Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) has launched Research Bites, a new initiative to foster a culture of research among pre-medical students and help them connect with faculty researchers, explore scientific projects and identify opportunities to participate in research.
Developed by the Pre-medical Education Division under the leadership of Dr Marco Ameduri, senior associate dean for pre-medical education and Education City collaborative curricular affairs, the initiative is being delivered in collaboration with the Research Division, with contributions from Dr Khaled Machaca, vice dean for research, innovation, and commercialisation, and Dr Nayef Mazloum, associate dean for student research.
Research Bites will feature regular one-hour lunchtime sessions that bring together pre-medical students, faculty researchers and research leadership in an informal, interactive setting. Each session will include short presentations introducing ongoing research projects, discussions of potential student roles and the skills students can develop, and opportunities to connect with mentors.
The initiative will also help students navigate existing research programmes and funding opportunities, including the Student Research Mentorship Programme and the Undergraduate Research Experience Programme. Additionally, it will introduce students to the Pre-medical Research Structured Mentorship Portal, a new pathway designed to help prepare students for research and connect them with suitable projects and mentors.
The inaugural session brought the initiative to life, with presentations outlining the role of research in pre-medical education, the opportunities available to students, and the practical steps to find and undertake a research project.
Dr Mohammad Yousef, professor of physics and director of pre-medical student research, opened the event by explaining Research Bites' purpose. Dr Ameduri then outlined the vision for integrating research into pre-medical education; Dr Mazloum followed, discussing existing opportunities and how students can participate.
Three faculty mentors then gave short presentations on their research projects, beginning with Dr Yousef, who spoke about a project investigating molecular switches in proteins. Dr Dalia Zakaria, associate professor of biology, spoke about COVID-19 research, and Dr Ali Chaari, associate professor of biology, discussed a project testing mechanisms underlying metabolic brain disease. Two pre-medical student representatives then explained how the Research Bites platform will connect students with projects and mentors whose research interests match their own.
