert speakers that aim to engage healthcare professionals in the community to enhance their knowledge of the latest developments in medical technology, research and best practice.

The latest Grand Round brought Dr Ronald G Crystal, professor and chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and one of the world’s foremost researchers in genetic medicine, to Doha to discuss the cutting-edge research being carried out in his laboratory in New York.

Dr Crystal,  explained how researchers have been able to use viruses as vehicles to insert new genetic material into living cells. It is hoped that the technology could eventually be used to treat hereditary disorders such as haemophilia and cystic fibrosis, and acquired disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and cardiac failure, among others.

Dr Thurayya Arayssi, WCMC-Q’s associate professor of Medicine said: “The Grand Rounds series offers professionals across the healthcare spectrum opportunities to hear from some of the most talented physicians and researchers working in the field of medicine. This helps to spread knowledge, skills and news of the latest developments in medicine throughout the healthcare community in Qatar and the wider region.”