In line with its mission to support Qatari researchers, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar has welcomed five new interns to the six-month biomedical research training programme for nationals.
The aim is to help build the sustainable scientific human capital in the country in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
“The programme demonstrates the commitment that the college has to developing human capacity and research opportunities in Qatar,” Dr Khaled Machaca, associate dean for research at WCMC-Q, said yesterday.
This is the third year of the programme that has seen some exceptional young Qatari graduates, he said, adding some of them are still working with WCMC-Q’s Research Division.
“Part of the mission of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar is to conduct research at the cutting edge of knowledge and to train the next generation of Qatari researchers.”
One of those graduates is Dr Najla al-Haj, who majored in psychiatry and is now working with WCMC-Q’s Dr Hassen al-Amin, associate professor of psychiatry and a consultant at Hamad Medical Corporation.
Another of the new interns is Amna al-Thani, who graduated in biomedical science from Qatar University. She is now working in the laboratory of Dr Moncef Ladjimi, professor of biochemistry at WCMC-Q, and is studying proteins associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Another intern, Fatima Fakhroo, graduated from Qatar University with a degree in statistics. She said the chance to work at WCMC-Q was something “she could not miss.”
“It’s an opportunity for me to start work and it’s an opportunity for me to combine what I’ve learned in my degree with what I’m interested in, which is biomedical science,” Fatima added.
She is now working with Dr Karsten Suhre and his team on the best statistical methods to apply to metabolomics data.
The research training programme is a unique opportunity for Qatari college graduates with an interest in biomedical research to gain hands on experience in world-class research laboratories at WCMC-Q.
Although the programme is aimed at recent graduates who are interested in pursuing a career as a bench scientist, clinician or biomedical researcher, those who have non-science degrees that can be used in the field of research administration are also accepted.
Placements for next year’s programme will be posted at the end of the year.