Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
What is the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar?
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) gives students the opportunity to obtain a world-class medical education in Qatar.
It also has a strong biomedical research program, conducted with partners in Qatar and throughout the world. WCMC-Q’s trained research professionals are at the forefront of building Qatar’s scientific and technical workforce and research infrastructure.
By introducing sophisticated new technology, WCMC-Q is generating new information about complex biological systems, with a focus on research into genetic and molecular medicine.Tackling Qatar’s health problems
Research into diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome tackles specific health challenges facing Qatar and the Gulf region.
Additional areas of focus include cardiovascular disease, reproductive biology and genetic disorders that affect the central nervous system.
Women’s and children’s health issues
Researchers at WCMC-Q are also concentrating on critical health issues specific to women and children and carries out investigations into neurogenetic abnormalities in newborn babies, prenatal and perinatal complications and vaccine development.
The Qatar National Research Fund's National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) has awarded WCMC-Q more than US $15 million in funding for areas of research significant to Qatar and the region.
NPRP-funded research projects include:
- Assessing the genomic signature of breast cancer in Qatar
- Investigating genetic variability and susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes in the Qatari population
- Considering the effect of shisha smoking on the biology of the airway epithelium in Qataris
- Monitoring prostate cancer in MENA populations
Did you know?
- In 2009, researchers at WCMC-Q mapped the genetic make-up (DNA) of the date palm native to Qatar and the region. Genetic information about the date palm is invaluable to researchers aiming to improve the fruit crop yield and quality and to understand the crop’s susceptibility and resistance to disease.
