Qatar Biobank has appointed a leading industry expert, Dr Hadi Abderrahim, as its managing director to continue the drive for research into medical conditions in Qatar.
As a biotech and pharmaceutical executive with 18 years’ experience in biomarker development, Dr Abderrahim will provide leadership to Qatar Biobank team.
Dr Abderrahim’s career includes founding GBM Consulting, a biotech strategy firm, consulting on clinical trials and business development. As the head of Genetics and Biomarkers at renowned Merck Serono,  Dr Abderrahim oversaw a team of 40 and established a central Biobank based in Italy.
Prior to that, as Head of Genetics and Genomics Platforms at Genset in Paris, Dr Abderrahim set up a genetics and pharmacogenetic team, improving on sample testing and processing. He obtained his MD speciality in Human Genetics from the prestigious Hopital Necker, Paris, and he has a Ph.D. in Human Genetics and an executive MBA from HEC Paris.
Dr Abderrahim’s Ph.D. on “Cloning and characterisation of the human MHC complex”, was advised on by Jean Dausset, a Nobel laureate.
Commenting on his new position Dr Abderrahim said, “Qatar’s robust efforts in the realm of advancing medical research are evident and offer an unparalleled opportunity to give Qatar’s population stronger chances of avoiding serious illnesses. My vision is to continue the great work of our team to raise Qatar’s profile as a biomedical research hub and ultimately position Qatar as a leader in the field.”
A representative from the Qatar Biobank Board of Trustees said, “We are delighted to welcome Dr Abderrahim to the team. With his well-established record of harnessing data from biomarkers as well as extensive experience in leading vast teams, Qatar Biobank is in good hands to deliver on its remit to provide better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases prevalent in Qatar. Dr Abderrahim will lead the initiative to establish how chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes are affected by the lifestyle, environment and genes of people in Qatar.”