Immune Disorders
The College of Medicine’s researchers are involved in identifying multiple functions of immune cell populations in different disease states, such as antibody secretion, cytokine production, cytotoxic functions, and chemotaxic capacities. The characterization of immune cells and immunoscoring has evolved alongside the recent trend in immunotherapies, because of the importance of immune cell activation and infiltration into the diseased tissues. CMED researchers will establish immunomonitoring platforms that are the forefront of the state-of-art Western health centers, in order to monitor the activation of immune cells during disease progression. Additionally, the immunologists will identify novel immune-based biomarkers and design interventions that target diabetes, cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and transplantation.
Cancer
Building on our previous findings, we aim to explore the cooperation effect of the two most frequent onco-viruses on human carcinogenesis and metastasis using human cell lines and animal models. Meanwhile, we are planning to identify gene and microRNA signatures of triple negative and non-triple negative human breast cancer in the population of Gulf countries using microarray technology, as demonstrated in our earlier works.
Additionally, we are interested in developing a new “in vivo” model to identify gene signatures of metastatic cancer related to a specific organ using a chicken embryo model; this model will also be used to explore the toxicity of the new nanoparticles and advice on normal development.
Our research will also be investigating the development of chemo-resistance by investigating cellular events, including cell signaling and proteomic changes. The complex process of cancer development (i.e. tumorogenesis) can be initiated by carcinogens or by viruses/chronic infections, and involve multiple alterations at the gene or the protein level. Our research groups will highlight major players controlling the development and progression of cancer, via high-throughput genomic, and proteomic approaches, in order to map and target altered protein signaling. CMED research aims to identify prognostic biomarkers and develop novel therapeutic interventions for personalized medicine in addition to developing new protocols and strategies that synergize with conventional cancer treatments.
Infectious Diseases
Infections that are circulating in the region require particular attention. Recent emergence of drug resistant strains of microbiota mandate alternative strategies, in addition to the classical antibiotic therapy. Our researchers tackle important infections, such as enteric pathogens causing diarrhea (e.g. Campylobacter), ulcer forming bacteria (e.g. Helicopacter) and several respiratory infections.
Our research groups are concerned with the issues of clinical reference, including biofilms in hospital settings, sepsis, diabetic foot, and gut microbiota imbalances. In collaboration with HMC, they aim to identify infection control strategies. Our team is fortunate to have fundamental microbiologists and clinical microbiologists with cross appointments between HMCS and CMED. This emphasizes the strong links that CMED and HMC are establishing in order to further translational research.
Neurodegenerative diseases
Working from a background in neuro-immunology our researchers are interested in exploring the breakdown of communication in the central nervous system and the immune system, which can result in unregulated inflammation and eventually pathology. We also take interest in the relation between inflammation and neurogenesis and the translational aspects of such an understanding.
Patient care registries
The health care system in Qatar is based on one IT platform (Cerner) across the sector including primary health care, secondary / tertiary health care and pharmacies. This creates a unique opportunity to develop exemplary patient-care registry practices for improving health care in the region and beyond. Using our expertise in epidemiology, health economics, public health and bio-statistics, the College of Medicine aims to lead research regionally in this area.
Developing and measuring professional competence
The definition of professional competence and how to best measure it in students and practitioners is an area which needs further investigation. It is of particular importance to the medical college at Qatar University as the educational program is competency-based. We aim to develop new, valid and reliable instruments for measuring professional competence at the workplace. Building on the Dreyfus model of skills acquisition and assessment of competency from the novice to the mastery levels, our goal is to introduce the paradigm trustworthiness as a new measure for professional competence.
Ethics and professionalism in medical education and practice
It is known that ethics and professionalism are culturally related. At the College of Medicine at Qatar University, we aim to explore the meanings and behavioral expressions of ethics and professionalism in the Arab Region. We also aim to further investigate how to contextualize teaching and assessing ethics and professionalism considering the cultural specificities of this region.
Simulation technology in medical education
The area of simulation in medical education and its translational aspects, is of interest to the medical education research at the College of Medicine in Qatar University. The College is in the process of developing a Virtual Patient Learning system which uses artificial intelligence technology to develop high fidelity simulation for medical student learning and resident training. The educational impact and effectiveness of this system will be investigated in order to further develop the simulator technologically (voice recognition and 3D holograms), and to create a platform of collaboration between The College of Engineering, the College of Medicine and International partners including the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI).