​NTU Institute of Science and Technology for Humanity (NISTH), School of Social Sciences, Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) and School of Biological Sciences Seminar | Building Capacity for Genomic Medicine in Qatar

Achieving “personalized medicine” will require high quality genome interpretation, tailored to individuals in the context of their native populations. Over the past 5 years in Qatar there have been significant advances in this domain, driven by initial explorations of population genetic structure to identification of disease-causing genes and loci underlying both rare (Mendelian) and complex disorders. Through sequencing thousands of Qataris to date, we have demonstrated a significantly under-appreciated diversity of modern day Arabs, as well as identified founder alleles for a numerous diseases relevant to the regional population.

This talk will cover the ambitious trajectory that the genomic enterprise has taken in Qatar in recent years – e.g. establishing the Qatar Genome Programme, and building capacity and a knowledge based economy – and identify areas of opportunity for collaborators and industry partners looking to shape the evolving field of precision medicine in the Arab world.