WCM-Q student partners with alumnus for research success

Theresearch of a first-year medical student at Weill CornellMedicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) has been published in a leading scientificjournal, thanks in part to the mentorship of a WCM-Q graduate who is nowon the faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.Aya Tabbalat’sresearch project on the fertility of women in the Arabian Peninsula waspublished in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Geneticsfollowing a summer of research at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) in NewYork, where she was mentored by Dr Nigel Pereira, who graduated fromWCM-Q with academic distinction in 2010. Aya, who joined WCM-Q’sPremedical Programme in 2014, is the first author on the paper, titled‘Arabian Peninsula ethnicity is associated with lower ovarian reserveand ovarian response in women undergoing fresh ICSI cycles’. The Journalof Assisted Reproduction and Genetics is an official publication of theAmerican Society of Reproductive Medicine. Aya said, “I am very happyto see my research published and extremely grateful to Dr Nigel Pereirafor being such a proactive and encouraging mentor. His guidance,knowledge and passion for his work was so beneficial and inspiring, andit was great to be able to work with a fellow member of the WCM-Qcommunity.”The research paper studied the cases of 763 femalepatients; 217 of Arab Peninsula ethnicity and 546 Caucasians, and used astatistical modelling technique to compare the success of assistedreproductive techniques (ART) between the two groups. The study foundthat women of Arabian Peninsula heritage responded less well to ART thanthe Caucasian Group. The study also found that Qatari women in the Arabgroup responded more positively to ART than women from other parts ofthe region. All data used in the study was anonymised.Dr Pereira,who now holds the position of assistant professor of reproductivemedicine and obstetrics and gynaecology at the Ronald O. Perelman andClaudia Cohen Centre for Reproductive Medicine at Weill CornellMedicine-New York, provided mentorship to Aya throughout her researchexperience. He said, “It has been a great privilege to have theopportunity to offer mentorship to such a diligent and focused studentas Aya. I am incredibly pleased that her exemplary attitude has beenrewarded with the publication of an original research paper.”