Events 2023

The Biomedical Research Center Organized a Seminar with Hassan Al-Mana, who gave a brief talk about his PhD project “Klebsiella pneumoniae genomic and metabolic factors associated with urinary tract infections.”

The Biomedical Research Center Orgnized a Seminar with Dr. Ghulam Jeelani Pir, he talked briefly about Modeling Tau Pathology in the Nematode Model Caenorhabditis elegans.

Dr. Nahla Eltai and Ms. Hana Abdelrahman participated in the National Science Research and Innovation Week, they shared the Microbiology unit prototype “Apparatus and Methods for Decontaminating Air Supply in Enclosed Spaces.”

LIBRA-seq (LInking B-cell Receptor to Antigen specificity through sequencing) enables high-throughput antibody discovery through simultaneous screening of B cells against a theoretically unlimited number of antigens at a time. Using LIBRA-seq, Dr. Ivelin have identified antibodies with unique phenotypic properties against HIV-1, influenza, coronavirus, and other pathogens of biomedical significance. Overall, the LIBRA-seq technology offers unmatched capabilities for high-throughput discovery of novel antibody therapeutics and for assessment of vaccine efficacy.

The Biomedical Research Center hosted the students from the summer internship program. The program covered various essential research techniques and tools and assessed participants’ to understand the practical applications of various techniques. Including Introduction to Biomedical Research, Microbiology, Cell culture, Zebrafish embryo, Molecular Techniques and Genomics.

The Biomedical Research Center hosted GEMS American Academy Qatar high school students at BRC on May 15 and 16. Students visited Microbiology lab led by Dr Nahla Eltai and Metabolic Lab led by Dr. Huseyin Yalcin. Students observed several aspects of biomedical research such as microbiology tests, cell culture practice and zebrafish experimentation.

The Biomedical Research Center organized the first International Biomaterials Conference in Qatar. The goal of this conference was to support and enhance research in the field of biomaterials and industry leadership in this very important field by bringing excellent leaders in this field of academics/scientists/doctors to the country to present their advanced research in biomaterials. This conference contributes fundamentally to the advancement of this science, as it is a very important opportunity to facilitate and facilitate the way in forming research cooperation with major universities and leading research centers in this field by presenting sessions by local and international experts, meeting with them, and discussing their latest findings. Which enriches the research process in this field in the State of Qatar.

The Biomedical Research Center Orgnized a Seminar with Dr.Yiping Zhao, he talked briefly about the Rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in human nasopharyngeal swab specimens using surface enhance Raman spectroscopy and deep learning.

The Biomedical Research Center conducted a series of analysis techniques, the series had different topics about Selection of the Appropriate Statistical Test for Biomedical Research, Data organization in spreadsheets, Data Visualization and Analysis using SPSS, and A step-by-step guide to generating Systematic Reviews.

In collaboration with Center for Advanced Materials, the workshop was conducted To expose the current state of the art of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Qatar. This includes the current state of integration of CAM into Qatari health system, the current Qatari laws regulating practice of CAM, ethics of the application of CAM, and cases of CAM success and failure in Qatar.

BRC Orgnized a Seminar with James Coates from the Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK. His talk was about Enterococci, they are a gram positive bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment and can colonise people and animals. Many of the interactions between enterococci and warm-blooded hosts are non-pathogenic. However, in some specific circumstances disease can arise. For example, pathogenic strains for E. cecorum can be a cause of mortality in poultry flocks, or E. faecalis infections can lead to bacteraemia in hospital patients. Due to their ubiquity, enterococci have been identified as useful indicator bacteria for general hygiene on also for monitoring the presence of anti-microbial resistance of bacterial populations that people interact with. The procedures for isolation of Enterococcus from animal samples and the subsequent identification of individual species is discussed, with a focus on E. faecium and E. faecalis.

BRC Orgnized a Seminar with Dr. Sandra from the Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK. She gave a talk about Campylobacter is a foodborne pathogen causing gastroenteritis in developed countries, including the UK, with a significant cost to public health and the economy. The majority of human Campylobacter infections are caused by Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, with C. jejuni responsible for the majority of cases in the UK. Exposure to Campylobacter can be via ingestion of contaminated foods and poultry meat is a potential source of contamination in kitchens. Most Campylobacter infections are self-limiting, but severe cases require antibiotic treatment. Campylobacter can develop resistance to a wide spectrum of antimicrobial agents, and the emergence of resistance to medically important antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and erythromycin are areas of concern. The potential public health risks of zoonosis and AMR in poultry production can be mitigated by control measures along the meat supply chain, which includes farms, slaughterhouses and kitchens. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) along with other institutions including the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) collaborate to provide research and surveillance on Campylobacter to inform risk assessments and to inform on controls to manage risk. This presentation will give an overview of APHA research and surveillance on Campylobacter contamination and antimicrobial resistance found in poultry in the UK.

BRC organized a seminar with Dr Asmaa AlBakri, from the University of Jordan. Dr. Asma'a Albakri is a nutritionist specializing in molecular and biochemical nutrition. Her research interests focus on the effect of dietary factors on the molecular mechanisms of metabolic diseases. Her ultimate goal is to improve the early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of metabolic diseases by implementing advanced research methods and techniques as well as collaborating with experts across the globe.